Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Travel Safe


On my first trip outside of North America back in 1990, my traveling companion had her pocket picked in London.  She was careless, even ignored a warning from a local that she needed to be more careful and made an easy victim.  She let it ruin her adventure. 

I take a few simple steps to travel safer. I keep my wallet in an inside zippered or buttoned closed pocket that is not obvious from the outside.  When in a crowd, I am hyper vigilant. I tend to avoid buskers, and crowds.  If approached by a begger, I ignore them and walk on. I use a seperate under my clothes case for my passport, a backup credit card and cash.  I keep cash in more than one location, and keep what is easily reachable to an amount I could afford to lose.  I have started using hotel safes.  I scan my passport and important travel documents before I leave home, and have a copy accessible from a remote location.  I don't carry or wear expensive jewelry, or flash a lot of cash.  

What other suggestions do you have for traveling safe? 

10 comments:

  1. Anonymous1/14/2020

    Trust your instincts, rather as you would at home. If someone or something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.

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  2. Great points.
    I think we all should not forget that appearing to be a 'tourist' is always a red flag flapping in front of any undesirable. We should always act as if we were 'home' in what respects to safety.


    XOXO

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    Replies
    1. I can spot the out of towners in a second here in DC. Some try to blend in, but there are subtle differences in behaviour

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  3. You’ve provided great advice. It’s odd how people don’t even take the same precautions when they travel that they do when they’re at home.

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    Replies
    1. A little bit of care is all it takes, thieves want easy victims.

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  4. get off your damn cell phone and be aware of your surroundings!

    don't act like an ugly american; try to blend in with the natives.

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    Replies
    1. I have been known to shout at tourists, LOOK UP!

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  5. I do all those things too. If you're carrying a purse or a backpack, always have it within reach, touching you so you know it's there and can monitor its presence.

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    Replies
    1. Hang it around back, and it is easy to unzip and pick, hang it on the back of chair, and it can get snatched.

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