Be a Safe Traveler

Travelers are prime targets for criminals all over the world. They employ a variety of clever gimmicks such as calling your attention to "something sticky" on your coat and, while helping you to remove it, lifting your wallet (a Barcelona favorite), or offering to carry your luggage to a cab and then disappearing, or steering you to a rigged-meter or meterless gypsy cab (an Athens specialty). Here are a few tips to help you from being victimized. Many of these are just good common sense, but it's easy to become careless in the excitement and confusion of unfamiliar locales.

Dress discreetly. Don't call attention to yourself with flashy or provocative clothing, expensive handbags, briefcases, jewelry, or watches. Eliminate all but essential contents from your wallet. In the event that you are victimized, this will minimize the task of replacement. Photocopy all the essential documents you carry with you (credit cards, first two pages of passport, airline tickets, driver's license, etc.) and carry the copies separately from the originals. As an extra precaution, you might want to make a second copy of everything and leave it at home. Fly during the day. If possible, schedule flights to unfamiliar destinations to arrive in daylight, and try to fly at off-peak times. Call Ahead If you are unsure of the safety of travel in a particular region of the world, call the U.S. Travel Advisory section of the State Department (202-647-5225) or go to their Internet site at www.travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html. This service provides a great deal of useful information, as for example, a recorded message that tells travelers to Mexico City which taxi companies to avoid. Be Wary Airport security checkpoints have given rise to a particular scam that has caused innumerable travelers to lose valuable belongings. It works like this: You've placed your bags on the automated belt and are about to step through the metal detector gate, when the person ahead of you sets off the alarm because of a large metal buckle or some other metal object. You must wait until the metal is removed and the person steps through the detector gate once again. Meanwhile, your bags are in the pile that has passed through the scanner and where they can be picked up by an accomplice of the thief who delayed you in line. To avoid this ploy, always let the person ahead of you clear the walk-through gate before placing your bags on the automated belt. Get a Trunk If you rent a car, don't take a hatchback. Insist upon a model with an enclosed trunk where luggage will not be visible. Keep all your belongings locked inside the trunk, with nothing visible on the seats. In heavy traffic areas of cities like Rome, Milan, Paris, Seville, and others, motorcycle-riding thieves are known to drive alongside a rental car (identifiable by special license plates or other markings), smash a window with a brick, grab whatever is reachable on the back seat, and zip off into the traffic. Be Inconspicuous If your rental car is adorned with any badges, emblems, stickers, etc. that identify it as a rental, and if these are removable, do so and store them in the glove compartment. Know where you are Familiarize yourself with maps of the routes you will be driving before leaving the rental office (and before leaving home, if possible). Don't run out of gas Keep your car's gas tank at least half full to avoid running out at inopportune times or places. Remember, gas stations are not located as frequently and conveniently in foreign countries as they are in the U.S. and Canada, so fill up whenever you can. Don't pull over While driving, if someone in a passing car points to your tire as if something is wrong, don't stop until you reach a gas station or a crowded area. This is one of the ways travelers are robbed or have their car stolen along highways and in deserted areas. Unload first When you reach your destination hotel, check in and unload your car before going off to do anything else. Even a locked trunk can be broken into. Don't use cash To the greatest extent possible, use credit cards and traveler's checks, and carry a minimum amount of cash. In cities where purse snatching and pocket picking are prevalent (for example, Lima, Rio, Rome, Seville, etc.) tuck a small amount of money and a credit card into an inside pocket, leaving your purse or wallet locked in your hotel safe. Hang on Keep your camera, handbag, purse, etc. firmly in hand. Never park it on a chair at a sidewalk cafe or on a store counter. Grab-and-run thieves are far bolder and more skilled than you might think. Carry change Keep a generous supply of change in your pocket so you don't have to reach for your wallet when you buy a newspaper, board a bus, or make any other small purchase. Stay above ground floor In a hotel, do not accept a ground-floor room if possible. The most secure accommodations are on the so-called executive or concierge floors, especially where access to the floors is possible only with a special card or key. Be careful When leaving your hotel room, don't put the "Please make up this room" sign on the doorknob, as it's an announcement that the room is empty. If you need your room made up, call housekeeping or the front desk and ask them to schedule service while you are out. Act like you're there When going out for the evening, leave a light and the radio or television set on low, and hang the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the doorknob. Lock it up Always keep your hotel room door locked, even when you are inside. If someone knocks and identifies himself /herself as a hotel employee, phone the desk to be certain that this is an authorized entry. Keep it to yourself Be wary of providing strangers with information about your trip, your schedule, or your daily plans. Stay alert Be especially alert in crowded places like theater lobbies, public squares, markets, sporting events, subway stations, airports, hotel lobbies, etc. Crowds draw thieves. Stay safe Take no unnecessary chances, such as walking back to your hotel at night after dinner. In general, take cabs to and from unfamiliar destinations, especially at night. Plan ahead Plan your immediate destination before leaving your hotel, so that once out on the street, you can walk purposefully and confidently. The tentative, hesitant stroller is an easier mark for a thief. Don't stare Avoid staring at individuals and avoid eye contact, especially in big cities. In general, be alert and observant wherever you are. You may be on vacation, but thieves never are.