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 In this lesson, you will learn:
 
The best advice to anyone traveling to a new destination is to know where you are going whether your trip is domestic or foreign for business or pleasure. Use the Internet. Invest the time to learn about transportation and lodging options. Check local statistics for different types of crime. Get a general sense for how you will be welcomed and where. Appreciate and follow local customs. Even a half hour looking at the travel books at Borders or Barnes and Noble is a good idea.Generally, people around the world are the same. They will smile and would help you in a time of need. Most are trying to earn a living and improve conditions for their families. If you treat others with respect, that's good and wise. Generally, as with anywhere and anything else, you get what you pay for. Do your currency adjustments and exchange calculations before you leave and know what levels of service and convenience to expect for your dollars. Tourists are preferred targets for thieves. Thieves know that there is a greater likelihood that tourist-victims wouldn't remain or return to testify at a trial.
Fact: The United States State Department offers a comprehensive website of safety and security information for Americans traveling abroad. Especially important to American citizens are traveling advisories and warnings to specific destinations. http://www.state.gov Use credit cards or traveler's checks and take only essential cards. In restaurants, always take your credit card receipt with you. Be sure the credit card that is returned to you is your card. Carry your purse close to your body or use a fanny pack. Put your wallet in a front pocket or use a money belt. Carry medicines and valuables in your carry-on. Going and coming, ship large items separately. Be sure someone knows your itinerary and your estimated time of arrival and return. If you get lost, ask the police for help and not total strangers.
Most of the following safety precautions will be habit as you become more personal security oriented. You will walk around with your head up and eyes and ears open in Condition Yellow. Use the Internet to choose hotels in safe locations Outside don't linger unnecessarily in the hotel garage or common areas. Stay alert. Watch for distractions that are intentionally staged to set up a pickpocket. Stay with your luggage until it is brought into the lobby, or placed into the taxi or limo. Know what your home insurance covers when you travel. If you arrive at night by car, park in a lit area as close to the hotel as possible. Avoid leaving valuables or personal documents in the glove compartment. Remove all property from the car interior and place it in the trunk. Prior to leaving the security of the vehicle, note any suspicious persons or behavior. Trust your instincts. Be alert for suspicious persons and behavior. If using valet service, leave only the ignition key, and take other keys with you. Avoid dimly lit garages that are not patrolled and do not have security telephones or intercoms. Women or seniors should consider asking for an escort to their vehicles. Have the bellman show you the room. Check the window and door locks. Leave the door open when you enter your room, check the shower, closet, under the bed and behind the curtains. Double lock your doors. Call the front desk before opening the door to anyone including hotel staff. At the pool, sit near a family and ask them to watch your things. At the pool, bring a disposable camera and a cheap radio. Never leave your door open even if just going out for a second for ice or a soda. Don't draw attention to yourself by flashing cash or wearing expensive jewelry. Store valuables in the hotel safe or your room safe.
Use the hotel health club for exercise. Use your locker. Don't leave your valuables exposed while in the shower area. If you exercise by running or walking outside: Check your route with hotel staff. It is not rude to ask if you are staying in a safe area.
Never smoke in bed. Smoke can be blinding and disorienting. Carbon monoxide gas may force you to the floor. Invest a few minutes to plan an escape route from your hotel room. Share your escape plan with those in your charge. Always err on the side of safety. Get out first and worry about looking foolish later. The life you save may be your own. Fact: 85 percent of U.S. hotels lack fire sprinkler systems. Each year some 32.6 million fires strike Americans at home, in hotels, or at the workplace. That's one fire virtually every second of the day. Fire is the third largest cause of accidental injury and death in this country. Injuries by fire total two million annually, and one out of every eight accidental deaths is from fire. Fact: The U.S. and Canada have the highest rates of death by fire than any other countries in the world. Ask yourself these questions: Does the bathroom have an exhaust fan to help clear smoke?In a fire: Quickly gather your flashlight and room key.
If there is smoke or fire outside the door, seal your door with tape or wet towels. Fill the tub with water.If you meet intense smoke going down, head for the roof. Keep the roof door propped open.If you jump, here is what you can expect to happen: From the second floor, you'll end up with a broken ankle.
If you are traveling to a number of different locations in a strange city on a single day, consider a car service, which means hiring a car and driver for the day. Leaving on a trip, don't tell the taxi driver that your house is unoccupied. When renting a car in an unfamiliar area, be sure of your directions. The counter personnel should be able to help you with maps and directions. You don't want to look like a tourist. Don't rent an obviously identified rental car.
1. Know your destination and have a planned route of travel. 2. Always be alert and aware of what is around you. 3. If you see someone on the road who indicates they need help, it is best to call the police when you get to the nearest telephone or use your cell phone. 4. If your vehicle is bumped from behind, do not stop on the roadway or shoulder. Drive to the nearest public area and call for police assistance. 5. If someone suspicious approaches your vehicle at a red light or stop sign, blow the horn. 6. Do not pull over for flashing headlights. An emergency or police vehicle has red or red and blue flashing lights. 7. If you become lost, find a public place, like a service station, to read your map or ask for directions. 8. If you are told that something is wrong with your vehicle, do not stop immediately. Drive to the nearest service station or another well-lit public area. 9. Keep doors locked and windows up when driving, and when parked. 10. Valuables should be kept in the trunk, locked glove compartment, or out of sight whenever traveling or leaving a vehicle parked. 11. Always park in well-lit areas. 12. Check the interior of your vehicle and surrounding areas before entering your vehicle. 13. Do not pick up hitchhikers. 14. If using an automatic teller machine, be sure the area is well lit. Count your money inside your locked vehicle with the windows up. Source: Metro-Dade Police
On Buses and Subways: Keep your belongings close at hand while waiting.
When are you most likely to be alone with a hand full of cash? Right, at the ATM. Thieves know this so stick to these safety guidelines: The most dangerous hours for ATMs are from 7:00 p.m. until midnight. Choose well-lit, busy ATMs in well-populated locations during daylight hours. Look for a business place with the ATM inside; these locations offer you increased safety. Don't approach a machine if there are suspicious people about. Familiarize yourself with the machine so you can complete your transaction quickly. If practical, bring a friend with you. Prepare your transaction at home. Never approach an ATM if the lights at the site are not operating. Use your body as a shield when punching in your PIN number. Don't use your birthday or Social Security number for your PIN number. Never write down your PIN number or give it to anyone. Never count your money at the ATM or in your car near the ATM. Don't flash your wallet or cash. Be sure to take your receipt because it may contain account numbers and personal information. Cancel your transaction immediately if anything or anyone seems suspicious. At a drive-up, make sure all car doors are locked. If you are approached, give up the money. Try to remember details and call the police. If you think you are being followed, go to an area with a lot of people and call the police. It identifies your citizenship. Guard it carefully. Carry your passport securely hidden on your person. Do not use it as collateral for a loan or lend it to anyone. You will need it to pick up mail or check into hotels or embassies. You may need it to cash traveler's checks. In some countries, you may need to leave it at the hotel desk overnight. Families should not carry all passports together. Source: State Department The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued the following tips to help air travelers accommodate and assist the heightened security measures implemented since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Travelers should note that they are limiting each airline passenger to one carry-on bag and one personal item (purse, briefcase, laptop computer) onto flights. All other luggage must be checked. Allow extra time:
The following items must be placed in, or transported as checked baggage or risk confiscation.
Arrive with plenty of time to spare. Exercise good judgment. Maintain a professional demeanor. Ask to contact the nearest embassy or consulate. Continue to make a request periodically until they accede. Stay calm, maintain your dignity and do not do anything to provoke the arresting officer(s). Don't admit anything or volunteer any information. Don't sign anything. Decline politely until such time as the form is examined by your attorney. Don't accept anyone on face value. Kidnappings can take place in public areas where someone may quietly force you, by gunpoint, into a vehicle. They can also take place at a hotel or residence, again by using a weapon to force your cooperation in leaving the premises and entering a vehicle. The initial phase of kidnapping is a critical one because it provides one of the best opportunities to escape. If you are abducted: Do not struggle in your confined state.If you are interrogated: Retain a sense of pride but be cooperative.Know your captors: Memorize their schedule The best anti-theft devices are those that are visible such as stickers. Have a panic button on your key ring that sets off lights, horn and alarm. If someone approaches your car, drive off while honking the horn and flashing the lights. Never hitchhike and never pick up hitchhikers. Never accept rides from strangers.
Be wary of people asking for directions or handing out fliers. Remove valuable objects from your car. Don't stop to be a Good Samaritan. Instead use your cell phone Fill up your gas tank when you reach the half-filled mark. While opening your car, open only the driver's door and not all four doors. Be sure your car is well maintained. Always roll up the windows and lock car doors, even if you're coming right back. Check inside and under your car before getting in. If you think someone is following you, don't head home. Drive to the nearest police or fire station, gas station, or other open business to get help. If you get lost, don't keep driving. Retrace your steps. If you have a breakdown in an isolated area and you can't call for help, stay in your locked car overnight. Don't exit from the highways onto ramps with heavy graffiti. Lock your door immediately before you start your car. Even if you're rushed, look around before you get out and stay alert to the surroundings. Always lock your car.
Carjacking is stealing your car by force. It can happen in as little as 15 seconds. At a light, if you are approached, say "No" while you turn on your wipers and hit the horn. Drive through the light if necessary.
Why does carjacking happen? It may be the first step in another crime. It could be a crime of opportunity, like a joy ride. Luxury cars are a quick source of cash. Gangs sometimes devise rites of passage.
What do carjackers look for? Intersections controlled by stop lights or signs.
What to do if you are carjacked? Always load your packages in the car before you put the children. If your car gets carjacked, your family will be safe.
The greatest single danger to you and your loved ones are not street criminals and home invaders but drunk and reckless drivers. We allow this to happen. We allow drunks and road ragers to continue their carnage on the roads for a simple reason. They are us. They are our neighbors and co-workers and family members. They drink and drive. We allow this to happen. They weave in and out of traffic at great rates of speed. We allow this to happen. Because they look like us and live with us and work with us, we plead and beg and warn and warn some more. We allow this to happen. Here is what they do in Germany. For a first offense, you lose your license for a year. For a second offense, you never drive again. I would add that the car should be impounded when the driving license is revoked. We can't change drunk and reckless drivers. We can make them want to reform.
Alcohol involvement remains the leading factor in motor vehicle deaths. Traffic fatalities in alcohol-related crashes rose by 4 percent from 1999 to 2000. The 16,653 alcohol-related fatalities in 2000 (40 percent of total traffic fatalities for the year) represent a 25 percent reduction from the 22,084 alcohol-related fatalities reported in 1990 (50 percent of the total). NHTSA estimates that alcohol was involved in 40 percent of fatal crashes and in 8 percent of all crashes in 2000. An estimated 310,000 persons were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present. An average of one person injured approximately every 2 minutes. About 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. Approximately 43 of our fellow citizens are lost each day, 305 each week, and 1309 each month because of alcohol related accidents. That's one life lost every 33 minutes. Traffic crashes are the greatest single cause of death for every age from 6 through 33. Almost half of these fatalities are in alcohol-related crashes. Male drivers, drivers in the 21-34 age group, and drivers who are of the Caucasian race constitute the largest percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers in fatal crashes. More than 2,300 anti-drunk driving laws have been passed since 1980. Source: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Although the average citizen isn't likely to be victimized by the police, you should observe some basic precautions if you're stopped in your car. Because many police shootings occur during routine traffic stops, Anthony V. Bouza, a former commander of Bronx forces in New York City offers the following advice if you're pulled over: Police are especially careful when approaching a motorist in a stopped car. Stay in your vehicle unless you're ordered to get out. Don't make any sudden movements that could be misinterpreted. Sit quietly, with both hands on the steering wheel, in full view, and cooperate fully with the police. If your license/registration isn't handy, tell the cop before scrambling to get it. And, finally, you shouldn't be afraid to speak up if you have an plausible excuse. Just do so respectfully. This isn't the time to be aggressive. Pull a good distance off the road and put on your emergency flasher. Warn oncoming traffic and send someone for the police and an ambulance immediately. If engines of the vehicles involved in the collision are running, switch them off to avoid fire or explosion. Check conditions of the victims without moving them. Try to keep them warm and as comfortable as possible until help arrives. Source: National Safety Council A car, usually with a driver and at least one passenger, rear-ends or "bumps" you in traffic. You quickly get out to check the damage and exchange information. Either the driver or one of the passengers jumps in your car and drives off. If you're being followed make four right turns. Go completely around the block. Get off the highway, except in gang areas. Get to an open business. Drive to the nearest police station or to a busy, well-lit area. If you do get out of the car, take your keys and purse. If you feel uncomfortable tell the other driver through your window that you have called 911 and will proceed to a well-populated area where the police are waiting.
The key to having a safe successful travel experience begins with preparation. Know where you are going and what you are likely to encounter once you get there. Stay in Condition Yellow and enjoy the trip! Go to Lesson 81 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
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Master's Tip:
Pack lightly and don't buy expensive luggage. If you are burdened down with suitcases and packages, you become an easy target. If you walk around with a video recorder and your head stuck in a map, you make an easy target.
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