[Tom Otley]

Following on from good advice offered on another thread, I thought it worthwhile to gather this wiki-style thread in our advice section.

Please feel free to share your security / safety travel tips, whcih we will then include in a future article.

Thank you, Tom

1.
Keep your credit cards and money in seperate places – for instance, take out one or two cards and part of your money with youl but keep the rest in the safe back at the hotel.

2.
Keep a copy of your credit card details so you know which ones have been stolen and can report them if they are

3. Keep a photocopy of your passport in your luggage in case you lose your passport.

4.

[capetonianm]

Scratch CVV numbers off CCs, or better still, if you don’t need the physical card on you, leave it and have a note, obviously suitable coded or concealed, of the number, EXP, etc.

Keep a photocopy of your passport, driving licence, etc in your wallet, and don’t walk round with the real thing.

If you have an expensive phone that is likely to be targeted, slip the SIM into an old Nokia, or just keep a spare old phone and SIM for wandering around dark places!

Carry a small amount of local currency in cash in a pocket that is likely to be pickpocketed if you need more, keep it better concealed. I have a couple of trousers and jackets that have concealed pockets and I sometimes battle to find stuff in them. Cash is always safer than cards, at least if it’s stolen your losses are quantified and contained.

Don’t talk to strange men in the street, and specially not to lady solicitors!

Make a note of nearest fire exits on hotels and check that they are not locked, as per my experience in Girona a few weeks ago.

Know the local emergency services number – 112 is now almost universal.

[K1ngston]

Someone once said to me wherever you go remember that:… “City rules apply” if its dark, badly lit or seems menacing it probably is…

Try not to go anywhere alone or that you are unsure of

DO NOT give your credit card to anyone to go away and make payment, either ask them to bring the machine to you or you go with them to the machine

Take hotel cars if the Taxi service looks less than official

Don’t go showing off any expensive jewellery etc

[GivingupBA]

Some countries are dangerous – no need to name them here. When you are in those places:

[1] ask the hotel front desk for advice and/ or help before leaving the hotel (doing this has saved my bacon more than once).
[2] on arriving at the airport, make sure you take a registered/ recommended taxi service when you leave the airport. And in general whenever in that place, never take (or stay in) a taxi shared with other passengers.

[Tom Otley]

I remember a few years ago there were a number of companies pushing the idea that we should have our medical information on a (secure) USB flash drive in case of an accident

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/dec/11/research-gadgets

Not sure it caught on?

[PhilipHart]

I never sign any of my cards, but instead write “SEE PHOTO ID” (in the very rare case that someone actually cross-checks my signature).

[Edski777]

Make a few photocopies of your passport and black out sensitive information like your social security number. If possible (i.e. use MS Word) use the watermark function to print “Only for hotel registration purposes” across the page. It makes identity theft much harder.
Don’t keep your PIN codes for creditcards in the same wallet as your credit cards.
Keep a list of all your card numbers and emergency phone numbers. Having a few copies distributed, keep one in your wallet, one in your hotel room, one at your office, one at your house, etc. Include inthe list information about your passport, driving license, etc.
Keep a list of important telephone numbers, email addresses, web addresses (URLs), etc.
Make a backup of your cell phone. Many of us have all the important contact information only stored on this one item.

Just those little things you may need in case you end up in trouble. This might just save you from panicking.

[drflight]

If away on a long-haul multicity trip it is wise to take photocopies of all documentation, passport details, airline, hotel and other travel reservations, travel insurance policy etc and put in a file in chronological order. Leave this with secretary/spouse/family/trusted friend so that in the event of an emergency (e.g. being taken seriously ill and hospitalized) then one person back home has all the details.

[handbag]

Lots of Crew, put one of their uniform shoes in the safe. That way they won’t leave the room without getting it out and forget anything in the safe. I do when working, but not found a similar item, that I can put in when traveling at other times.

[GivingupBA]

[quote quote=851053]Lots of Crew, put one of their uniform shoes in the safe. That way they won’t leave the room without getting it out and forget anything in the safe. I do when working, but not found a similar item, that I can put in when traveling at other times.
[/quote]

That’s a good idea I never thought of.

My method is to sellotape a sheet of paper saying “EMPTY SAFE!” to the hotel room inside door handle – a bit odd, I know, but it works for me.

[stevescoots]

On Aircraft and trains always keep passport, phone and 1 credit card in your pocket, you never know how fast you need to get out of a plane and at least if your lucky to get out you dont have to wait to contact loved ones, wait for acrriers to make arrangements for hotel or getting home.

[LuganoPirate]

[quote quote=851089]On Aircraft and trains always keep passport, phone and 1 credit card in your pocket, you never know how fast you need to get out of a plane and at least if your lucky to get out you dont have to wait to contact loved ones, wait for acrriers to make arrangements for hotel or getting home.
[/quote]

I do the same and for the same reason I keep my shoes on until we have reached cruising height.
If travelling by car I leave the car keys in the safe
A few hotels do ask if you’ve checked the safe when checking out.

In some places I put a chair under the door handle or if it doesn’t fit in front of the door so it will make some noise – hopefully – if opened.
In my trouser pocket I always carry a small penknife and a lighter. Can be useful for burning off those plastic straps.

Never go alone through dark unknown places at night.

A common scam is to be approached by a stranger, well dressed, telling some tale of woe and asking for money to get home. Either ignore them, politely decline or suggest they go to the police station or embassy for help.

[capetonianm]

A common scam is to be approached by a stranger, well dressed, telling some tale of woe

Years ago there was such a fellow in CPT. I almost got caught before I knew what he was up to as he had a superb modus operandi.
He would look at you as if he recognised you and confidently walk up with a hand outstretched in greeting and say :
“Hello, my dear fellow”, in a very well-spoken accent, “how lovely to see you after so long …….”
So of course you’d think ……… um …. who is this.
Then he’d launch into the tale of woe. He must have caught a lot of people. He was good.

[stevescoots]

As cruel as it may sound ignore beggars and well dressed alike, as I have had attempted shakedowns by them both in the past in most cities. I also avoid areas unlit and not so busy areas and pick pockets are everywhere even in traffic. I recall an incident several years ago stuck in traffic on the notorious Sao Paulo roads. I was in the passenger car I had hired, and a customer’s sister was driving me and the car back to the airport. A motorbike came past and they banged on the roof very hard, my instinct was to get out and go wtf at them when she grabbed me and told me to stay in. Sure enough they stopped and looked back. She explained it’s a trap, if I had got out they would come back to argue, pull a gun or knife and at best be robbed.
We are just setting up our factory in HCM and until I get an apartment there I am staying in D1, factory is far side of D8 so I bought myself a nice 1966 lambretta to go to work each day, cuts 40+ minutes out of the rush hour journey and gives me something to tinker with over the weekends, anyway I digress, I am a dab hand at flying through the notorious traffic and the only place I am at a standstill is the traffic lights. A few weeks ago, when I got back I noticed my backpack was half undone. Somebody had obviously had a go while I was at the lights and luckily the inner pockets were locked. Even on the move they can get you

[traveldoc1]

If arranging a hotel or limo pickup from the airport, have a pre-arranged codeword which only the genuine driver should know. It’s possible (and has happened) that the genuine driver, holding a card with your name on it, is told that you’re waiting elsewhere. While he goes off to find you the scammer then holds up your name card and you unsuspectingly get into a rogue vehicle.

[Author]

Posts