[donkeyasia]

Excellent thread.
Unfortunately I knew nothing of these precautions.
I find myself alone, in only my shorts and socks, in a country with a language I can neither read nor pronounce. if only this thread had been created three days ago.
Safe travels to all.

[K1ngston]

donkeyasia you always have your stick!!!

[donkeyasia]

K1ngston
They took that as well.

[IanFromHKG]

Tom mentioned medical ID information. If you have an iPhone, there is a Medical ID function built in. How you activate it depends on the version, but emergency crews are apparently trained (at least in some countries!) on how to access it. It has sections for birthdate/age, medical conditions, medical notes (not as in doctor’s notes, but additional text), allergies and reactions, medications, blood type, weight, height and emergency contacts.

The iPhone also has an emergency contact function, which I accidentally triggered recently while in the dentist’s chair (clearly clutching my phone too hard, I pressed just the right combination of buttons!). This triggered a call to the emergency services (cringe), and emergency texts sent to my emergency contacts saying there was an emergency and giving my location, apparently updated every ten minutes.

Finally, the iPhone allows emergency calls even without a SIM.

I suspect other phones have similar features – but of course they are only as useful as the information loaded into them!

Other suggestions:

Let your emergency contacts know the IMEI of your phone. Even without sophisticated functions such as Apple’s Find my iPhone, emergency services can track a phone by its IMEI number to the nearest cell tower.

Register your trip with your embassy/consulate in the host country, and keep details of their emergency number.

RFID-blocking wallets or purses will help to prevent identity theft.

Apps such as 1Password are helpful for keeping details of passwords, ATM PINs etc without having to write them down.

[K1ngston]

Very useful thank you Ian, just added all the relevant details immediately ……

[handbag]

Many years ago and a fairly new visitor to India, I was warned not to get my wallet out if any children are begging as they are often part of gangs. You have a chance, that you will be mobbed and your wallet stolen. I was also told that they are saying they are hungry, but are not interested in food, but told by gang leaders to collect money only.

With this in mind, I got out of a taxi, which happened to be by a bakery shop. I had 4-5 children, saying they were hungry. I pointed to the shop and said I would by them food, and to come with me to the shop and choose something. Needless to say, not one of them wanted food and they walked off with a look of disgust and some insults.

Now if I want to give any money to anyone begging, I get some notes in my hand before I leave the hotel, so that I don’t need to get my wallet out. Same thing applies if I am using a tuk tuk instead of a taxi. I get roughly the right money out of my wallet before I leave the hotel, so I do not have to get my wallet out on the street.

[canucklad]

A good reminder of some great tips….

My main tip, and something I don’t really adhere to myself, (BUT SHOULD) is remember even if you’re out and about at home you’re just as much at risk, if not more so because you’re naturally off guard.

In my case wandering about Edinburgh and Vancouver my wallet bulges out my back pocket, yet when I’m abroad in Johnny Foreigner land I carry a second wallet with limited cash and my top up card, leaving my bulging wallet behind in the safe. ….Totally bonkers !!

I actually got my plastic wallet pick pocketed abroad last week. In a pub in Tenerife, luckily I checked, when he bumped into me, I challenged him, he denied it, I repeated that I wanted it back and looked over at my mates standing at the bar…..he produced it and fled. If I hadn’t noticed I would have lost my prepaid MasterCard and 40 Euro’s . He did however manage to purloin the 50 Euro note before he handed it back.

And never forget that it’s not just wallets and money they’re after, totally agree with capetonianm, avoid hookers. Many of my pals have been relieved of rings, watches and gold chains in the street whilst being “Distracted” as they try and shoo them away.

Riga is/was notorious for people (drunk) getting done over at ATM’s by young Russian led gangs!!

My final tip, watch what you’re drinking, if it tastes iffy it’s not a branded alcoholic drink so beware of the consequences !!

[Roa1]

[quote quote=851410]A good reminder of some great tips….
My main tip, and something I don’t really adhere to myself, (BUT SHOULD) is remember even if you’re out and about at home you’re just as much at risk, if not more so because you’re naturally off guard.
In my case wandering about Edinburgh and Vancouver my wallet bulges out my back pocket, yet when I’m abroad in Johnny Foreigner land I carry a second wallet with limited cash and my top up card, leaving my bulging wallet behind in the safe. ….Totally bonkers !!
I actually got my plastic wallet pick pocketed abroad last week. In a pub in Tenerife, luckily I checked, when he bumped into me, I challenged him, he denied it, I repeated that I wanted it back and looked over at my mates standing at the bar…..he produced it and fled. If I hadn’t noticed I would have lost my prepaid MasterCard and 40 Euro’s . He did however manage to purloin the 50 Euro note before he handed it back.
And never forget that it’s not just wallets and money they’re after, totally agree with capetonianm, avoid hookers. Many of my pals have been relieved of rings, watches and gold chains in the street whilst being “Distracted” as they try and shoo them away.
Riga is/was notorious for people (drunk) getting done over at ATM’s by young Russian led gangs!!
My final tip, watch what you’re drinking, if it tastes iffy it’s not a branded alcoholic drink so beware of the consequences !!
[/quote]

[simeoncox]

[quote quote=850984]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…
Not sure it caught on?
[/quote]

I travel with a USB that has a photo-page passport scan (signature blanked out); a scan of card faces (credit, FF and medicare); and travel documents, all in PDF. The problem however, is that airlines / airports won’t admit such a USB into their computer system.

[FDOS_UK]

[quote quote=851466]

Tom Otley wrote:

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… Not sure it caught on?

I travel with a USB that has a photo-page passport scan (signature blanked out); a scan of card faces (credit, FF and medicare); and travel documents, all in PDF. The problem however, is that airlines / airports won’t admit such a USB into their computer system.
[/quote]

Quite understandably, to be honest – USB/HID attacks are a very good way of gaining access to a system.

[FDOS_UK]

To build on my comment in the post above, NEVER insert a USB stick in your PC unless you are 100% sure of where it has been. Don’t leave your PC where others can gain access to it.

Criminals can programme certain types of USB sticks to imitate keyboards or mice (HUman Interface Devices) and these bypass your computer security software and gain access to your system.

If you have a few spare mins, have a look at this clip, to see how easy it is for the hacker to take control of your pc

[MartynSinclair]

I have mentioned previously, never allow third parties, including hotels, to foto copy sensitive documents OR credit cards. Most corporate style foto copiers are printers with hard drives. All copies are usually kept on the printers hard drive..

[TiredOldHack2]

[quote quote=850905]Keep a copy of your credit card details so you know which ones have been stolen and can report them if they are[/quote]

I do this, but I also make sure the details include the ‘Lost or Stolen Card’ number which is printed on the back of the cards! Saves a lot of faffing about.

[TiredOldHack2]

I carry a “dummy wallet” – a wallet stuffed with useless cards and a variety of currencies, all in low denomination notes (Chinese yuan, Chilean pesos, and the like). I haven’t been asked to hand over my wallet at knifepoint yet, but…

I keep my credit and debit cards completely separate. In fact, the debit cards are kept at the bottom of my little business card holder, and care completely obscured by the cards. Open the lid and all you see is biz cards.

I keep one high-credit limit CC in a third place, for use in dire emergencies.

And if humanly possible, I wear a jacket with zippable inner pockets.

I’ve also, occasionally, kept some high-denomination banknotes in my socks, under the soles of my feet (in those useful little bags that banks use for coins).

[Cedric_Statherby]

On city security, my preferred measure, worked out over many years with my corporate security colleagues, was a 5 point scale where between us we rank cities as below:

1) Safe to walk in
2) Safe to take a local bus in
3) Avoid public transport, safe to hail taxis on the street
4) Needs a hotel car
5) Needs a security car and driver

The full scale continues after that with “Needs an armed guard”, “Needs a platoon of marines” and “You’re on your own mate”, but fortunately my travels seldom if ever took me to the more extreme end of the danger spectrum!

A simpler test for a city, most useful in the developing world when hiring a car, was the traffic light test, which asked “When is it safe to stop at a red light?”. The answers were, in order of descending safety of the city in question, “Always”, “Only by day – drive on at night”, “Never” and “You expect the lights to work?”.

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