Subject: Physical security while traveling
We are currently wandering for the next six months. I am a constant user of "Take the High Road - A Primer For The Independent Traveler" as it briefly describes the best things to do (or avoid) in most places we will be (re)visiting. It also includes about 200 pages of essays on a wide group of areas important to travelers. I just re-read the one on Physical Security (which I find useful to do from time to time) and thought it would be helpful to share it with you.

Jeff (Author)

PHYSICAL SECURITY

Before getting into the specifics of local physical security, there's something I do before traveling abroad: I register my (and my traveling companions') itinerary with the US Department of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) which sends out security messages regarding potential threats along our route and makes it easier to locate us in an emergency (https://travel.state.gov/conte...).

Other sources of information:

US OSAC Crime & Safety Report
UK Foreign Travel Advice
Government of Canada: Safety & Security
Australia Smart Traveler Safety & Security Advice
New Zealand Safe Travel

Presumably, other countries have similar services.

It is important to remember that you are 'no longer in Kansas' and the laws of other countries are different from ours. Breaking a foreign law may have different consequences than at home. Becoming drunk and getting involved in a bar fight, getting into a traffic accident, buying or using drugs or wandering around (or especially taking photographs) near sensitive military installations can all put you in a world of hurt that the US government may not be able to get you out of for 'an extended period of time'.

Please note that there are additional security tips in sections such as Credit/Debit/ATM cards and about taxis.

A few simple security suggestions:

If threatened by robbers, do not resist: hand over your valuables and cash immediately

Travel with others and stay in open public spaces, avoiding large crowds if possible

'Dress down' conservatively and minimize the amount of jewelry you wear (as in none) and don't display signs of affluence, especially upon arrival at the airport

Keep your grip on handbags, cameras and valuables and keep laptop computers, mobile phones and other personal electronic devices out of sight, and refrain from using them in public

Be aware of your surroundings and the people around you.

Use discretion when handling cash publicly and limit the amount of cash you carry. Separate
money into separate pockets for small and large purchases to avoid showing a lot of cash. Do not carry anything of value in rear pants pockets. Have gratuities ready.

If confronted by a criminal, just remember that valuables and money can be replaced.

Be especially careful in areas where large numbers of tourists congregate.

If heading into unfamiliar parts of a city or an outlying area, consider going in a group (possibly accompanied by a licensed tour guide).

While taxis within the port confines generally cost a premium to those found beyond its gates, be aware that most ports are found in rough neighborhoods, so do not wander of on foot if you are unfamiliar with the neighborhood. In general, as cars are identified by apps and tracked, Uber and similar car[sharing services are more secure than taxis in many parts of the world.

Especially at night (but also during the day), stick to open, well lighted public places. Avoid shortcuts through parks, vacant lots, beaches and deserted places.

Be suspicious if a stranger approaches you and speaks good English.

Women travelling alone may be subject to some forms of harassment and verbal abuse. Incidents of sexual assault have also occurred, including on buses. Some tourist service-providers build trusting relationships with female tourists and then sexually assault them. Avoid travelling alone, with informal guides or with strangers, even if they appear friendly and helpful.

Do not provide personal information to persons you do not know.

It is a very bad idea to carry a weapon of any sort in a foreign country. About the closest I get is to carry a small, but very bright (tactical) flashlight to shine in an assailant's eyes at night if I decide not to just give up my wallet (which would probably be the best course of action if I'm accosted, as its contents can always be replaced).

Watch out for con artists. A favored target is the automated teller machine (ATM). Under no circumstances allow a stranger to assist you in your transactions. Should your card become stuck in the ATM, enter your PIN three times whereupon the machine will retain your card. You can then approach the bank to release it, or call the helpline number that can usually be found at ATMs for assistance.

Beware, too, of confidence tricksters who try and persuade you to invest in their schemes, requiring you to disclose confidential banking details.

And, while on the subject of crime, do bear in mind that committing a criminal offence in any foreign country is always more of a problem than doing so at home. You're probably not planning to, but there are a few actions which could land you in a not-too-luxurious jail. These include smuggling, bilking, and trading in, or using, recreational drugs ' with the exception of tobacco and alcohol (even these can be problematic in some Moslem countries). Poaching is probably far from your mind but, just in case you're tempted to "harvest" a rhino horn as a souvenir, remember African game scouts are armed and authorized to shoot poachers.

When entering mosques and other religious sites, women must cover their head, shoulders, and knees, while men must wear sleeved shirts and full-length pants, and everyone must remove their shoes. Mosque interiors are generally closed to non-Muslims on Thursday afternoons and Fridays and it is important, when visiting any type of religious institution, to be respectful and do things the 'right' way. Be aware of local customs and laws and respect them (women must wear head scarfs and modest clothing and neither men nor women should drink alcoholic beverages or even think about using drugs in most Moslem countries). Also be aware that many countries prohibit photography at airports, train stations, military installations, border posts and so on. Some also make the use of car radar detectors and even GPS's illegal ' do not temp fate, just follow the rules.

Be careful not to allow yourself to be locked into an isolated room while looking for 'knock-off' goods. First of all, most 'copy' goods are mediocre quality at best (and frequently are complete junk), secondly, never allow yourself to be in a position where you are cut off and potentially able to be intimidated or robbed. (The moral is do not bother with this nonsense as it is generally illegal, is not cheap except in Asia and you can get into personal danger if you are not careful ' and again, never allow yourself to be locked in a room no matter what the temptation ' worth repeating).

One of my major concerns about physical security is that we will, almost by definition, be carrying a lot of cash between our hotel stays while traveling through rural parts of a country. Because pickpockets, bag-snatchers and cutters do exist, we remove all jewelry (leaving it in the cabin/room safe) before going out and take only what money we need. For security reasons, when we are on the move, most of our valuables are carried in pouches under our clothing, are spread around in various zipped clothing pockets and are distributed between the two of us, with large denominations of currency in one shirt pocket, smaller in another and only a little bit in a zippered front pants pocket for minor purchases, paying taxis, casual guides and tipping.

When traveling for periods of time, as during our month-long trip across India, we have to pay the long distance drivers in cash ' ½ in advance - as well as most purchases in non-tourist shops. ATM's limit their daily withdrawals, so we have to withdraw quite a bit of cash on a daily basis to be able to finish paying the driver at the end of the run. I figure that we will have the opportunity to pay our final hotel bill partly (or wholly) in cash to sop up any that is left over at the end, but in the meantime we have to protect our cash and ourselves from those who might be thieves.

If, for some reason, you are uncomfortable using your room's safe box (or the room does not have one), all hotels and ships have security available at the front desk in the form of either formal safe deposit boxes or the hotel's safe. If using the hotel safe, tape the valuables in an envelope (across the bottom as well as the flap) with your name and room number signed across the flap.

Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, is prevalent in urban and tourist areas, especially in markets, churches, near fountains, national parks, volcanoes and other crowded places. Crime tends to increase during the holiday seasons.

As additional precautions, I never carry anything of value in my back pants pocket and always clip a ball point pen on the edge of my front pants pocket (extending into the pocket), where I might keep a bit of money, to discourage pickpockets from trying to bypass it and reach into the pocket. I have lost a couple of pens, but not any money. I keep credit cards, driver's licenses and bigger banknotes in my zippered or buttoned shirt pockets (tending to use 'secret' pockets if the shirt has them ' one of the reasons I prefer Royal Robbins and K-Way clothes) and my passport in a 'secret' Velcro strip pocket at about knee level on my pants. Perhaps the best pants designs to thwart pickpockets (though the fabrics tend to be a bit heavy) are made by Clothing Arts (www.clothingarts.com). The best shirt designs I've seen are by K-Way, a house brand of the Cape Union chain in South Africa. Since I find a money belt awkward (although this method is very secure as well), I prefer these particular designs for secure clothing. If possible, carry only a copy of the identification page of your passport and enough money for the day.

Shoulder bags are always worn with the strap across our bodies, with the bag in front and its outside pocket towards my body. Some of our regular carry-bags have a steel cable embedded into the carry strap and all have double side walls to protect against razor wielding thieves and all now have a loop of wire (previously a luggage tag tie) to attach the zipper to the snap on the end of the shoulder strap to prevent a thief from unzipping it from behind. I always evaluate whether the increase in potential quality of the pictures I might take justifies taking my 'big' camera which hangs around my neck and makes me feel like I have a target painted on my back (rather than taking my much smaller 'pocket' camera).

There is a saying that if you practice any task at least 10,000 times you become good at it. This goes for pickpockets as well. One only has to remember the magician's trick of removing a mark's wristwatch without their being aware of it to understand that zippered pockets delay the task, but do not necessarily prevent pickpocketing. At least pickpockets are more afraid of you than you are of them. More frightening, in my opinion, are cut-purses and those who use razors to cut open bags and pockets. There's not much you can do to protect yourself from these, other than being aware of who is getting too close to you. While it is annoying to have a bag slashed, it is worse if the razor slips and cuts you. (I have had bags cut, but fortunately, never any of my clothing). There are some bags which attempt to provide protection against this by embedding a wire mesh in the walls of the bag as well as a thin steel cable in the shoulder strap. These guys usually strike when you are distracted ' by watching a street performer, bargaining over an item or some such event.

In airports, at the security check, one of us stays back with the bags until the other is able to pass through the scanning in order to receive the bags on the other side. The one who stayed behind waits until the last bag heads in into the X-ray machine before walking through the metal detector or scanner. That way our bags are never unattended.

Do not take any 'gifts' from strangers (including 'samples' of drinks in Turkey), let people tie friendship bracelets on your wrist. Or hand you CD's. If you do, you will find that they will insist that you buy them.

Make sure you know where your taxi driver is taking you and do not take his word for it if he says your hotel had a fire or is closed. You will end up at a lousy place that will commission him well. The same scam applies to taxis or tuk-tuks taking you to the wrong restaurant.

The spiking of drinks is a problem in tourist areas. Never leave food or drinks unattended or in the care of strangers. Be wary of accepting snacks, beverages, gum or cigarettes from new acquaintances, including taxi drivers. These items may contain drugs that could put you at risk of sexual assault and robbery. Single men can be targeted by flirts who will take them to bars where the drinks will cost far more than expected. A worse outcome is if his drink is drugged and, while he's out, his valuables and passport are stolen. If you cannot resist the company of female strangers, at least pick your own bar and keep close watch on your drinks to make sure nothing is dropped into one of them.

Other popular tourist scams, besides the ones described in the section on taxis, include women who beg, whose baby is supported by a scarf leaving their hand available to dip into your pocket, people how find 'gold' rings and offer to sell them to you cheaply, guys tossing objects between three vessels (cups, bottle caps, whatever) or tossing three playing cards, people who point to mustard, bird guano, ketchup or similar on your clothing and offer to wipe it for you and many other imaginative ways to separate you from your cash, camera or other valuables. This subject can fill a book on its own. In short, keep strangers way from your body and recognize that there are no free lunches.

Using a bit of common sense, you can explore most 'beach oriented' cities pretty completely without exposing yourself to any particularly high risks to personal safety. One clue is to wear no jewelry, maybe a $10 watch, shorts, sandals and a T-shirt (not a 'designer' one) and do not wear a large camera or carry a mobile phone in your hand or rear pants pocket. Women should wear their pocketbooks in front of them. This makes you blend in a bit and reduces your desirability as a target. Also, make sure that someone in your group keeps an eye on all of your belongings (including your towel) when on the beach. This will allow you to concentrate on enjoying yourself rather than staying locked up in a tour bus.

While there are, of course, foreigners who are merely being friendly and helpful (and we have a number of long-term friendships which started that way), keep your skepticism and cynicism alive to make sure you are not being scammed. Near the Yu Yuan Gardens Metro station in Shanghai are a bunch of young girls who will ask in English if you can take their picture with their phones. I do not know what their scam is (maybe they charge you when they take your picture in return?, Maybe they blame you for breaking their phone?), but the same girls are always there doing the same thing and it is best to avoid them.

If someone walks parallel to you and strikes up a conversation in good English, either ignore him/her like you are deaf and only understand Inuit sign language (the best approach) or, if you are a typical American who cannot help being polite, at least do not tell the person where you are staying or where you are heading. Make it clear that you have no interest in buying ANYTHING or seeing ANYTHING or eating ANYWHERE. You are a regular visitor to the city and are a Philistine who has no interest in seeing Chinese painting. In short, make yourself a waste of this guy's time and he/she will evaporate just as quickly as he/she appeared.

We generally carry photocopies of our passport (and local visa, if appropriate) unless we are crossing borders or traveling by transport which requires the real deal (like on Chinese bullet trains). A stolen passport is a big deal, but a stolen photocopy is little more than a piece of colorful paper.

Avoid taking photographs of government (especially military) installation as well as anyone wearing a uniform (military or police). Avoid approaching or photographing children and women without express permission, especially in Indigenous communities.

If you intend on hiking, never do so alone and always hire an experienced guide from a reputable company. Buy travel insurance that includes helicopter rescue and medical evacuation. Ensure that your physical condition is good enough to meet the challenges of your activity and ensure that you're properly equipped. Stay informed about weather and other conditions that may pose a hazard and know the symptoms of acute altitude sickness (which can be fatal). Obtain detailed information on hiking routes before setting out, do not venture off marked trails and inform a family member or friend of your itinerary.

We, as travelers in a strange place, have to always be aware that the potential for trouble exists and to avoid drawing attention to ourselves and avoid placing ourselves in places and with people that make us feel uncomfortable. We balance that with the additional safety that walking in a group provides. That still leaves a lot of latitude for interacting with locals, but one learns to trust instincts to tell which situation is benign and that is not. We have found that government licensed taxis are generally safe under almost all circumstances and flagging one down can get you out of an uncomfortable neighborhood quickly. The journal which follows is full of specific examples of safety issues in specific locales, but overall traveling is generally quite safe in most places.

COVID Note: It is easy, and not uncommon to catch a respiratory ailment from rental scuba regulators which have not been sterilized (usually just washed down in fresh water) since their last tenant. During a COVID or other pandemic, make sure you carefully evaluate your risk before using rental mouthpieces.