Author: Tony McClearybr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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Traveling around the world can be the most exciting time of your life. To keep your trips safe and trouble-free, and whether the trips are short or long, it will be worth your while to go over the suggestions offered. Maybe just one tip alone, applied at the right moment on one of your journeys, could conceivably be a life saver for you.
Regardless of where you are planning on going on your next vacation or business trip, either by car, ship, train or air, all countries are not the same in regards to safeness. I have traveled for many years, and I am always careful as to where I go anywhere within a foreign country. Even today, I travel often to the Caribbean, and I still keep my eyes open for anything unusual that might suddenly come-up when I am driving a car, or walking the towns and cities.
There are some basic but important rules to follow when traveling that will help you to avoid the following list of possibilities: muggings; beggars approaching you late at night asking for money; local people stopping you abruptly and asking for directions; getting invited by total strangers to hitch a ride with them; street sellers getting too close for comfort with their wares; fortunetellers approaching you to tell your fortune, and many other odd actions.
Another common trick out there that I would like to make you aware of, and that is the taxi driver using the switch of denomination stunt to get you to pay them more for the fare. For example, you give them a $20 Dollar bill for the ride and they switch it for a $10 Dollar bill, and tell you that you are short, or that you made a mistake. Always count your money well before you hand it over to any taxi driver; and the same applies with restaurant waiters when you are ready to pay the bill. Remember, with foreign currencies such as Mexican Peso, Venezuelan Bolivar, Japanese Yen, and others, you need to keep an even sharper eye when paying for anything, because it takes familiarity with the currency at the beginning.
The following tips will help you to stay on the safer-side-of-life during your trips; and they should also be a reminder that your life is worth everything! Some of my tips you might have heard before, and hopefully others are new to you. However, all the tips are good suggestions for the sake of awareness.
1) Leave all your fine jewelry at home, if you can, otherwise place it in your rooms safe or the hotels at your destination. Hold yourself from going out on the streets advertising your worth. Take fake jewelry on your trips, if possible. Whenever you ask for room service of any sort, or when the maid is cleaning your room, put away all of your valuables, e.g.: purses, wallets, watches, cash, real jewelry, cameras, etc. Hide these items from their view.
2) This is the advice that I would give to my daughter. If you are a female traveling alone, or in company of other female friends, and you just got in on your flight, act as normal as if you were arriving at home. For some reason single women attract attention, especially at airports. Pretend that you know what you are doing, and try not to feel or look lost. Once you clear Immigrations and Customs, and you have your luggage, walk toward your transportation straight ahead. If you get disoriented (like I have been many times) go to the information counter for help. If they are closed, ask someone with a uniform and a badge with their photo for directions. Policemen patrolling the airports are also good to ask for help.
3) As soon as you walk-out of Customs at the airport of your final destination, try and avoid making contact with strangers who approach you to offer you anything, especially a ride to town in their car. They may even be fellow passengers that would like to share the fare, but are unknown to you. Always take a reputable agency cab or bus to your hotel by yourself, or with friends traveling with you, unless the hotel where you are staying provides for transport, which will be best. The cost may be steep if you need to take an agency cab, but your life is worth a lot more than the fee–always! If you need to buy some local currency, it is best to do it right there at the airport with an agency or a bank, and not from total strangers that lurk at airports.
4) When going out on the streets to tour, take just enough cash as needed for the day to eat and pay for trinkets. Keep most of it in a safe place in your hotel Try to refrain from using credit cards out on the streets, unless you are shopping or eating at reputable establishments. My point is, be discreet when using cash or credit cards in public. You are only attracting attention to yourself; that is, should you make a show of it.
5) When you rent a car, make it clear to the agency at the airport that you need to know exactly how to get to your hotel, or perhaps you need directions to another city. Tourists have gotten-off the highway in the Miami, Florida area, soon after leaving the airport, only to find themselves lost and in a dangerous neighborhood. A few years back, a young honeymoon couple from Europe got-off the main highway right in the city of Miami to get gas for their rental car. They were assaulted at the gas station, and the husband got killed in the process. They were on their way to Orlando, Florida, which is about four hours-plus driving distance from the Miami International Airport. They never made it.
Always make sure with the rental agency that the car that you are taking has sufficient gas to get you away from the airport, and far enough on the road toward your destination. Check the gas gauge on your rental car to make sure it is filled to the top, or at least it shows three-quarters of a tank, before you leave the parking lot at the airport.
6) Ladies, when touring the streets of any foreign city, carry your purse on the side which faces the wall of the nearest building and not toward the street or avenue. I once witnessed a motorcycle rider in a Latin America country reach for a womans purse, while the tourist was totally unaware of the problem. This is how they do it. The rider will come-up close to you, slow the bike down, balance themselves for an instant, then reach over and snatch your purse. You will probably try to hold on to it, but the thieves are stronger and faster, and they will simply drag you down to the ground. For some people out there in the world, hurting people is common fare because to them life has no value!
7) As a tourist on vacation, or on a business trip, when walking a new city, stay with the flow of the walking traffic, and be alert for local people who approach you asking for either money or directions on how to get somewhere, or any other odd thing. Avoid the fortunetellers like the plague, for they will strip you of your jewelry right-in-front-of-your-eyes. Do not ever reach for your purse or your wallet to hand-over money to vagrants on the street. Say NO! and just keep on walking. If they persist, just go into a business establishment and ask for help. If you do not feel safe in any neighborhood, grab a cab right away, and get out of there to a safer place. I have done that many times in my journeys.
At night clubs or discotheques, watch your drinks when you go to the bathroom, or to get on the dance floor. If alone, finish your drink rather than leave the glass full on the bar or a table. You do not want to have anyone drop some foreign substance in your drink. This tip applies to both the gentlemen and the ladies.
9) If you are accompanied with travel companions, always try to leave together and come back together, when going out for dinner, dancing, theater, etc, at least until you get back to your hotel. Men do not normally have this problem, but single women have disappeared from bars and discotheques with strangers–and not so strangers– never to be seen or found again. It happens in the U.S., and also in foreign countries.
10) Carry a hand sanitizer (small bottle or wipes) with you, or on your purse (talking to the ladies). Otherwise, wash your hands often with soap and water. You will be shaking hands with many people on your trip, and you would prefer not to catch a bad cold or a sore throat. Worse yet is to catch some exotic flu virus while you are on vacation. There is nothing sadder than being sick in bed with fever while the sun is out, and all your friends have gone touring, or better yet, are suntanning by the pool or on the beach having fun and drinking pina coladas. Clean your hands often, that is the tip!
11) When you venture out to local restaurants, I have always found that by avoiding the salads or anything with mayonnaise, I save myself from the tummy aches. Eating grilled chicken and boiled vegetables, for example, has been the best way to avoid indigestion or bug problems. At least it is with me when I travel. A short reminder for your benefit, try not to drink anything with ice at restaurants or bars. Mixed drinks have ice, and the ice is surely made from faucet water. Beef is also fine to eat, but again I recommend that it be grilled and ordered well done. Most anything grilled, including fish, is fine if it is cooked on the grill or in the oven. Major hotels around the world have excellent cuisine, and they do take care of the food properly and their water–in general, that is. Bottled drinks such as beer, wine, soft drinks and water are fine.
I feel that the most important thing in traveling is not to take anything for granted. To be aware of your environment is important so that you may have a safe and enjoyable trip. You want to come home happy to have ventured out into the world, and that you brought with you great memories to last a lifetime. It is a wonderful world after all, and I hope that this article gives you enough guidance to keep you safe and happy on all your journeys.
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pI am proud to say that I have traveled the world a few times around, as a tourist but mostly as a businessman. I have experienced the many sites and beautiful hotels and restaurants in many cities around the world. There are people that would like to travel, but are afraid to because they might not like to travel alone, or may be handicapped and require assistance. Families would like to send one of their loved ones, for example: a child, a teenager or an adult, but dont have a mature travel companion to take care of the check-in details at airports, hotel accommodations, or transportation/transfer arrangements at their final destination./ppAs a mature citizen and member of my Parish, I am happy to announce that the services of travel companion/guardianship are available to any family or individual person that requires it. Please go to my blog noted below, for more information and details. My credentials are immaculate, including being author of various articles of interest on Ezinearticles.com./ppTony McClearybr a target=_new href=http://www.travel-be-safe.blogspot.com rel=nofollowhttp://www.travel-be-safe.blogspot.com/a/pbr
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