Holidays – not just Christmas and Summer – but moments when you are able to get away from regular hustle and bustle of daily life to relax and have fun – are always highly anticipated events. Since most holidays, especially those done overseas, cost a lot of money, you would want to make the most out of the trip. You’d most likely want to experience all that you can in the brief time that you are away, and come back with stories to share and memories of a great getaway.
Unfortunately, unfortunate incidents (a blanket term we will use for anything ranging from accidents to crime) can happen anywhere and, depending on the gravity of the situation, can completely knock the joy and excitement out of your trip. So, to reduce the chances of any unfortunate incidents from happening, here are a few simple traveler safety tips.
While In Transit:
Lost luggage, missed flights, misplaced personal items are but a few of the unfortunate incidents that may occur while you are in transit.
To reduce the chances of these from happening, always allocate more than enough time to get to the airport so you have ample time to check your suitcases in and count the number of bags you have (make sure you didn’t leave one out on the sidewalk or the trunk of the taxi). Furthermore, always have a quick look at the insides of any vehicle you get out of, to make sure nothing has been left behind.
It is advisable to have the phone number of the airline you are flying, the hotels you’ve booked, and taxis you’ve taken handy so you can ring them if you need to tell them of any change of plans, or enquire about lost items.
Travel No-No: One thing you must never ever do, at any time, especially at the airport, is to agree to carry a stranger’s bag or personal item. Someone might approach you and ask to include their bag in your checked items because they have exceeded their limit and don’t want to pay extra. Just say no. You don’t know what you’re agreeing to be responsible for. There have been many cases where travellers get in trouble by unknowingly acting as drug mules.
While Sight Seeing & Shopping:
Of course you have to shop and see the sights! You’re not on a real holiday if you don’t do any of these. To thoroughly enjoy your shopping and sight seeing experience, remember to keep the cash out of sight and to have loose change handy. If possible use a debit or credit card for your transactions.
Nothing attracts pickpockets more than seeing tourists getting a big denomination from a fat wallet. Before you head off for the day, get just enough money (and maybe a little extra – for those just in case moments) and have these changed into smaller bills. Your hotel concierge should be happy to give you loose change. If you can’t get loose change, go to the nearest supermarket and buy food for the day, keep the change separate and use these to pay for little items such as entrance fees, souvenirs or to buy bird seed so you can feed the birds.
If you’re a snap happy traveller, keep your camera in your camera bag or have the strap on your neck or shoulder. Don’t leave your camera (or any of your belongings whatsoever) unattended. If you have to have someone take your picture, look for someone who appears to be a traveller too. You can offer to take their picture in exchange for them taking yours.
While Dining Out:
It is inevitable that you sample the local cuisine while you are on holiday. You can’t keep munching on McDonald’s while you’re away, right? Before you start nibbling on a local exotic delicacy make sure that you purchase this from a reputable place. If possible, especially if you have a particularly sensitive stomach, avoid food being hawked on push carts or those sold in less than sanitary looking establishments. The last thing you want is to be nursing a tummy bug in the middle of your trip.
Another trip for the traveler, if and when you do go out to have drinks at the local pub, try not to go on your own (especially if you’re female) and do make sure that you do not leave your beverage unattended. Someone may slip a drug or narcotic in your drink so they can physically take advantage of you or rob you later in the evening. In conjunction with this, when you do go out for drinks, you should know when you’ve had enough to imbibe.
If, after all your safety precautions, something untoward still occurs, contact the authorities as soon as you possibly can to report the incident and, especially for more serious offences, file a formal complaint. Give them as much data as you can remember – the more details the better. The information you provide will help authorities either catch the perpetrator and perhaps, commence legal proceedings. Police reports will also help facilitate insurance claims. The sooner you can sort out the issues, the sooner you can go put these troubles behind you thus allowing you to enjoy the rest of your holiday.
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Barret Hudson is a professional blogger that provides news and information on legal topics. She writes for Musca Law Sex Crime Defense, where you can find the best Florida federal sex crimes defense attorney to fight your case.