Part Three: At your destination
I’ve taken the approach of keeping yourself safe rather than how to best spend your time on your vacation. In all my travels I have never been pick pocketed, mugged, or had anything stolen. I attribute that to being a street smart traveller.
That being said, there’s no reason to be paranoid or not to enjoy yourself. As you can read in my many trip reports on this site I’m all about having fun and finding unique experiences on my travels. My message here is that you just need to be smart about it.
Tip #1: Hide your camera
There’s no better way to draw attention to yourself and label yourself as a tourist than by carrying around a $1000 camera around your neck. Buy a normal looking backpack/daypack and put your camera in there. It not only keeps your camera out of sight but you also have a nice little place to put your other stuff.
Tip #2: Take your head off swivel mode
This works whether you’re on vacation or visiting any big city. Pick pockets, muggers, and purse snatchers target people who aren’t paying attention.
Tourists ooh and ah over everything. Their heads are looking left, right, up, and down as if their neck was a giant swivel. Be conscious of how you might appear to those wishing to do you harm or steal from you.
I know, you’re on vacation and isn’t the whole purpose to see as much as you can? Yes, of course but be smart about it. Wear sunglasses (if appropriate) at least so you can look with your eyes and not your whole head. Secret service agents, like poker players, wear sunglasses so they can observe without others knowing what they’re looking at.
If you can’t wear sunglasses (like at night) then at least be aware. Be aware of yourself and be aware of others around you. Most criminals are opportunists. They pick easy targets. If you do things which make it seem like you’re going to be a difficult mark (like being conscious of your surroundings, not appearing like a typical tourist, etc) they’ll move on to the next one.
Be very suspicious of anyone who bumps into or jostles you. That’s the classic pick pocket move. Also be suspicious of people trying to engage you in conversation or showing you something.
There used to be (and probably still is) a group of gypsy kids who would approach tourists in Rome and would beg for money or pretend to try to sell them some worthless trinkets. A group of ten or more kids would swarm the tourists pretending to be sweet, innocent little kids just trying to make a buck. While the tourist politely tried to tell them he wasn’t interested one of them would be in the tourist’s back pocket lifting his wallet. That kid would then hand it off to another kid who would quietly wander away from the pack and back to the group’s meeting spot. Even if the tourist noticed he’d been ripped off his wallet is already gone so even when the police come (assuming the kids were stupid enough to stay around waiting for the cops) none of them had the tourist’s wallet.
Tip #3: Dress appropriately
This ranges from not wearing your newly acquired “Paris is for lovers” t-shirt (in Paris) to simply wearing pants. The point is that you shouldn’t stick out from the local crowd. In some places (like Thailand or Cozumel) t-shirts are the norm. In London I would recommend collared shirts.
The above advice applies less for women since they tend not to be the slobs men are. Guys are far less gifted in the fashion arts.
Tip #4: Maps and GPS
Invest in a good map. Something weather proof is a bonus. Take some time to plan your routes from one point to another and mark them on your map so they’ll be easy to find.
For the more techie, GPS is fantastic. I have the Tom Tom One for Europe and I use that to find my way around unfamiliar cities.
A word of caution about maps and GPS though; don’t pull your map (or GPS) out in public places. As previously mentioned in Tip #2, muggers and pick pockets prey on people who are distracted. Being lost is pretty distracting. Pulling out a map and looking like you have no idea where you are is a invitation to predators.
I recommend stopping in a restaurant or some other place where you can get out of sight and then looking at your map. In fact, it looks more natural to be sitting in a café having a glass or coke (beer, coffee, etc) while you peruse your map than it does to be standing on a street corner with map in hand and a completely lost look on your face.
Tip #5: Ask (about neighbourhoods)
One thing that maps and GPS can’t provide is a feel for the neighbourhoods. Sure, you can walk straight from Point A to Point B but if that route takes you through the worst part of town you might want to pick an alternate route.
My advice is that you always check things out with locals. Before you head out show your route to one of the hotel staff and ask them if it’s safe. If you’re out and about, pop into a restaurant or shop and ask. People will generally steer you clear of anything dangerous as they have a vested interest in the tourism economy.
My tip comes out of an experience I had in the Bahamas and is the closest I’ve ever come to getting mugged. Even though I’ve had guns pointed at my face (Turkey) and been accused of some trumped up crime in a shakedown attempt (Greece) this was the first time I ever had a bad feeling in my gut that I wasn’t going to get out of the situation without some physical harm coming to me.
I was staying in Nassau and wanted to go over and visit the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island. On the map it looked like a pretty short walk and then up and over the bridge. I headed out and I got out of the hotel area and into the residential area. The farther I walked the worse the neighbourhoods got and I soon found myself in the uncomfortable position of turning around and heading back or pressing forward and getting to the bridge (which I wouldn’t have been able to cross anyway since it was not really built for pedestrians). I chose to press forward. I passed a vacant lot with about ten men laying around under trees and on old abandoned furniture. As soon as they saw me they all jumped up and started heading my way. Some were asking for money and others were demanding that I buy them beer.
That was the moment I felt I had gotten in over my head. I ditched down a side street and then another and through and alley and backtracked across another side street.
I used the old run and walk strategy on them. That’s when you turn down a street and then run at full speed until you think your pursuer is about to round the corner and see you. Then you begin walking at normal pace so that you can put distance between you and your pursuer without him seeing you running (which could escalate the situation).
I was able to get out of there and back to the hotel safely but it was quite a scare. I told someone at the hotel about my experience later that evening and they laughed and told me there’s no way I should be in that neighbourhood.
Moral of the story is to plan with a map but to ask the locals as a confirmation.
Tip #6: Don’t do dumb touristy things
In the old, “don’t look like easy prey department,” skip the ultra-touristy things. Gals, don’t get your hear braided to look like Bo Derek in 10 just because you’re in the Caribbean. It won’t make you look any more like Bo Derek than you already do and it just flashes a “Dumb Tourist” sign over your head wherever you go.
Guys, same goes for you. No Henna tattoos.
Don’t buy your entire family matching berets with your names on them ala National Lampoon’s European Vacation.
Get the picture?
Tip #7: Wallet goes in the front pocket
Guys, put your wallet in your front pocket. It’s much more difficult for a pick pocket to get his hands in your front pocket without notice than it is your back pocket. This isn’t just a travel rule but a rule you should employ in your everyday life as well.
Tip #8: Beware of strangers bearing gifts
Whenever you combine poverty and tourism the locals will figure out some pretty ingenious ways to part you from your money. Yeah, that guy walking around on the beach who offers to put his parrot on your shoulder for a laugh . . . he’s going to want a couple of bucks. Same with the iguana guy. Same with the monkey guy. The friendly guy who walks up to you on the street and wants to tell you about the history of his country wants a few bucks too. The taxi driver who offers to take you where the girls are? Yeah, he’s on commission. Same with the driver who offers to take you to a place with a great deal on gems. They all want money.
I hate to sound cynical but nothing is for free. You might run into the random genuinely nice person but if you just assume that everyone is in it for the money then you’re far less likely to find yourself arguing with some guy with a parrot about whether or not you should give him $5 for putting his bird on your shoulder.
A friend of mine recently told me about a trip he went on to Morocco. He made the mistake of trying to be polite to a guy who wanted to be his guide. When the would-be guide became aggressive about wanting to get paid my friend finally told him to leave him alone. The guide then went to the police and told them that my friend had purchased hashish. All that because he didn’t want to be rude.
Bonus Tip: Another scam that is very popular in South-East Asia is for some well meaning person to tell you that whatever you’re trying to see is closed. For instance, if you want to Wat Phra Kaeo in Bangkok some guy might walk up and say “Oh, are you here to see Wat Phra Kaeo?” When you tell him you are he will tell you that it’s closed today or that it doesn’t open until much later in the afternoon. Of course, Johnny-on-the-spot will have several recommendations of other things you can see. He’ll even take your map or guidebook and point them out to you. He’ll then hail a tuk-tuk for you, tell the driver (in Thai) what he says are the directions, and send you on your way. Of course, the tuk-tuk driver isn’t going to take you to any of the other tourist sites your new friend just mentioned but to gem and gold shops where he gets a commission on whatever you buy. He’ll split that with your helpful friend later. Oh, and the Wat Phra Kaeo was actually open, he lied to you.
The above scam isn’t just confined to tourist sites. Be very suspicious when your cab driver tells you that there’s some problem with your hotel. It could be as implausible as telling you that they went out of business or he might pretend to call the hotel to confirm your reservation (as a complimentary service to you, of course) and tell you that the hotel is booked and they don’t have room for you. Amazingly, he’ll know of a great place that’s even better than the hotel you booked that he can take you to.
Bonus Tip: Just because they set it on your table doesn’t mean it’s free. Some restaurants will bring a bottle of water to your table. Your first reaction may be that it’s free because you didn’t order it. But it’ll be on your bill later.
Tip #9: Follow the crowd and blend in
If given the choice of walking down a crowded street or a deserted on, take the crowded street. Muggings and other violent crimes tend to happen when the criminal can isolate his victim. Crowds offer you some protection against being isolated.
Tip #10: Carry multiple money stashes
Call me slightly paranoid but I like to keep multiple stashes of money on me. I might keep some trivial money ($50) in one pocket, another more substantial amount (a few hundred) in another pocket, and a stash back at the hotel in the safe. I do the same with credit cards. I’ll keep one on me and one in the hotel safe. Hopefully between the various stashes of cash and credit cards I’ll never be in a position of being totally without money or credit.
Bonus Tip: Use a photocopy of your passport. I always bring along a photocopy (in color) of my passport. Instead of taking my passport out to the pubs or down to the beach, I bring the photocopy and leave the real one back in the hotel safe.
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This is part three of a three part series on street smart travelling. Each part contains ten tips plus some bonus tips thrown in as I think of them.