To
give you an overview of its content, here are ten tips from various
categories:
1. Read up on the
culture and customs of the countries you are planning to visit.
This can save you a great deal of time, energy and money - and
can enhance the safety of your trip. e.g., Did you know that
in some Asian countries, it is a jailable offense to jaywalk,
spit or chew gum?
2. Ensure that you
are not losing money unnecessarily with the booking of your flight.
Just as you shop around for the best price for large purchase
items, do price comparisons for flights - first directly with
the airline (either by 800 # or website: www.ual.com, www.aa.com,
www.usair.com, www.nwa.com, www.midwestexpress.com, etc.); then
with discount airline websites such as www.travelocity.com, www.expedia.com,
www.bestfares.com, www.cheaptickets.com; and then with a travel
agent. (The e-book also covers questions important to ask when
doing price comparisons.)
3. Before leaving
home, spend time learning each person's expectations of the trip
- what their #1 and 2 (agreed-upon, reasonable choices) desired
activities are. Make a commitment to honor the #1 choice of each
person, and when possible, the #2 choice. By this approach, you
will know upfront what each family member's agendas are, and be
able to ensure that all parties at least in part realize their
fantasies of the vacation they desire.
4. If you are wearing
a fanny pack (steel belted straps suggested), keep only replaceable
items in it - as it is easily opened and rifled. If only wearing
a backpack, wrap any items of monetary or sentimental value in
socks or undergarments, and pack them in the bottom of the bag
- with low-cost items immediately accessible at each zippered
entrance.
5. Add self-adhesive
velcro to the inside of any purse/bag/backpack flap - so that
however discreetly it may be opened by a thief, you will hear
a noise.
6. Never set your
hand-carried valuables on the security conveyor belt until the
person ahead of you has passed through the metal detector and
picked up his bags. Thieves in pairs have one person deliberately
set off the metal detector, thereby delaying his entry - while
an accomplice picks up your bags off the roller. You are helplessly
stuck on the other side unable to see or stop the theft.
7. If you have difficulty
with eardrum ache/pain when taking off or landing, spray an across-the-counter
nasal spray into each nostril at takeoff and just before descent
- and you will not experience any pain.
8. Pack a battery-operated
door "swedge" alarm, which is compact and simple to
operate; push the lever to the "on" position, insert
under the door, so that no one can enter without the alarm going
off.
9. Look like you
know what you're doing or where you're going, even if you are
lost and without a clue! Ask a clerk in a store for directions,
rather than someone on the street. Never stand around in the
street waving a map around; have a cup of coffee and consult your
map discreetly.
10. Be alert for pickpockets
or purse/camera-snatchers on crowded streets, at tourist traps,
on trains and in subways. Diversionary tactics of adult and child
thieves include dropping something; asking for money, the time,
directions or other information; acting like they know you from
somewhere; bumping into you and "catching" you from
falling; faking an accident; holding up a sign or newspaper for
you to read; or spilling something on you and "helping"
you to clean up the mess - all while rifling your pockets and
other belongings. Fortunately, violent crime against tourists
is very rare, although pickpocketing is quite common.
The
e-book emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive attitude
while on vacation - one that will allow you to "roll with
the punches" and not let an unexpected "turn in the
road" negatively impact your precious time away. It emphasizes
the invaluable guidance your intuition can offer you when in an
environment to which you are not accustomed, and encourages you
to embrace each situation encountered as a welcome opportunity
for learning and growth... a new adventure!
86
Safety Tips to Calm the Wary Traveler
Karen
Christopherson is an insightful whole-life (personal/professional)
coach, counselor, and mediator with a Master of Social Work degree,
training with the Coaches Training Institute, and more than thirty
years of experience in social work and health care management. Karen
loves sharing her excitement for wisdom and enlightenment with others,
inspiring them to find their passion for life and work, to triumph
in the face of adversity, and to seek practical, constructive resolutions
to complex issues in an ever-changing world. She enjoys travel,
theatre, improvisational acting, and discovering the profound truths,
lightness and humor in life.