Tips to Help Make Your Trip a Safe One

Safe traveling is something most people consider when they go on vacation; they know that tourists can be easy prey for criminals.

Business travelers are just as likely to be victimized on the road, yet because business people tend to think of their travel as an extension of their work, they often consider it no more hazardous than going to the office.

Whenever you travel, you are out of your habitual environment and your familiar safety zones, said Bill Longacre, crime prevention specialist with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Here are some suggestions from Longacre and from Terry Riley, a psychologist and founder of Applied Psychology, a Santa Cruz-based company that specializes in safety advice for business travelers.

Last week, we looked at safety when renting cars and staying in hotels. This week, we look at walking, taking cabs and what to do if you are attacked.

When Walking

“The No. 1 safeguard for preventing attacks is to maintain an aura of self-assuredness and awareness,” Longacre said. If you look confident that you know where you’re going, a would-be assailant will tend to pick someone who is more distracted or confused. “They always go for the unaware and the unprepared,” he said. The more aware you look, the less attractive you are as a victim.

It pays, then, to become familiar with your surroundings. If you can, study a map ahead of time, or call ahead to get directions to where you’re going. Know the major landmarks and a secure area, such as a busy business district or a police or fire station, Longacre said. It’s a place you can head toward if you sense you are in trouble.

When you’re walking, go against traffic so someone can’t drive up behind you and grab your briefcase or purse. If you are walking with traffic and someone suspicious appears to be approaching you from behind, turn around quickly and walk the other way and cross the street. In most cases, the car will not be able to change direction quickly enough to catch up with you.

Try to stay more than an arm’s length from strangers.

In addition, wear comfortable shoes and don’t carry a lot of packages that could impede your getting away.

As you walk, make eye contact with people as a precaution. Making eye contact signals anyone with the wrong idea that you would be able to identify him or her, Riley said.

If you need to make a phone call, don’t use phone booths or kiosks on the street, where someone could grab your bag or wallet and run. Go to a store or restaurant instead.

To further minimize the chance of someone taking your bag, hold it firmly and act like you know it’s there.

For example, don’t push a shoulder bag around behind your hip just because it’s more comfortable. And make sure that if you are using a strap, it’s over only your shoulder, not looped over your neck or around your wrist. You want the option to let go, Longacre said. Otherwise you could be dragged behind a moving car and lose your life instead of just your wallet.

Using Taxis

Never get into an an unmarked or unlicensed taxi. Licensed cabs will have their public utility license number painted on the side of the vehicle.

You can be fairly sure you’re getting a legitimate cab if you choose one from a taxi line. If there’s not a cab stand nearby, call a well-known company for your ride rather than just flagging one down, Longacre said.

And never get into a cab if there’s anyone other than the driver in it.

Also, check before you get in that the windows work or that the car doors can be unlocked from the inside, Riley said.

Once you’re in, tell the cabdriver where you want to go and how to get there. This signals that you aren’t giving up control to the driver, Riley said, and puts the cabby on notice that you will be suspicious if the route doesn’t look right.

When you get in, note the driver’s name and identification number posted in the cab. Say something like, “Oh, No. 43287--what a coincidence, that’s the same as my friend’s phone number.” This signals the driver that you could identify him or her if anything were to happen.

Most important, if you’re uncomfortable at any time, get out and immediately call the cab company to report what happened.

If You Are Attacked

Unfortunately, there is no single right way to deal with an attack, Longacre said. The best precaution you can take is to think through ahead of time what you would do.

“Go over in your mind what you are capable of doing,” Longacre said.

“When you’ve made a decision, then follow through,” he said. If, for example, you’ve decided you can fight back enough to create a diversion to get away, then be mentally prepared to do it and don’t hesitate.

The split second you hesitate could cost you your opportunity to get away, he said.

If the crime is inevitable, do what you can to be a good witness. Make note of physical details, but don’t stare the person down in a confrontational way that might incite him or her to further violence.

If someone is attempting to kidnap you, do everything in your power not to go, Longacre said. “Because once you are in the suspect’s car, he has full control. You’ve lost all your options.”