Enjoy the Sights, but Tune All the Senses to Safety

I have a confession. A few weeks ago, I checked into a Honolulu hotel and did some things that would make an observant auto club member blush.

First, I ignored suggestions that I use my room safe (I resented the $3-per-day fee); then I set off for a walk in the Waikiki area, carrying more cash than I usually do at home, wandering aimlessly on foot, alone, after dark. Then, out on the street, I picked up the Honolulu Advertiser and found myself facing a reality check.

An article reported that in a detailed study of crimes committed in 1994, Honolulu police officials found 5,536 crimes were committed against tourists--4,677 cases of larceny or theft, 683 burglaries, 102 robberies, 42 motor vehicle thefts, 23 aggravated assaults, eight rapes and one murder. Tourists, who make up 8% of Oahu’s population on any given day, add up to more than 10% of the larceny and theft victims. The numbers confirm the widely held suspicion that tourists are more vulnerable to theft than locals.

But the point of this column is not really crime in Hawaii. Though Honolulu’s rate of property crime was above average in the FBI’s last annual nationwide tally, its low rate of violent crime, less than half the national average, placed it among the safest big cities in America. (FBI figures show 327.4 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 1995.) The point is that travelers, even those who consider themselves well-seasoned, need to remember that they are magnets for trouble.

Most of us have a mental list of what we’re supposed to do to minimize our chances of being victimized: Carry little cash. Walk with purpose. Use that hotel-door peephole. Don’t keep all your money in one place. Don’t let your bags out of your sight. Don’t drink too much. Protect your passport fiercely. Beware approaches by strangers. Flee from bad vibes. Don’t walk alone after dark in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Keep your camera in hand. Leave your best jewelry home.

Beyond that, most veteran travelers have come up against at least one classic rip-off maneuver: the friendly old woman in Peru who points at a new stain on your pants (while her accomplice lifts your wallet or slits your backpack); the young man on the Roman thoroughfare who hooks your purse and zips away on his Vespa; the child in Seville who plants a flower in your lapel while your wallet is lifted.

But then you step out of the plane, and the temperature is so comfortable, the people are smiling, and the landscape is so tranquilizing. . . .

The challenge is to remember all those things yet hang loose enough to enjoy your exploration and relaxation. As the Automobile Club of Southern California counsels in a recently published brochure of safety tips, a traveler needs to cultivate “a sense of awareness, a look of confidence and a trust in your instincts. When you’re in unfamiliar surroundings, be alert, not afraid. Be cautious, not anxious.”

One way to make that balance work is to keep your curiosity sharp. Become a student of your new setting--not only the directions to the beach but the way people behave, the going rate for a taxi ride to the airport, any information useful in your new world.

“One common problem is being not suspicious enough” when approached by strangers, says Richard Launder, president of Contiki Holidays, a Garden Grove company that specializes in escorted tours for travelers age 18-35. “And another is not listening [to warnings], whether it be from a tour manager or information in a booklet about security.”

Launder likes to remind travelers that “the professionals know where to find you,” and that virtually every world-class tourist site harbors criminal operatives among its tourist hordes. The French Quarter of New Orleans, Launder adds, is “one of the worst spots in America for that sort of thing. . . . People have a couple of Hurricanes, and become easy prey.”

Travelers do have powerful allies in their struggle to stay safe. For instance, with billions of tourism dollars at stake, state and federal officials in Hawaii and Florida have been actively experimenting with new peace-keeping strategies.

In Hawaii, state legislators are working on two bills aimed at cutting down tourism-related crimes. One would allow trial testimony by videoconference (so foreign crime victims can testify from their hometowns). The other proposes stiffer sentencing for crimes against tourists--a measure that has rankled some Hawaiians.

“There are some concerns that we are trying to cater to visitors more than residents,” acknowledges Rep. Romy Cachola, chairman of the Hawaii state legislature’s House Tourism Committee. “But the rationale for that is, by protecting tourists, you are also helping protect locals.”

In Florida, federal prosecutors last year invoked the Hobbs Act, a federal statute protecting interstate and international commerce, in order to indict a 12-person crime ring accused ofseizing upon older travelers at Miami International Airport who spoke English poorly, carried lots of baggage or could be seen consulting maps in their cars. The suspects are still awaiting trial.

Reynolds travels anonymously at the newspaper’s expense, accepting no special discounts or subsidized trips. He welcomes comments and suggestions, but cannot respond individually to letters and calls. Write Travel Insider, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053 or e-mail chris.reynolds@latimes.com.