Safety first!

Judy.  We are blessed with friends who, while not worrying about us, let us know they care about our safety. Last week there was an earthquake near a place we’ll go in Chile in four weeks, and a friend wrote to warn us. When they hear of plane crashes, we might get texts telling us to stay safe. 

We’ve been reassured by planes held on the tarmac till considered ready to fly, trains stopped because a deluge made the tracks unsafe, and drivers who took a different route to return us safely to our hotel. We’ve never been afraid in edgy areas, because we don’t go to areas that are terribly edgy. Well, in the early eighties we took the kids to East Germany and crossed Checkpoint Charlie with contraband in Ted’s backpack, and in the late eighties went into ‘Derry and Belfast in Northern Ireland, but we’ve settled down a bit.

Still, we’ve learned to take the advice of guidebooks and hotel clerks: watch your stuff when you’re out sightseeing.

We’ve all heard stories. When I took a group of students to the recently opened Moscow in the 90’s, one of them got in a hurry and put money and passport in her backpack despite my stern admonition to the group. Yes, they were stolen when we were on the subway—on a Friday afternoon when we were leaving on Sunday. A rushed visit to the American Embassy at 5:30 PM (they close at six), grief from the diplomatic staff, and $250 got her a new passport. It costs a lot more now.

A friend was traveling to Barcelona, and put his backpack (with his money and passport) next to the cab while he loaded his suitcases, and turned to find it gone. He got to visit the American Embassy in Spain, too.

There are just some basic tenets to travel, and I’m going to repeat one:  Leave your valuables at home, and keep your passport and money close at hand.

Maybe you use a money belt, or one of those bags that hang around your neck. Or maybe you just keep your purse close at hand at all times. Or just maybe, once you’re settled in, you can keep your passport in the hotel safe. Don’t leave it in a vulnerable place for thieves. It’s one of the most valuable things you own; people would love to have it (come on, you’ve seen spy movies!), and if you give them a chance, they’ll take it. To be even safer, take a photo of your info page in your passport and keep it hidden in your phone.

And then there’s jewelry. Ted and I have gotten rid of most of what we own, and by now most of our clothes look like we’ve traveled in them for two years. Ted says people look at us and want to give us money. But even back when we worked and traveled and I had some nice gold jewelry, it didn’t make sense to take it on the road. If you’re going somewhere where you want to wear diamonds and such, keep them in the hotel safe until you need them.

We’d been warned about theft in Buenos Aires. And in Barcelona, Marakkech, London, New York, Paris, Rome—basically any popular tourist city. Last week in Buenos Aires we chose to go to the Sunday Market in the barrio of San Telmo. San Telmo Market is well known and attended. It’s a mile of booths running both sides of the street, and is packed with locals and tourists. Lonely Planet warned us to watch for pickpockets, and our hotel clerk reinforced that. I left my purse at the hotel, and Ted wore his travel pants with the secret pockets. It’s just what you do.

Sipping a beer after shopping in the heat, we met a lovely couple from Australia. She was well dressed in a sporty outfit and wore her diamond rings, necklace, and earrings well. As we chatted, her husband warned us to be careful. She had fallen for the ploy of distraction and theft. The thief put his arm around her, and when she looked at him, he snatched her Rolex watch from her arm and ran away. 

What the guy did was wrong, yes. But she was a walking target. While I felt bad for her, I was also frustrated that they would go home and tell everyone how dangerous Buenos Aires is. The theft colored their vacation experience to the point that Buenos Aires became a hotbed of crime.

Yes, I hate it, too, when the signs by street parking back in the US say, “Be sure to hide your valuables.” Yeah, I feel I’m coddling criminals by removing temptation, but it’s the way of the world. On our cruise we met a couple who, when they heard we were from Atlanta, said, “Oh, yes. Our car was broken into there, and all our luggage stolen.”  You guessed it. Their stuff was in full view in the back seat.

Oh, we're not immune. We’ve been caught in scams before. In Athens, Greece, taking our grandson Parker for his dream trip, we fell for a shill and paid over two hundred euros for an “off the menu” meal of fish. Watch for those guys, too.  Stick with the menu or ask what it’ll cost.

So, please. Give cities that depend on tourism a break. Keep your money and passport out of harm’s way, and leave your expensive stuff at home or in the safe in your room.