Safety Habits While Traveling: Practice Awareness

Safety Habits While Traveling

Much of the world is considered very safe and full of wonderful experiences.  But in all places, there are no guarantees and people should always have safety habits worked into their routine.

This is especially true when traveling.  Though the world is a vast and wonderful place, staying safe is largely a function of habits and awareness.

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Stay Aware

Staying aware is the first step to all safety habits.  Passive assumptions and a lack of attention are the ultimate forms of danger abroad.  A person playing on their phone might forget that traffic comes from the opposite direction in a new country.  Normal actions, like morning jogs or eating fish might not be wise in certain neighborhoods.  Keeping your eyes up and head clear is the first step to safety in every single environment. 

Don’t Flaunt Wealth

Tourists are particularly good targets for thieves.  They’re usually not familiar with the local area, the police or culture.  Furthermore, tourists are stereotypically thought to have more money, since they’re financially capable of traveling in the first place.

A savvy traveler tries to downplay their wealth, making themselves a less appealing target for theft and other crimes. Don’t wear jewlery openly, either by keeping it inside your luggage or tucking it under your clothing.  Avoid flashing your wallet loaded with bills in public spaces: Only keep the money you need for the day in your wallet.  Try to dress down as much as possible by wearing clothes that don’t seem terribly expensive. 

Also be cautious of showing off technology.  Laptops, phones and tablets are of enormous interest to thieves, since they can be stolen and then wiped to sell for quite a bit of money.  Try not to have your phone highly visible in areas where pickpockets frequent and avoid leaving your technology on restaurant tables, even when just talking with neighbors. 

Travel with Groups

Even solo travelers can benefit from these safety habits.  Blending with a crowd is a valuable tactic for a reason.  While staying in the middle of a constantly shifting crowd may eventually result in getting pickpocketed, blending in by staying in an area with more people is handy.  It’s a good idea to stay close to others in brightly-lit areas, especially at night.

Alternatively, a person traveling in a group of two or more is generally a less-appealing target on the road.  Having someone to watch your luggage while in the bathroom simplifies things considerably. 

Walk with Purpose

One of the easiest ways to pick out a tourist is through a person’s bearing.  A person who loiters , walks slowly, glances up at skylines frequently and stops in dark alleys for dramatic photos becomes a clear target. 

Good safety habits include moving with purpose while traveling.  Measured, swift steps in a clear direction conveys a sense of urgency and purpose.  Even in a country where you’re clearly foreign, walking with purpose can make you appear as someone who lives in the area, rather than a clueless tourist.

Even if you’re lost, don’t stop in the street while spinning around with your phone and a map.  Continue walking with purpose until you can veer into a shop or restaurant, and sort out directions from there.  Uncertainty makes you a more likely target for scams and theft.

Dress Down and Scruff Up

There are times during a journey where looking presentable is valuable.  Getting onto airplanes, speaking with local law enforcement and getting jobs abroad all merit some self-grooming.  At these times, looking presentable can help prevent suspicion and speed along official proceedings.

However, when walking around, it’s better to look a little scruffier.  If you’re traveling through a developing country, having a bit of stubble, a jacket over your normal clothes and a cover on your expensive backpack can make you look poorer and less-appealing as a target of crime.

Match your Zone

A good rule of thumb is to match a given area.  The poorer an area seems, the scruffier you should appear.  The more official an area seems, the more likely dressing up slightly is safer. 

There are also cultural components to this.  For example, most of Asia has a culture against beards.  Beards are considered a part of an unkempt appearance, so facial hair must be well-trimmed or shaved clean in most professional settings when a good impression is important. Another example is the Middle East, which has many conservative regions.  Women showing off cleavage or legs isn’t always acceptable in an area.

Political Appearances

There are also political appearances to consider.  Some countries have poor opinions of other nations, which can result in aggression or scams.  For example, United States travelers are almost universally seen as wealthy, so they become the frequent target of scams.

In these cases, I usually imply I’m from a less stereotypically wealthy country.  I have a Canadian and Polish patch on my backpack. I often tell locals I’m from one or the other, depending on the situation.  Canadians are almost universally loved and Polish people tend to be obscure enough that most of the world outside of Europe doesn’t have a strong opinion. 

Hide Valuable

Money, technology, jewelry and even nice sunglasses all tend to mark a person as a good target for theft.  Hiding your valuables and storing goods are good safety habits.  The most obvious way to do this is by covering up or storing your valuables when in transit.  For example, when flying, I cover up my wristwatch with a Merino Wool Buff wrapped around my wrist, which looks like rough fabric.  I also keep other valuables hidden elsewhere in my backpacks.

This is true for money as well.  Never keep all your money in one place.  The money in your wallet should only be used for one day.  All other funds should be stored away elsewhere.  I recommend some emergency bills hidden in a secret compartment in your backpack, a few bills kept hidden with your passport and the bulk of your cash kept in your medical kit, since few thieves will dig past Band-Aids.

Do as Locals Do

Some safety habits must be modified depending on a location. Actions that are routine and seemingly harmless in your home country aren’t always safe in other places.  Going for a morning jog to stay fit in the African Savanna might be a terrible miscalculation with hunting lions about. 

Munching on fruit under a tree in Sri Lanka might seem innocent enough until hoards of stinging bugs crawl near. 

A shortcut across a platform might be unnoticed in the US, but result in an arrest in China.  Totalitarian countries and theocracies in particular require a traveler to be aware regarding what they say and how they dress. 

Watch locals as you travel.  Even minor cultural actions, such as never eating while walking (Japan) or not shaking hands with the opposite gender (Middle East) or being forbidden from taking a photo (monks in Myanmar) should be observed out of respect. 

Invest in a Hidden Pocket

One of the absolute best things to have for safety while traveling is an Hidden Pocket for your passport and some emergency cash.  This pocket is hung around your neck and under your shirt, or strapped under your arm.  It generally hides your valuables much better. 

These pockets also have the advantage of being largely inaccessible to pickpockets.  Even if they can see the outline of a hidden pocket, it’s almost impossible to reach while its under your clothing.

Only Carry Accurate Cash

As mentioned before, it’s unwise to put all your money in a single location.  Loading up your wallet with tons of bills can result in losing all your money at once.  Good safety habits include leaving some money hidden elsewhere on your person. It may be a good idea to keep cash locked up or hidden at your hotel. 

When starting your day, calculate how much money you’ll need and put that amount of cash in your spending wallet.  This way, you’ll only lose funds for the day,in the worst case scenario.  This has the additional advantage of encouraging a traveler to stick to their budget. 

Back Against Walls

When dining out, especially in outdoor seated areas, thieves can walk by and simply pluck up a phone or wallet on the table before anyone notices.  A good way to prevent this is by keeping your phone in your pocket unless actively using it. 

Another good safety habit to protect yourself and your valuables is through limiting your blind spots.  By sitting against a wall, you limit the range where people can walk up behind you, passively making some scams and distractions untenable. 

Anchor your Backpack

If you’re traveling with your luggage, everyone can easily recognize you’re carrying quite a bit, potentially including money and valuables.  Dressing down your backpack can help with this, but anchoring your luggage is a good habit to stay protected.

Anchoring your backpack means putting your luggage in a place where it cannot be easily grabbed.  When standing in lines, keep your luggage between your legs, where you can feel if it’s being moved.  When sleeping or dozing in a public space, maneuver your body so it falls across your bag. 

Most importantly, use the straps of your backpack or luggage to anchor it to secure points.  This might mean wrapping a backpack strap around your arm while you sleep.  Or, when eating at a table, loop a strap through the leg of a chair, making it impossible to remove unless you stand up.

Anchoring your backpack allows you to passively watch your gear without fear of people bumping into you and grabbing your earthly possessions.

Don’t be a Tourist

Even as a foreigner visiting a country, it’s generally bad to be perceived as a tourist.  Tourists are prime targets, since they’re constantly flashing their phones, talking loudly in a foreign language and gawking at skylines.

A person should absolutely enjoy themselves while traveling.  But it can be done in a way in which a person looks like a professional traveler, rather than an oblivious tourist. Practicing safety habits means finding ways to appear competent at all times.

Don’t stand in one area and gawk for long periods of time.  Don’t join large crowds gathering to watch a distracting event.  Try not to talk loudly in your native language when another person clearly doesn’t understand you.  Volume doesn’t equal translation clarity.  Avoid wearing overly touristy outfits which stand out from the general crowd. 

All of these actions mark a person as a good target for theft.  Observe your safety habits and take precautions to avoid being a tourist.

The Power of Ignoring

Often when traveling, people will try to get your attention.  They’ll ask for money, try to sell you unwanted goods, ply a scam, distract you while a partner robs you or just make you uncomfortable. 

Being able to ignore people signaling you out on the street is an important skill.  When a person shouts “Hey you, can I speak with you?” or other phrases, do your best to overtly ignore them. 

This is tricky, because it requires perfect, smooth continuation.  Don’t start walking faster, don’t look over and glance away, don’t hesitate, or even say “no thank you.”  Just continue to stay deep and focused on your own thoughts in your mind. Continue on with the same purposeful strides.

Practical, Not Rude

For many people who start traveling, this may seem unspeakably rude.  However, it’s not.  You’re a foreigner in a strange land.  You’re not the obvious person for directions, insights or aid. 

The only exception to this is when others who are very clearly tourists as well ask for a photo.  Be wary of this too, as this is a possible scam as well. 

Three Types of Photo Scams

The first type of photo scam is a simple distraction. A person askes for a photo and their partner pickpockets you.

The second type of photo scam is called an Attire Scam. Locals dress in traditional attire in an normal area that sees a modest amount of tourist traffic. A person asks for a photo, and the local poses. Then, they ask for a large sum of money. The Attire Scam can just be a regular service in tourist zones. If you want a photo, agree on a price beforehand.

The third scam is the most costly. A person asks for you to take a photo for them, which you agree to. Then, they ask if you’d like one. When you pass them your phone for a picture, they simply sprint off, once you’re a good distance away and posing.

Before traveling, practice ignoring people on the street.  Walk past a friend calling out to you and keep your steps smooth.  If your friend notices hesitancy or a hitch in your steps, run it again until you’re confident about continuing smoothly. 

Headphone Walking

Often, when people try to get your attention on the streets, they’ll continue vying for your attention, louder and louder until only a truly deaf person could have missed them. 

While it’s not a good idea to walk around with super expensive headphones hanging out, a pair of cheap wire or wireless headphones can give the impression of loud music, making it easier to ignore strangers.

To be clear, this is a social decoy.  Don’t actually listen to loud music in an unfamiliar area, deafening yourself to new stimuli. Awareness and attention are always the foremost safety habits.

Reflective Sunglasses

Another method useful for ignoring people comes in the form of Reflective Sunglasses.  Reflective sunglasses have lenses which prevent others from seeing eye motion.  While this is useful for regular walks, it is particularly helpful when visiting markets where hawkers aggressively try to make eye contact.  

There are two schools of thought regarding travel sunglasses.  Either you buy them extremely cheap and replace them when they’re damaged or lost, or you purchase one of the truly invincible brands. 

Both methods are fine and having a pair of sunglasses is useful in general while traveling.  Pick a set of sunglasses based on personal preference, but ensure your eyes are heavily obscured or completely shrouded. 

The Power of Wordless Vocalization

In some cases, ignoring an unwanted salesperson is downright impossible.  They get directly in your physical path, shoving goods in your face and doing everything in their power to assert their presence. 

Many people might apologize, sidestep and say “No, thank you.”

However, upon hearing actual words, some hawkers use this as an opening to talk more.  Furthermore, it confirms you speak English, which is equated with tourism and wealth.

When trying to disengage, don’t use actual words.  Make a negative sound, a slight warding gesture and don’t break stride.  The sound “Murr” works well for this, provided you keep moving. This prevents getting bogged down in scams, distractions and unwanted sales.

Research Destinations

No matter where you travel in the world, foreknowledge is a great thing to have. Preparation and fallback plans are both useful safety habits.

You don’t have to memorize the entire map, but make sure to note where the town center is, along with the place your staying and potential danger zones.  Be aware of popular scams in the area (Beijing has its Chinese Tea Scam, Hanoi has its motorbike rental scam, the Andes Mountains have photo scams) so you can avoid them.

Third Language Advantages

Do you know a second language?  Often, a second language can be very helpful when trying to disengage with someone else, even if it’s only a phrase or two.  If a person in a Spanish speaking country is trying to get your attention in English and Spanish, throwing out four or five sentences in Arabic is confusing enough to allow you to continue walking. 

Aside from being a useful tool to disengage, speaking a second language can help facilitate general communication.  Perhaps you speak Mandarin as a second language.  Maybe someone’s English is fairly weak, but their second language, Mandarin, is quite good.   The two of you can converse in a shared second language. 

Four Turns

If you’re ever worried about being followed, it is vital to get to a safe place.  If you believe you’re being followed on foot, make sure to turn into a safe, public venue, such as a well-lit restaurant or store.  You can wait here until the coast is clear, call for help or get help from locals if necessary.

If you think you’re being followed in a vehicle, you can test this by making four turns in the same direction (four left turns or four right turns).  If a vehicle continues to follow you, call for help and drive to a secure location, such as a police station. Do not drive back to your hotel or permanent residence. 

I’ve never been purposely followed in any country, either on foot or in a vehicle.  But this is still a good technique to keep in mind.

Not your Business

It’s understandable to want to halt injustices that happen right in front of you.  When someone is doing something illegal or immoral, you might be tempted to call them out on it.

Don’t.  You don’t know the culture, the law or the repercussions of your involvement.  You can call the police, notify a different official or leave the problem alone, but never get involved.

Short Emergency Phrases

There are many phrases taught in the event of an emergency.  Knowing a few common phrases for the country you’re visiting is extremely helpful.  You can write down anywhere from ten to fifty and learn them as you go. 

Some of these phrases are simply to streamline navigation, such as “Where’s the bathroom?” or “How much does this cost?” 

The phrases that are most important to learn are those that are applicable to immediate emergencies.  The most common phrases I learn before visiting any country include the following:

• Call a doctor
• Call the police
• Fire
• I’ve been hurt
• Where is the _________
• I need help
• That’s Dangerous
• Stop
• Don’t do that
• Run
• Beer, please

It may also be necessary to learn phrases specific to your own conditions.  For example, it may be important to say “I’m diabetic” or “I’m allergic to nuts” when visiting a foreign country.

First Aid

Every traveler should have a first aid kit.  First aid can ensure a journey is much safer and personal emergencies can be handled swiftly.  A first aid kit should be small enough that it can be easily carried in your standard travel backpack as well as your day bag.

Always, always, always put together your own first aid kit. Don’t simply buy one, or you’ll end up with tools you don’t know how to use.

Here is a sample list of a first aid kit for travel.

• Medical Bag
• Written Directives (instructions with pictures regarding first aid actions)
• Cue Tips
• Band Aides
• Fabric Masks
• Disposable Gloves
• Topical Antibiotics
• Ingested Antibiotics
• Altitude Sickness Medicine
• Emergency Cash
• Water Purification Tablets
• Personal Meds
• Condoms, Birth Control, Personal Hygiene Products
• Multivitamins
• Tourniquet
• Press Pads
• Medical Tape
• Antibacterial Wipes

Keep in mind, your first aid kit is useless without practical knowledge.  Practice your first aid skills, take classes in first aid procedures such as CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver.  Make sure you know how to correctly use all items in your first aid kit.

Emergency Contacts

Part of traveling is having a strong home base who can help you while abroad.  Make sure someone always knows where you’re going and what you’ll be up to.  This kind of communication is good for staying connected to your home while also providing an extra security net for money, verification, information, directions and advice while traveling.

Make sure to regularly check in with your emergency contacts, both for their peace of mind and yours.  Keep your emergency contact’s information (name, email and phone number) on a piece of paper or card so a third party can use it in case you’re unable to speak.

Sleep

Sleeping is the most important part of traveling smart.  When people travel sleep deprived, they are more likely to forget items, purchase the wrong tickets, make poor impulse decisions and be prone to mistakes. 

Sleep is the best way to ensure mental clarity and peak functionality.  Make sleep a major priority when traveling.

Tattoo Cautions

Many places in the world have taboos against tattoos, or at least of images.  Tattoos which are completely acceptable in your home country may not be left uncovered abroad.  This is particularly true for tattoos with religious connotations. 

Check a country’s tattoo stance before visiting a new country to ensure they’re safe to be uncovered.  For example, a few decades ago, tattoos in Japan were commonly associated with the Yakuza.  In Sri Lanka, tattoos of Buddha are considered disrespectful.  Additionally, any depictions of Islamic prophets are controversial at best and criminal at worst.  Many tourists have faced hostility, jail time or deportation if their skin-art is not culturally acceptable. 

How to Dress

Attire is important when traveling abroad. 

Firstly, it is a good idea to wear clothes that are neutral colors to avoid standing out and being targeted.  Olive greens, navy blues, blacks, grays, maroons, browns and darker tones tend to blend in better with crowds.  White also blends in somewhat well, but stains too easily while traveling to be practical.

Aside from colors, travelers should be prepared to dress conservatively.  Shorts, shirts which show cleavage or clothing which shows shoulders may not be acceptable in entire countries, specific areas (such as temples and churches) or specific regions.  In all cases, having conservative clothing as a dress option is a good idea.

Enjoy the Adventure

The world is an interesting and exciting place, full of opportunities and good people.  Despite this, adventures still come with a certain level of risk.  Practice your safety habits. Being able to travel safely through the methods above can limit this risk and also ensure your journey is as enjoyable as possible.  

Best regards and excellent trails,

Old Sean

A person can learn a lot of safety tricks after traveling the world for a decade. Read about firsthand stories here, on Leftfade Trails Blogs.

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