Surviving the Holiday Season That time of the year is upon us again ­ what with stores telling us X days to Xmas and decorations better and bigger than ever before ­ where we tend to forget some important issues. Issues which if not addressed proactively could ruin ( literally ) what should be an enjoyable and relaxing time. While our primary focus is on driving security and specific issues aound the security of our home we have, for the purposes of this article looked particularly at surviving the holiday season. While we are not being paranoid the following points will work to your advantage. As we so often preach ­ " If you act like a victim you probably will become one". We hope therefore that by taking note of the following you will dramatically reduce your chances of becoming another statistic.

Messages

Have you checked your pre recorded message Never record an outgoing message that indicates that you are away. Get a friend to check your messages either from your home or with the access code for your machine. Leave your contact details in the event that you receive an urgent message and they need to contact you.

Home Security Give a neighbour your emergency contacts in the event that you need to be reached due to a household emergency.( like when the geyser packs up or the electricity shuts down)

Never Answer The Door

Its worth reminding the house sitter that they should not answer the door, educate them around your security routine. If you are travelling it is a good idea never open your hotel door to anyone unless you have checked to verify that they are legitimate.

Copy Important Documents

If travelling make copies of all travel documents including passport, front and back of credit cards and plane tickets. Leave a copy with an emergency contact back home and either give a copy to your traveling companion or place it in a different place than the originals

Hotel Safe

Whenever possible, store your valuables in the hotel safe rather than the one in your room. It is possible that insurance policies will only cover you if the items were stored in the hotel safe.

Leave Jewelry At Home

Unless you are prepared to loose valuable and sentimental items leave them at home including all expensive-looking jewelry! You can be mugged just as quickly for a fake Rolex, gold plate or cubic zirconium as for the real thing.

Luggage Tags

Put your initial and last name only on the front of your luggage tags. Put your full name, address and phone on the inside. This way, potential crooks won't be able to determine your gender and home address at a glance

ATM Security

Use extreme caution when using ATM machines anywhere. Note your surroundings and try to use them only in secure daylight conditions. Just because you are in a different area don¹t let up on your vigilance. Criminals prey upon typical "victims

Fire Safety

When you travel be sure you make note of the emergency exit details. What with bombings in the strangest of places it is worth investing a little time ( on the aircraft for example ­ some airlines have new craft which could differ from the one you last travelled on) For example, note the number or rows, floors, doors, etc. to the nearest emergency exit. Jot it down on a note if necessary and keep it close to you.

Check your luggage

When your bus or taxi delivers you to your destination, check to verify all of yours bags have been unloaded. KNOW HOW many bags you have with you and who is responsible for what luggage

Cable Lock

Use a cable lock to secure your luggage either in the hotel room or even during long waits in transit at airports. It is much more difficult for a criminal to walk off with 3 heavy cases tethered together .

Restroom Safety

So often we have seen travellers visit the restroom and "trustingly" leave luggage outside. Never leave your luggage outside the restroom door or leave your bag on the hook on the back of the door. If a thief tries to steal your belongings, you are literally a sitting duck.

Rooms with sliding doors

Be cautious of rooms that have sliding doors or windows that are accessible from ground level. (see next)

Door Stopper

Bring a door stopper with you for hotel stays. Some models even offer an alarm feature. Note: Some foreign hotels have doors that open the opposite direction so you may want to pack a motion alarm as well.

Electronic Hotel Keys

If your hotel uses electronic keys, ask if they will re-swipe the card when you check in as a precaution. That way, if they 'forgot' when the last person checked out, you know you are starting with a fresh key code.

Is This Your First Time Here?

Always answer no to the question "Is this your first time here?" It is often used as a way of determining if you are a good mark by criminals.

We trust that this selection of tips will benefit you and ensure your safe travel and holiday season Brought to by courtesy of RAC ­ Providers of Hijack Prevention and Urban Survival Skills training

Top of the Page