Travel Security Tips
Some travel tips I give to active professionals heading into hot zones or sketchy destinations around the world. They also apply for any high crime area as well.
1) Familiarize yourself with the entry and exit locations of your place of work, hotel, AirBNB or residence. You’ll want to show any potential threats surveilling you, that you have a sense of comfort, respect and familiarity for local customs and norms, in order to not stand out as a foreigner or tourist. Most third world countries have busy neighborhoods with high traffic with alternate side streets. Scout those areas beforehand on foot during the day, instead of from inside a car or taxi.
2) Do not travel alone at night. Even in those well-lit, crowded areas you may think you know well. Scammers, thieves, and gangs can drug beverages at bars and restaurants or use coercive tactics where they’ll leave objects in the open for people to spot and pick up. Then, they’ll swoop in claiming theft and threaten to call the police unless you pay up. Another scam is if they see you bump into another car while backing into a parking space. They’ll claim you hit their car and demand a cash settlement. Firmly tell them to buzz off, watch your six and walk away. Major European cities have good police presence however, they are not always available and sometimes not the most professional.
3) Only use taxis from reputable taxi companies. Note the taxi number and taxi phone number prior to entry. Non-corporate taxis tend to over charge and lack accountability which can lead to abuse, including in some extreme cases, sexual harassment. Some will take you well off your route to pad up the fare. Use your phone’s GPS to insure they’re going in the right direction and do not hesitate to voice concerns and firmly demand that they return to the correct route. Often they’ll use the excuse of “heavy traffic” to justify their action, but stay firm. Although uncommon, the possibility exists that they could take you to a secondary location and deliver you to human traffickers.
4) Have multiple routes to and from home and work. Vary the routes you take and the time at which you take them. Varying routes and times is the easiest way to avoid being tracked and is a great way to foil an attacker. For these routes, study a map to identify the routes you will be taking eg. the stretch of road from the house to the first possible point where the multiple routes deviate, or the final stretch before the destination (if there is only one way to reach it). Those areas of essential travel are the places where, if someone were to try an ambush, they would.
5) Familiarize yourself with “safe zones” near these routes, such as shopping malls, police or gendarmerie stations, mosques, churches and so on.
6) Check your personal vehicle’s tires for slashes and wheel wells for foreign objects prior to entry. Look into the back seat and under the dashboard area prior to opening the door. Observe the area around the car for disturbances, such as segments of wire, broken glass, and other indicators of tampering.
7) If you think you are being followed, make multiple right turns. Statistically most cars continue straight, and this will narrow the pack to an observable group of bad actors. If you are being followed aggressively, report it to local authorities or contact the US Consulate.
8) Check in with the US Consulate within 72 hours of arrival in country. This can be done online via the State Department’s website, in person or over the phone. This is essential in order for our Embassy or Consulate to update you in case of emergencies, heightened threats to Americans, etc.
9) Keep a cell phone on you at all times. Make sure it is fully-charged with emergency numbers pre-programmed, including the US Consulate and Law Enforcement.
10) Avoid stairwells whenever possible and use elevators. Stairwells are confined, dimly lit, sound-proofed areas and ideal locations for assaults.
Next to ATMs, stairwells are the second most popular locations to be assaulted. Their isolated locations, thick, concrete wall construction dampens any cry for help. They are to be used only as a last resort and even then, avoid entering alone.
In the event of an elevator outage, wait for others to gather before going down the stairwell. Trust your “Spidey sense” and gut when they go off. It is your body’s early radar defense alerting you of unforeseen threats. Disregards them at your peril.
The video below illustrates a typical stairwell assault. The Perp violently shoves his hapless victim into a wall, triggering a sense of panic to split the victim’s ability to focus on follow-up attacks.
This rolling technique permits you to:
1. Avoid smashing face-first into the wall and face your assailant.
2. Get off the X to negate follow up attacks.
3. Reverse the mindset of being ambushed to prolong the Perp’s OODA loop by forcing him to re-assess his tactics and reach his target.
Whenever possible, you should practice self-defense in an urban environment, at different times of the day. Students must learn to recognize hazardous, potentially vulnerable areas along with the ability to utilized improvised weapons as a force multiplier ie. railings, edge of countertops, walls, stairs, streetlamp poles and blinding lights, etc.
The best form of self-defense is EARLY defense. Stay aware and ready, so you don’t need to get ready. You can’t get into a bar fight if you don’t enter a bar.
Truth in training!
