Travel Safety Tips

It seems that the safe world is shrinking, yet if you play it smart, one can be quite safe from pickpockets and thieves. Don't be a target! Don't attract attention of thieves. They want to get your goods quickly and easily, then be gone in a flash. To keep them away from you, wear no jewelry, not even a wedding ring. Sometimes wearing expensive clothes, or even a hairdo, will attract their attention. We know of a woman who wore expensive jewelry, had a polished haircut, and expensive clothes. In London, this is a no-no. Upon exiting the train station, she was surrounded by a group of tall men, cut off from her husband, and every pocket was searched. Police found her purse in the trash. She lost money, Jewels, I.D., and her dignity. All of it could have been avoided if she had just blended in. She was an English citizen, traveling in her own country. Yet she forgot to blend in. To this day, she still looks like she is dripping in money. Wearing American logos is also unsafe. We wear very plain , yet comfortable, clothes. Our shoes are sneakers. My watch is a run-of-the-mill cheap one.
From French tourists, we learned to wear a vest with plenty of zippered pockets. Put credit cards and loose money in a pocket, zipper it shut, then safety pin the zipper for extra safety. Thieves won't have time to unpin and unzip, before being noticed. Expensive cameras are also a magnet for the light fingered. Even cell phones are being ripped out of unsuspecting hands. Know what is happening around you at all times.
We only go to an ATM at a bank, during open hours; never to a stand alone. If something goes wrong, just pop into the bank to resolve the problem.
Thieves can target you without your knowledge. They never work alone. Usually there are at least three; the watcher, the distractor, and the thief. An electronic scanner can be used while kept in a pocket. All a thief has to do is point and scan through a jacket, or pants, pocket. If they are successful in scanning your credit card, they get your money. However, if your passport, with the new identity chip, is scanned, they can steal your identity. To protect yourself, get an RFID wallet for the credit cards and an RFID sleeve for the passport. This happened to us in Brussels, Belgium. We were in the Grand Place, when, unbeknownst to us, someone scanned through our front pockets. They got the credit card name, bank, and number, but not the expiration date. This, they guessed at and submitted a charge for a dollar. If the bank, doesn't flag it, these scanners will wipe out your credit as quickly as they can. Luckily for us, our bank caught it , put a freeze on the account, and sent us a new card. Our best guess is that the expiration date was covered by a Euro bill, that had a metal strip (probably aluminum). A scanner cannot work through aluminum. Since we didn't have access to the RFID products in Europe, we used an Altoids tin and an inside-out chip bag (e.g. A Doritos bag). Both worked fine in a pinch. When we returned stateside, we purchased these necessary travel items.
One last hint, be ready to change your country of origin. In Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square, there was a bomb explosion not five minutes away from our apartment. This was January, 2015, and there were demonstrations against France and America by Syrian students. For the rest of our Istanbul stay, when asked about our country of origin, we'd say Canada. Always, the next question was "What part of Canada?" Our answer was Prince Edward Island. "Do you speak English or French?" English was our response. "Welcome to our country" with a big smile and a handshake, was always next. Syrian Muslims hated French speaking Canadians. Some American travelers buy and sew a maple leaf on their packs and clothes.
So there you have it! Remember, safety first, but if you're kept from traveling and/or in constant fear, they win.

A couple of additional bits of information; sign up for the U.S. State Department's STEP, and Smart Traveler programs to keep abreast of travel advisories. Also read Karen Workman's article "Is Europe safe for travelers?" In the March 30, 2016 New York Times.

We hope these tips have been helpful, and perhaps we will run into you during our travels and yours.