A little over two years ago I had the opportunity to talk with a traveling security analyst for the US Foreign Services, Rick. Rick’s job is a pretty cool one, he travels around the world, and analyzes various foreign service establishments (like embassies) for overall security. He also spends a little time in each country training embassy personnel in personal safety abroad (mainly in developing countries). It was under this context, personal safety abroad, that I had an opportunity to talk with Rick, and I’d like to share some of the less “common-sense” points he made.

Please note, the following travel safety tips are meant to compliment the standard list of “common-sense” safety tips most travelers are familiar with. Tips such as staying in groups, take taxis at night, don’t carry valuables, stay in well lit areas, etc. If you need a refresher on any of these “common-sense” tips, please scroll down to the “further reading” links after this post.

1. Look behind you: Most people try NOT to deliberately look over their shoulder to detect danger. They feel it makes them look scared or nervous. However, if you do have someone lurking in the shadows behind you contemplating attack, a direct “look” can be very effective in scaring him off. Basically, thieves and attackers are looking for easy targets. Even if you are scared out of your wits, a good look behind shows the thief/attacker that you are ready for him. It makes him think twice about what tricks you might have up your sleeve, and will usually forget about you and move on to an easier target that isn’t as aware or ready as you are.

2. Fight dirty: I feel like most females are taught this from a young age, but it’s something males don’t always consider. If attacked, there is absolutely no reason to treat the situation like a boxing match. Whatever you need to do to get away, do it. We all know that a kick to the groin is very effective, but the groin isn’t always accessible. Other weak spots are the eyes (don’t be afraid to poke your attacker HARD in the eye), and feet (a hard heel-stomp on the attackers feet should free you up enough to get away).

*Violence should ONLY be used when no other options are available. Remember, your attacker does this for a living.

3. Be Ready: In any physical confrontation the worst thing you can be is surprised. We all know the feeling, when you are surprised and your body just stops working (deer in headlights) for half a second. That half a second is all your attacker needs to put himself in a dominant position. Rick described this as being in “green”. When traveling in unknown and potentially dangerous areas, you don’t ever want to be in “green”. That’s not to say you should be ready to drop-kick every person that says hello, but you do need keep safety on your mind, so that you don’t find yourself surprised and “green” if something does happen.

This is a much harder thing to do than it is to say, but you can start by just considering potentially danger situations and what you would do if “X” were to happen. The idea here is definitely NOT to live in fear, let me reiterate, DO NOT LIVE IN FEAR. Rather be aware of your surroundings, and equip yourself to make the best possible decisions if something does happen.

4. Purpose and Attitude: You can see it everyday, travelers wandering around town, fumbling with maps, not moving with any kind of purpose, and just plain looking lost and confused. For a thief, these are the easy targets. As a traveler in a new land, you have to remember that people are always watching you. Move with purpose and a little bit of attitude. Act like you know exactly what you are doing, where you are going, and that you are not the person to f*ck with. If you do need help or directions, go into a store and ask the clerk for help, be somewhat discreet. DO NOT approach every random Joe on the street, and stir up a lot of attention on how to help the foreigner. Most people have the best of intentions, and simply want to help, but the attention raises green flags for any thief within a 100 meter radius - Here is a foreigner that doesn’t know where he is or what he’s doing.

Further Reading:

• Police detective Kevin Coffee on travel safety
• Travel Myth: Travel in foreign countries is too dangerous

Great White Shark: Wikipedia.org

Anyone who’s done a bit of world travel can tell you, there’s a lot of stuff out there just waiting to attack you, eat you, or make you sick. Or at least it seems that way…

Just last week a surfer was attacked by a shark in Monterey Bay, California. However, California isn’t the only place you hear about shark attacks. Most travelers know to be aware of sharks from Brazil, to South Africa, down to Australia, and the South Pacific. But just how real is the shark attack threat?

Shark Attacks Worldwide:

I did a little research to find out just how common shark attacks really are around the world. I was surprised to find that the most shark attack incidents over the past 400+ years have not occurred in South Africa (212) or Australia (312), but rather in the United States (937). Even excluding Hawaii, the continental US still has 870 documented shark attacks, by far the world leader.

Map template: Wikipedia.org

Shark Attack Capital of the World:

So the United States has the most documented cases of shark attacks over the past 400+ years. But the US is a big country, so how are attacks spread out across the country? Surprisingly, most shark attacks have not occurred in Hawaii (107) or California (92). Rather the title of “Shark Attack Capital of the World” is held by Florida, by far the leader in shark attacks worldwide with 544 over the past 400+ years. Remarkably, however, only 13 of the 544 attacks reported in Florida have been fatal (just 2.4%).

Map template: 50States.com

Put in Perspective:

Now 937 shark attacks in the United States may sound like a lot, but if you remember that 937 is the total number of shark attack incidents recorded in the past 400 years, you’ll see that shark attacks are quite UNCOMMON. The following statistics should help highlight how uncommon shark attacks are:

• Number of fatal lightning strikes in the United States (1959-2006, only includes coastal states): 1,916
• Number of shark attacks in US waters (1959-2006): 852
• Number of fatal shark attacks in US waters (1959-2006): 23
• Number of fatal dog attacks in the United States (2001-2006): 144
• Number of fatal shark attacks in US waters (2001-2006): 11
• Number of “human bites human” related injuries in New York City (1984-1987): 6,339
• Number of “shark bite” related injuries in the entire United States (1984-1987): 45

Statistics taken from the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida

While shark attacks aren’t nearly as common as many of us may have been led to believe, it is still important to take caution as a traveler. Countries like South Africa and Australia have fewer shark attack incidents than the United States, but that can be largely attributed to the respect locals give to the sharks in their waters. As long as you follow the locals’ lead, the past 400 years shows us you should be fine. Take their advice, only swim where and when they swim, and you will find it is much more likely you will be bit by a fellow human being in New York City than by a shark in foreign waters!

The next Travel Myth Buster Series excuse I would like to address for not incorporating international travel into one’s life is:

It is true that many countries around the world suffer from higher poverty rates than we are accustomed to at home, and with these higher poverty rates often comes an associated increase in crime. However, what many of us fail to remember is that life at home, is not always as safe as we would like either. There are a number of cities and communities in the US, UK, France, Germany, Australia, etc. that would rank right up there among the most dangerous countries in the world. However, do we let these dangerous domestic areas scare us into staying at home or limiting our mobility?

NO! We take stay informed, take the necessary precautions and continue on enjoying our lives!

In this sense, international travel is no different than domestic travel, and it makes the most sense to look at travel safety abroad just like you would domestic travel safety.

1. Get informed:

The first step is to be informed as to where you are going. Would you want to travel to New York immediately after the September 11th terrorist attacks (2001), or to Los Angeles during the Rodney King Riot (1992)? No, of course not, just as you would probably not want to travel to Iraq right now (July, 2007). Simply by staying informed on global situations, we can better determine whether or not a country is safe for travel. Research your potential travel destinations for political unrest, civil unrest, tourist targeted crime, etc. Know and understand what is going on there, so that you can make an informed decision as to whether that is an area you think you will feel comfortable in or not.

The following websites maintain up-to-date records and travel advisories for every country around the world:

• US State Department - Consular Information Sheets: The US State Department maintains a database of travel advisories, notices, and general information for every country in the world.
• All Safe Travels: Extensive database that collects news, notices, and advisories from a number of different sources and display them from one central source. Information on every country around the world.

2. Take the necessary, standard precautions:

Once you have determined that a country or destination IS safe enough for travel, it’s just a matter of taking the necessary precautions. Cities like New York, London, and Paris, are amazing places to visit, however, there are certainly a number of safety concerns associated with each. Do these concerns stop people from visiting? No! Despite safety issues these three cities consistently rank among the most popular tourist destinations in the entire world. Travelers simply take the necessary precautions and enjoy their time there. The same philosophy should be used with international travel. Countries like Brazil, Russia, and Mexico are known internationally for their high levels of crime. However, by practicing caution and staying mindful of safety, the vast majority of travelers feel as safe as they would in their own hometowns and never encounter any problems.

For tips and advice on how to stay safe on the road, check out these articles

• Safety Tips for Backpackers: Good list of tips for staying safe while backpacking
• 33 Travel Safety Tips: Travel safety tips for travelers. Some are a bit excessive, and others are not appropriate for the budget traveling/backpacking crowd. However, the suggested mindset is relevant and correct.

3. Enjoy your travels:

If you do the research, and take the necessary precautions while on the road, there is no reason to fear travel. Go out, explore the world, and enjoy!

Return to the “Travel Myth Buster” series