The Traveler Guide

Airports, train and bus stations, and any other place where travelers congregate in close quarters are where pickpockets love to operate.  There are many dos and don'ts to avoid becoming a victim when you travel on vacation, most of which are common sense.  Here are some of them.  Do not wear expensive jewelry, even expensive looking costume jewelry or an expensive looking watch as that is just an invitation to be robbed.

Wear a money belt under you shirt or blouse to help foil pickpockets or muggers.  It is a good idea to put your things in a Ziploc bag and then put the bag in your money belt.  The reason for this is that the money belt and the items in it will get soaked from your perspiration, especially in hot climates, and this will keep them dry.  Do not open up your money belt in public to take out cash, travelers checks, or credit cards. 

Before you leave on vacation, it might be worth it to sew a few pockets on the inside of your slacks, skirts, or underclothing where you can carry some spare cash when you are out and about for the day.  If you are carrying cash, travelers checks, or credit cards on your person, you should divide them up and put them in different pockets.  That way if a pickpocket is successful, he or she won't get everything.  It also makes sense to use a safety pin to make each pocket opening smaller so that a pickpocket will have difficulty pulling anything out of your pockets without you being aware of it.

If a number of children gather around you in the street and cause a commotion, you are likely being targeted by pickpockets who are using the children to distract you.  If a couple of locals start a yelling and shoving match near you, they could be a distraction for pickpockets.  Another method of distraction is to have someone collapse and fall down in front of you.  When you bend over to help them, the pickpocket goes into action.  A variation involves two thieves working together, one gently dropping some ice cream, ketchup or mustard on one of your shoulders and then distracting you by pointing to the mess and helping to wipe it off.  The other pickpocket will then go into action.

Pickpockets prefer to target men with their wallets invitingly exposed in their back pockets, and obese people because they are less likely to feel their pockets being picked.  You must be especially vigilant in airports, bus and train stations and watch your luggage, camera, and laptop like a hawk as they can disappear in an instant.  Keep in mind that pickpockets love tourists, especially when they are in crowds. Be vigilant when you are wearing a backpack.  Thieves may slash the bottom of it, spilling all the contents onto the street where he and his accomplices grab your possessions and run away in different directions.

Usually muggings occur at night and not in a busy, bustling part of the city.  If you are accosted by an armed robber, do not argue or resist.  Give them what they want and be thankful that you don't get hurt.  Whatever they take from you can be replaced and is not worth risking your life over. After we read Bob Arno's book on how people can avoid cons, thefts, and street scams, we felt that it would be a valuable book for anyone who goes on vacation, or travels for business, to also read.  It is chuck full of information and photos that show you how many scams work.  There is no limit as to what criminals can conspire to think of to rip-off and steal from unsuspecting tourists.

Bob is one of the world's foremost experts on street crime, scams, and identity theft.  If you are interested in learning how to protect yourself when on holidays as well as at home, you may want to read his book, "Travel Advisory! How to Avoid Thefts, Cons, and  Street  Scams  While Traveling".  It may be available at your local library.  If not, it is available through his website,  BobArno.com, or Amazon.com.

He has been interviewed on CNN, MSNBC, ABC's 20/20, The Travel Channel, The Learning Channel, Discovery Channel, and has had articles written about him in USA Today, National Geographic Traveler, Fortune Magazine, The New York Times, and Time Magazine. His book is full of humor, true stories, as well as many photos of pickpockets and street scam artists in action.  In our opinion, his book is worth its weight in gold, and is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to protect themselves and their family when traveling, and even in their own home town.

Most people forego worrying about anything that would be detrimental to their fine vacation whenever travel plans are being thought about. You have no option but to take these into consideration though, especially when travel insurance is offered as you begin to plan. It is possible for you to lose sleep over the possibility of missing a charter flight, seeing your spouse suffer a heart attack, and so on. These are the kinds of thoughts that travelers steered clear of. In line with the terrorist situation abroad, protection for travelers is growing into a desirable need.

People who are afraid will generally buy travel insurance. On the other hand, you should not immediately purchase any policy without considering the possibility that you may not actually need one. Especially if you're not a frequent traveler, you may stock up on all types of travel insurance with the attitude of better safe than sorry. No ease comes with the location of certain coverage, and with the numerous options to choose from, you will be spending money like crazy. No evidence can support the claim that people on vacation are more likely to be injured or face death. A visit to the National Safety Council (NSC) and National Center for Health Statistics will not get you such data.

There is no specification whether any of the people involved in the recorded incidences of injuries or death were taking a trip then. Traveling exposes you to a higher risk of getting sick though. Your vulnerability increases overseas, think about malaria in Kenya or Mexican tummy aches. Travelers may probably want to get some protection. When you go to a certain country, you are more at risk for specific ailments. Travelers may be at risk when they visit Nigeria, but in London, they are technically scot free. Wherever you go, do not get travel insurance unless you have thought about these things. See if your health insurance plan covers you for accidents or illnesses.

An existing health insurance policy sometimes offers reimbursements for overseas medical expenses you have paid for. Read through the coverage terms. Ascertain that you have claim forms along. If you cannot pay in full, there are doctors who will refuse to give you the treatment you need. A traveler can purchase an emergency service policy to deal with immediate medical expenses and needs for legal aid. Considering the high premiums, ask yourself if you really need this kind of plan. With any type of travel insurance, understand what is included and more important, what's excluded. Treating an ailment does not make it a hundred percent problem free, when something goes wrong during a trip, only the members of a health maintenance organization (HMO) has guaranteed medical coverage. Medicare patients are not covered outside of the United States except for certain limited circumstances in Mexico and Canada.

Basically, flight insurance serves to cover any damages brought about by injuries or death that happens on planes. This is a form of coverage not purchased in advance. This is an easy swindle. It is like buying a $100,000 two hour's worth of security for $7. If you have the proper life insurance, why is it the right amount of coverage if you have a heart attack at home, but not enough for a two hour plane ride? Much emphasis is needed here. One short car ride will not require you to get more coverage. Having to pay $7 per two hours can be frustrating when the costs add up. Tickets paid for with major credit cards automatically come with coverage for injuries or cases of death.