Advertisement
|
|
Viewing Security Tips for Travelers - Remember to Pack a Bike CableSecurity Tips for Travelers - Remember to Pack a Bike Cable
|
The most common way that people get items stolen is a "snatch and grab" ... somebody's wallet, purse, camera, or luggage. Usually the stories do not involve any violence or drama. This article explains how to help avoid being ripped off by thieves. By Rem Malloy As a travel professional, every now and then, I hear a horror story, one that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, and it is always about being ripped off. Somebody's wallet, somebody's purse, somebody's camera, somebody's luggage. Usually the stories do not involve any violence or drama, but simple sneaky ways that today's thieves are finding to steal your stuff - ways that can easily be prevented with some countermeasures. When I began traveling many years ago, I carried with me a $1000 Nikon camera, $3000 laptop, $1000 camera lens, $2000 video camera, microphones, cables, batteries and the lot. These were all part of my toolkit to operate and develop a successful tour operation. I was completely paranoid about being ripped off, so being the industrious type, I came up with a solution - one that anyone can try. The most common way that people get items stolen is what I like to call a "snatch and grab". This is where a thief will break a window on a rental car and steal whatever luggage he can find, break into a hotel room, or while you are taking a nap on the train, snatch luggage from the luggage bin. I came up with this idea when one time my mother and I were scouting out sightseeing places in Rome and happened to go out to the catacombs. A car pulled in front of us to park; it was a family who obviously had driven down from a northern European country and they had all of their travel belongings in their Volvo. When we came back to the car before the family had gotten back themselves, we saw one window broken out and every single item belonging to the family had been stolen. This solitary event got me to think about ways to protect your items when you travel; ways that are easy, inexpensive, and actually work. I came up with this idea after that incident. Here is what you do. Go down to your local hardware store and go into the chain and cable department. Usually they have chains and cables of various sizes on reels and you can cut whatever length you need. Get the thinnest bike cable that you can find - this is usually 3/4 inch. Have the person in the department chop off ten feet for you. Also have them crimp the ends of the cable so that you have two secure loops, one at each end. This single item has protected my valuables and me for many years; it is easy to carry, it rolls up nice and tight, does not weigh a thing, and actually works. Here is how you use it. If you are in a car, loop one end of the cable around the sliding seat post of the front or passenger side seat and then the other end through all the handles of the luggage in the trunk or hatchback. Most cars in Europe do not have trunks; they have hatchbacks through which you can see everything in the back. After you loop one end through the handles of your bags, secure it on top to itself with a padlock. I like a combination lock and not a key lock just because there is nothing to lose (like a key). Make sure the lock and the cable are well visible. What you have done is to create a deterrent. This is just one extra layer that all the other cars in the same parking lot don't have. If the thief actually wants your particular luggage, he can easily break the window, cut through the handles of your luggage, and take it. However, he doesn't want just your luggage, he wants anybody's luggage that is easy to take. If you look at all the cars around that have luggage in them, none of them will have a cable lock. You have just created a deterrent that has worked for me for many years. On a train, it is the same concept. You are not allowed to take your luggage to your seat; you have to store it at the end of each car or every other car in luggage bins. Anyone getting on or off the train can easily take any bag from the bin. Tie one end of the cable around the bars of the luggage bin and tie the other through the handle of your luggage. Chances are, most thieves do not keep cable cutters with them so they would steal someone else's bag that does not have this device. So go back to your seat, relax, and take a nap. Same concept in a hotel - just wrap the cable through the handles of your luggage and around something fixed in the room like a sink pipe or bed frame. This simple deterrent is only that - a deterrent - creating another level the thief must go through to get your stuff. I hope this helps and I hope it keeps you and your valuables happy for many journeys to come. About the Author: Rem Malloy is owner and president of http://www.italy4real.com and http://www.travel4real.com, a tour operator and custom trip-planning company with offices in the USA and Europe. Visit the sites for information and ideas for planning your own trip to Europe. Article source: 111 Travel Directory: Triple1.com (triple one dot com) |
|