Recent surveys of business travelers have found that security is top of
mind--an even greater concern than price. That's one of the sad legacies of
9/11, reinforced every time you take your shoes off at the security checkpoint
or stuff a Ziploc bag full of 3-ounce bottles of moisturizer. But for travelers,
both female and male, odds are that if anything untoward happens, it'll be far
less sensational than a terrorist attack. Much more likely, it'll be an
encounter with a pickpocket, a careless driver or a hotel-room thief.
Living in New York City for more than 20 years has taught me about safety
awareness and the wisdom of prevention. I rarely carry a handbag, and when I do,
it's never a clutch--they're too easy to snatch. My wallet contains one or two
charge cards, my driver's license and a small amount of cash; I never carry my
ATM card unless I know I'll be using a cash machine, and I never take my
checkbook out of the house. On the subway or in a train, I always know my route;
fumbling around with maps advertises that you're vulnerable.
I also apply this vigilance when I travel, especially to cities I don't know
well. I stash detailed driving directions in a folder with my itinerary and have
a safety-and-security protocol I follow instinctively on every business trip and
vacation.
Here is what I never leave home without:
Copies of important documents. I always bring along two photocopies of
both sides of my driver's license, the charge cards I'm taking, my travel
reservation numbers (e-ticket, car rental and hotel confirmations) and, if
necessary, my passport's first two pages. I tuck one page in whatever paperback
book I'm reading and another in my laptop case.
A cheap rubber doorstop. Don't laugh: Security experts say this can be
the single most effective deterrent against a hotel room intruder.
Alternatively, bring a portable motion detector, which doesn't physically
prevent a break-in but can stop a thief in his tracks. The Travel Companion from
The Sharper Image
splits into two parts: One is a travel alarm clock; the other is a
motion-activated intruder alert. Hang it on a doorknob or window sash. If either
is moved before the alarm is disengaged, it sounds an ear-piercing, 110-decibel
alarm.
A whistle. It's on my key chain, which I hold in my fist whenever I
walk alone--especially in hotel parking lots and garages, which, incidentally,
are among the most dangerous parts of a hotel. Some experts recommend carrying
an air horn instead of a whistle.
A laptop case alarm, another gadget in the shrieking electronics
category. "Laptop thefts are much more common than physical assaults on business
travelers," warns Kevin Coffey, a Los Angeles police detective who founded the
LAPD Airport Crimes Unit and consults with corporate clients on business travel
safety. In his seminars, he memorably recreates about 60 different scams
professional thieves use to steal things from travelers. Laptops, Coffey warns,
are high on their list not just because of the value of the hardware but also
for the value of the data stored inside. An audio version of his presentation,
"Traveler Beware!" Is available on his website,
www.corporatetravelsafety.com, for $7.50.
This is what I always do:
Plan for safe auto travel. When I don't rent a car and don't trust
local cabbies, I always use a vetted, professional car service like
Carey International, whose
drivers are specially trained in safe driving techniques and whose vehicles
regularly undergo servicing and safety assessments. And no matter who's
driving--hack, livery driver or me--I always wear a seat belt.
Wear costume jewelry. I like to include a watch that advertises just
how flamboyantly cheap it is.
Lock valuables in the hotel-room safe.
One thing I don't do but should is carry a smoke hood. Many fatalities
following airplane crashes don't come from trauma but from inhaling toxic fumes,
which can either incapacitate or outright kill you. Smoke from a hotel fire can
fell you before a rescue, too.
Magellan's offers a
portable smoke hood for $49. It's small and light enough to easily slip in a
briefcase or purse.
For more tips on staying safe, read
Travel Can Be Murder: A Business Traveler's Guide to Personal Safety by
Terry Riley, a consulting psychologist and nationally recognized authority on
travel safety.