My mom and dad recently had to rush somewhere in the emergency of an unfortunate event. Since there were no direct flights available, they had to take a train first to reach the nearest airport.
But while travelling in the train, my mom made a big mistake of not being careful about her possessions that she was carrying with her. Sometime later when she and dad boarded the train, my mom looked into her bag and guess what? Her iPhone was missing.
After checking for a while, it was obvious that it has been stolen. I still can't believe that none of them even noticed it happening. This is just one of the many bad things that can happen to anyone who is travelling or is planning to travel.
Since it happened to my mom, I want to give you guys a quick reminder to be careful about it so that it doesn't happen to you too. As much fun travelling is, it can also be super dangerous if you're not aware of your surroundings.
Double-Check Everything
No matter where you are travelling, near or far, always double check everything including your devices, documents, gadgets, IDs, cards, wallet, bags, and anything else that holds any kind of monetary value before and after arriving at every other stop.
Pickpockets are skilled thieves and you'll never know how easily they can rob you without you even knowing it before it's too late. Make sure everything is where it's supposed to be and how you left it the last time you touched or used it.
Don't Buy Cheap Locks
This one should be common sense but so many people still risk their safety over saving a few more bucks. The whole point of locks is to keep your possessions safe and out of reach of others. If the lock is of poor quality and you can't really count on it, then why even buy it in the first place?
It doesn't matter if it takes a few more bucks, but buy only those locks that are actually durable and cannot be cracked open using force. Buying a cheap lock has more risk than reward. You might save some money now, but you can lose a lot more later.
Don't Give Away Your Information
There are many skilled thieves out there who, using a fake identity, try to be your friends first and pretend that they are just like you or belong to the same area as you just so they can get a lot of personal information about you which you would normally hide.
The hard part is, they are so subtle while doing this that is it almost impossible to tell. In a case like this, I think the best way to be more careful is to ask that person the purpose of their question i.e. why they what to know what they want to know about you.
If their answer doesn't make much sense, then simply don't share your information with them. One more thing you can do is to observe them to look for signs which might point to a potential threat.
- Are they travelling alone or are they with a group?
- Do you feel suspicious about them?
- Are they being desperate to want to become friends?
- Are they asking way too many questions?
When meeting random strangers while travelling, ask yourself all these questions so you can get a better idea of what you are getting yourself into or who you are getting involved with.
Backup Your Data And Turn On Location
If you are carrying your phone or laptop or any kind of electronic smart device with you, which you most probably are, then make sure you have backed up all your important data so you can at least have your information back, which you can change afterwards, if you can't retrieve your device in case it went missing.
While you're on that, turn on the location feature on your phone. This will help you track and find it. If you're an iPhone user, turn on the Find My iPhone feature and for android users, turn on the Location in the notifications bar or in settings menu, and make sure you're online.
Even if your device is lost or stolen, it will help track the thief (and then beat the shit out of 'em) or find where your device currently is. Either way, the chances of you getting back your device will be much higher.
Acknowledge Your Environment
Let's get one thing straight. Thieves are opportunists. If they see an opening to take advantage, they will. Don't give them that opportunity. It's not anybody else's job to remind you to be careful; you must do so on your own.
Don't be naive. If you're travelling to or from a place that is known for thievery, then it's obvious that you'd want to focus more on your safety and security rather than watching the view out of the window at all times.
Travel Safe and Keep Your Eyes Open
