30 Street Smarts Every Traveler Should Know
Advice to help you stay safe in new places.
Published 3 years ago in Wow
Big as it may seem, the world grows smaller with each passing day. With the advent of modern air travel, you can pretty much be anywhere on the planet you really want to be in a matter of hours. This has allowed many a traveler to broaden their horizons with wonderful new experiences.
Experiences like being mugged in a dimly lit street in a city where you don't speak the language in a neighborhood you had no idea was a thriving criminal paradise. Or learning what the transition from paved city streets to hidden-away dirt roads sounds like from the trunk of a taxi cab.
To help keep your horizons broadened in the direction you want them to go, here are some tips you should keep in your back pocket (instead of your wallet!) whenever you travel someplace new.
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Street smarts to give your kids: if you get lost, find the the closest adult with kids. I saw this in action once at Disneyland when a 4 year old kid approached me and my kiddos while we were eating. She joined us very calmly, introduced herself, and said her parents gave her the above advice. I heard her parents shouting her name not long after, and the relief on their faces was a sight.7
If you're walking and someone approaches, don't break stride. You can carry on a conversation while walking, but people who are looking to proselytize, sell you something, or mug you will want you to slow or stop to address them. If they want to chat, make them keep up with you. You can even tell them that you're in a rush but would love to talk and walk. They'll likely find someone more stationary, because if you can make a person slow, you can make them stop. If you can make them stop, you've already adjusted their priorities and placed yourself at the top. It's a subtle power game. Keep going where you're going, and you retain your power. Stop and cat, and you've given it up and opened yourself to possible problems.19
If you’re going to be away on holiday or somewhere you’re unfamiliar with for any length of time, it’s a good idea to try to always make sure that someone knows roughly where you’re going to be and what you’re going to be doing on a given day. Even if you’re like me and you don’t like to plan out a full itinerary, a rough indication of what your plans might be can help work out your movements if ever there is an issue.20
Be aware of surroundings, look like you belong either through body language, attire, or occupation (without being oblivious to things around you). The moment you look lost, out of place, or unsure is the moment you can look like a good target. If someone is looking at you with an expression questioning why you are there, be prepared to answer it with confidence and give an answer they would accept, or be prepared to leave before they can ask.29
Here are a few of street smarts that makes it harder for pickpockets to steal your stuff: Do not keep your wallet in the backpocket of your jeans. This is a super easy place for pickpocket to take it from. When in crowed touristy areas it sometimes is better to wear your backpacks or purses to the front of your body. If you sit down in a restaurant, keep your backpack in front of your feet. Be especially aware of your belongings when there is a bit of pushing, like when entering a subway or metro wagon. Be alert in situations where a potential group of thieves try to distract you for example by asking you for directions on a map. While you are distracted by showing the person the directions another thief will open your bags and take your stuff without noticing. Edit: Another thing to lookout are people in European cities asking for cash donations for the blind, deaf or handicapped. The huge majority of them are not for real charities but just to A) get some money from me and B) more importantly for an accomplice to see where you store your wallet.