Travel Safety

Don't forget to pack some good sense.

1. Take care of the details. Pay your bills and take care of your pets.
2. Pack enough pills. Take prescription medicine enough to get you there and back.
3. Have a friend house-sit. Give house keys to close friends and have them watch your house while your gone.
4. Up, up and away…. Garage doors have been known to open on their own. Unplug yours.
5. Hold the mail. Get someone to collect your mail or ask the post office to hold it.
6. No news is good news. Tell newspapers or magazines to hold delivery.
7. One more time…. Check mail and phone messages just before you go.
8. Turn it off! So that there's something left to return to, turn off your electric appliances and stove.
9. Empty your trash.
10. "Hello, we can't come to the phone right now…." Forward your phone to a friend so that someone will seem to be home. Have someone regularly check your messages.
11. Tell someone where you're going. Make sure a close family member has your itinerary and phone number.
12. Add some mystery. Remove anything with your name and address from your car before you park at the airport.

TIPS FOR WOMEN TRAVELING ALONE
You're confident and sensible. It's easy to be lulled into a sense of safety when you travel or, if something threatens you, into a higher state of panic for being in a strange place. Keep your head and have a pleasant trip. Here are some recommendations:

1. Don't get caught off guard. Make note of the times of sunrise and sunset and avoid being out alone at night.
2. Don't flaunt it. Avoid being conspicuous and dress down.
3. No jewelry. Robbers won't know the difference between real and fake, until it's too late.
4. With this ring, I thee ward off. The exception to the jewelry rule is to wear a simple wedding band.
5. Be confident. Be smart. Travel well-trafficked, crowded streets. Walk like you're part of the crowd.
6. Protect you cash. Wear a money belt that is passed through the loops of a regular belt.
7. Keep your eyes peeled. On the next red-eye flight, know where your valuables are at all times.
8. When you need to go …. Take your purse with you.
9. Ask questions. Ask a female employee at the airport for more information about the safety of your destination.
10. Be aware of your surroundings. Look and act as though you know where you are headed.
11. Women will help women. Ask for directions from families or women with children.
12. Surprise them. If a car is following you, turn quickly and walk the opposite way.
13. There's safety in numbers. If you feel you're being followed, immediately go into a store and wait to see him or her pass. Ask a person in the store to walk out with you to make sure the person is gone.
14. Avoid a foreign cutpurse…. On sidewalks, keep your handbag and other valuables away from street side. On escalators, keep your handbag away from the opposite ramp.
15. Park in the light. When driving look for a parking lot that is well lit and secure.
16. Keep them guessing. If you take a cab, carry a mobile phone and call your room number. Pretend you are talking to someone and announce that you will be arriving in ten or fifteen minutes. Mention the cab number.
17. Cover every angle. In elevators stand near the buttons with your back to the wall. If threatened, push all the buttons at once.
18. Speed dial. Carry a phone. Put the local police on speed dial.
19. Surround yourself with noise and lights. A personal alarm and a small flashlight are good ways to frighten attackers.

CAR TRAVEL & CHILDREN
Ah, the pleasures of trips, kids and cars. While they'll still always ask, "Are we there yet?", here are some tips for safer and more relaxing car trips with children.

1. Be ready for anything. Make sure your vehicle is maintained. Make sure you have all your insurance information. Carry a good map. Bring some pillows.
2. Join a roadside assistance program.
3. Don't get stuck. Carry a mobile phone.
4. While they sleep, drive. Driving while the kids are asleep will make road travel go by less stressfully.
5. Pack snacks. Pack food and water for the long ride. Eat before you hit the road.
6. Carry the essentials. Flashlight, first aid kit, umbrella and jumper cables.
7. Bring what baby needs. And then some. Pack plenty of diapers and formula.
8. For small emergencies… bring along an inflatable potty seat and toilet paper.
9. "Are we there yet?" The timeless car question. The timeless car answer: toys, music and books will help keep your children happy.
10. Quiet times. Agree as a family on times when everyone can have some peace and relaxation.

• freetraveltips.com --Free Travel Tips

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