Travel Safety Tips

Britishraj

It would be very useful if IM would pass on some useful Travel safety tips. If I may start with a few suggestions and perhaps you would give us your ideas. Thanks[COLOR="black"][/COLOR]

1. I use what appears to be an 'ordinary' looking trouser's belt which has on the 'inside' a zip all round in which I can stack hundreds of £ notes. I got mine in Spain. Not seen one in the UK.

2. Money pouch which is attached to my belt and slips in the 'inside' of my trouser. [a good idea for spreading your cash around]or of course the money pouch hung around the neck tucked unside the shirt.

3.Cycle Lock coil / retractable cycle lock. Not only useful for cycles / motorbike but useful for train journeys to secure your luggage. Also can be used in the hotel room.

4.Spare lock. Many hotels use paddlocks,in which case I prefer to use my own padlock. Comes in handy for putting a lock on your cubbard in the room to secure your valuables.

5. Photographer's jacket. The waistcoat with all the pockets! Especially useful at airport /train journey when required to keep getting out passport / boarding pass / reading glasses /pens / notebooks / tickets / torch / camera/ books for reading on the plane / train etc. As I often ride a motorbike on tour, I found by wearing this jacket it was easy access to get to spare cash to pay for 'chai' etc. without having to struggle in my jeans pocket. My cameras was always at the ready.

6. For the 'Squeamish' of which I am sure there are quite a few who are confronted with the Indian hygiene of the use of the 'Left Hand' don't despair you may consider the following tip to be very useful. 'La Douche' get a 1 1/2 meter lightweight rubber hose with a rubber adapter on the end which you will find is suitable for most taps.[available at all hardware stores] You will find in most Indian toilets that there is always a tap conviently positioned by the commode. Just plug in and 'voila' the jet stream does all the work of your left hand! in a hygenic way. You will find the rubber hose has other little uses for ex. when washing clothes the jet stirs up the soap suds, washes off sand of you prior to a shower, jet down the bathroom etc etc. and it makes into a little coil easy to carry. Did I mention how much money you save on toilet rolls! it soon adds up. Strange as it may seem but this little item is quite useful..worth considering.

7. Always make sure your clothes /daypacks are out of reach from any windows. I had the experience this year when a thief had climbed on to a roof of an adjacent building. I was on the first floor. He put a long pole thro'the window and was trying to 'hook' my clothes of a chair [which had my passport and money in] It was 4am and fortunately, I woke up at that moment only to see a pole about six inches above my body passing accross the room trying to manouvre my clothes about. Obviously he wasnt successful. Lesson learnt.

__________________
Elvis Has Left The Building

karuna

I love no. 6!
Now I just have to figure out where to keep it so I don't have to keep walking to the toilet with a rubber tube in my hand. :)

Please tell the story of no.7. Did you grab the pole??