luggage safety concerns

CFPhotoGrafie · Oct 20th, 2009, 03:12

I am traveling by train in India for 5 months starting NEXT WEEK!~

I plan to take my laptop and my camera in one bag, a duffel bag of clothes and toiletries, and one extra bag for purchases made while traveling

I have heard some reports that it is unsafe to leave bags even in single guesthouse rooms...is this true?
Meaning, must I carry everything with me daily when I am exploring the area? Who else will have access to my room when I'm out?

Also how safe will my bags be on the train? should I keep them in close contact at all times? (neither has a lock I'm afraid)

gaurav1441 · Oct 20th, 2009, 03:23

Well it depends. You should be careful at all times wherever you keep your luggage. To carry or not depends upon the guest houses where you stay if you perceive it to be safe and dependable you can leave it.

CFPhotoGrafie · Oct 20th, 2009, 03:33

I am always conscientious and careful when I travel, but my American idea of "safe" may not be the same as "safe" when traveling in a non-Western country so I am trying to get more specific details from those with personal experience traveling India

the places I've booked as guesthouses are recommended and rated on hostelworld but that is no guarantee...

anyone else?

RPG · Oct 20th, 2009, 03:42

Grungy backpacker hotels are risky, but normal personal property (e.g. used clothing) can be left in a locked room in any respectable hotel.

On the other hand, leaving a laptop or camera (or cash) in the room is asking for trouble. I have left laptops in hotel rooms, but with a complex arrangement...I use a laptop security cable to attach it to something immoveable inside a closet (like the rod that clotheshangers hang on), then I insert the laptop into a zip-up suitcase and lock the suitcase, leaving the cable coming out of the suitcase near the lock. (I hope that makes sense.) Still I know it is a risk.

Luggage does sometimes get stolen from trains. If you are sleeping on one of the berths along the corridor in a sleeper compartment, your underseat luggage is at particular risk. You should sleep with the laptop, camera and money under your pillow or between your body and the wall. Other luggage should be chained to a post under the seat. In most cases this is not really necessary, but it only takes one incident.

CFPhotoGrafie · Oct 20th, 2009, 03:50

thx RPG so I should carry the laptop bag with me everywhere

as for trains I am mostly booked in 3A so I should just keep all that in the berth with me on overnights...

anything else?

RPG · Oct 20th, 2009, 04:00

Well, railway sleeper berths are quite narrow. You may not find it practical to keep all your stuff with you. Of course this depends on how much you have, and how tall/wide you are.

I suggest some form of luggage that can be chained, and a lightweight chain, so that your stuff can be kept under the seat. Few thieves in India are professionals who can pick locks or cut chains; most of it is opportunistic, grab-and-run. They can certainly also grab stuff from your berth while you are sleeping. The berths that are not along the corridor, but in 'cabins' perpendicular to the corridor, are much safer. If you have an 'outside' berth, ask the other passengers if you can store your luggage under one of the 'inside' berths and far from the corridor (close to the window). They will understand and will probably be helpful, and no, they won't steal your luggage themselves.

This should not give you the impression that theft is widespread, but a foreigner is a more likely target because you probably have better stuff.

Nick-H · Oct 20th, 2009, 04:34

Quote:

If you have an 'outside' berth, ask the other passengers if you can store your luggage under one of the 'inside' berths and far from the corridor (close to the window).

Might be worth asking, but six people are sharing two luggage spaces already, so I wouldn't count on getting a yes.

If I really had to take a laptop on a train, I'd probably put it in the middle of a case, which would be locked and chained. A determined thief will have pliers and take the lot: you can only prevent the opportunistic kind.

Anything else valuable, like camera, papers, etc, that cannot be in a pocket next to my skin, goes under my head, or somehow that it can't be touched without waking me.

CFPhotoGrafie · Oct 20th, 2009, 04:34

aren't all 3A berths in a cabin? no one ever told me they might not be, it was sold to me as 3 bunks above one another on overnights...

thanks for your info RPG

NickH well unless I leave my laptop in the States (not really an option), it has to go on the train w/me
thankfully its carrier bag is cushioned so theoretically I could use it as my pillow if it's necessary

Nick-H · Oct 20th, 2009, 05:05

The side berths are... on the side.

Best see the train threads for details and carriage layouts: see Steven_Ber's posts; he has detailed just about everything that can be

Edit: I had a bookmark -->link.

Mike Cork · Oct 20th, 2009, 05:52

You could invest in a Pacsafe Secure Rucksack Protector or other Pacsafe products.

http://www.indiamike.com/india/attac...rance-pac2.jpg

http://www.indiamike.com/india/attac...rance-pac1.jpg

CFPhotoGrafie · Oct 20th, 2009, 06:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

The side berths are... on the side.

Best see the train threads for details and carriage layouts: see Steven_Ber's posts; he has detailed just about everything that can be

Edit: I had a bookmark -->link.

thanks for the link...

how on earth do I know whether I've got a regular berth or a side berth?

dillichaat · Oct 20th, 2009, 11:39

When making a reservation you have to specify your preference. Side berths codes are S/U and S/L (side upper, side lower). They're nice for daytime travel but if you're tall, horrific at night because they're a bit shorter and more narrow than regular berths.

Get a pacsafe or buy a good chain and padlock in India. There's loops underneath the lower berth where you can attach luggage, you should use these. If everything underneath is already packed when you arrive (people travel with everything and the kitchen sink), just tell them to shift some stuff, you're entitled to 1/6 th of the total storage space. And no, the berths are not in a cabin, only separate cabins are in AC1 I think. Keep valuable stuff and your passport under your head or on your body at night.

For the hotels: avoid shared rooms and dormitories. Buy a sturdy padlock, most budget places use this to lock the door but it's unwise to use the one provided by the hotel. They won't clean your room if you lock them out but who cares. I've never had anything stolen from a hotel room in India doing this.

Nick-H · Oct 20th, 2009, 14:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by CFPhotoGrafie

how on earth do I know whether I've got a regular berth or a side berth?

Your ticket may already tell you! Then you can see the berth numbers on Steven's chart.

If there is no carriage/berth on your ticket, check regularly on the irctc site, and, at some time before your train leaves, the allocation will be made, and that information will appear.

Don't worry if it doesn't, so long as you have confirmed berths, even if you don't find out your berth until you look at the chart on the station, it will be there --- but it is much more comfortable to know from the site, and not to have to get in the rush of people looking at the chart.

CFPhotoGrafie · Oct 20th, 2009, 22:35

my friend in Mumbai booked all my trains for me and never asked if I had a preference
:-(

I have copies of the tickets in email but have no idea how to read seat info...
will study them AND Steven's charts further today

thanks for the advice I am as careful as anyone can be so we'll just pray everything is ok

Nick-H · Oct 21st, 2009, 00:21

Trains... an IndiaMike speciality! You can find everything you need to know here

It is not one of mine, and it is more than a year since I have been on an Indian train.

First thing to notice is that the coach numbers look very much like classes, so you might have an A-2-class reservation, and find it says something like A331. A3 is the coach (not the class, don't panic) and 31 the seat/berth number.

I don't mind side berths, by the way, although they are narrower.

Oct 20th, 2009, 03:12	#1
CFPhotoGrafie Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: nomadic Posts: 110	luggage safety concerns I am traveling by train in India for 5 months starting NEXT WEEK!~ I plan to take my laptop and my camera in one bag, a duffel bag of clothes and toiletries, and one extra bag for purchases made while traveling I have heard some reports that it is unsafe to leave bags even in single guesthouse rooms...is this true? Meaning, must I carry everything with me daily when I am exploring the area? Who else will have access to my room when I'm out? Also how safe will my bags be on the train? should I keep them in close contact at all times? (neither has a lock I'm afraid)

Oct 20th, 2009, 05:52	#10
Mike Cork Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Wales UK Posts: 395	You could invest in a Pacsafe Secure Rucksack Protector or other Pacsafe products. http://www.indiamike.com/india/attac...rance-pac2.jpg http://www.indiamike.com/india/attac...rance-pac1.jpg __________________ Only you can make it a good day...

Oct 20th, 2009, 11:39	#12
dillichaat Professional cynic Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: जोर बाग़,New Delhi Posts: 431	When making a reservation you have to specify your preference. Side berths codes are S/U and S/L (side upper, side lower). They're nice for daytime travel but if you're tall, horrific at night because they're a bit shorter and more narrow than regular berths. Get a pacsafe or buy a good chain and padlock in India. There's loops underneath the lower berth where you can attach luggage, you should use these. If everything underneath is already packed when you arrive (people travel with everything and the kitchen sink), just tell them to shift some stuff, you're entitled to 1/6 th of the total storage space. And no, the berths are not in a cabin, only separate cabins are in AC1 I think. Keep valuable stuff and your passport under your head or on your body at night. For the hotels: avoid shared rooms and dormitories. Buy a sturdy padlock, most budget places use this to lock the door but it's unwise to use the one provided by the hotel. They won't clean your room if you lock them out but who cares. I've never had anything stolen from a hotel room in India doing this. __________________ When the wise man points out the black hole, the fool looks at the finger.

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Oct 20th, 2009, 03:23	#2
gaurav1441 Maha Guru Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 729	Well it depends. You should be careful at all times wherever you keep your luggage. To carry or not depends upon the guest houses where you stay if you perceive it to be safe and dependable you can leave it.

Oct 20th, 2009, 03:33	#3
CFPhotoGrafie Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: nomadic Posts: 110	I am always conscientious and careful when I travel, but my American idea of "safe" may not be the same as "safe" when traveling in a non-Western country so I am trying to get more specific details from those with personal experience traveling India the places I've booked as guesthouses are recommended and rated on hostelworld but that is no guarantee... anyone else?

Oct 20th, 2009, 03:42	#4
RPG Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Timbuktu Posts: 382	Grungy backpacker hotels are risky, but normal personal property (e.g. used clothing) can be left in a locked room in any respectable hotel. On the other hand, leaving a laptop or camera (or cash) in the room is asking for trouble. I have left laptops in hotel rooms, but with a complex arrangement...I use a laptop security cable to attach it to something immoveable inside a closet (like the rod that clotheshangers hang on), then I insert the laptop into a zip-up suitcase and lock the suitcase, leaving the cable coming out of the suitcase near the lock. (I hope that makes sense.) Still I know it is a risk. Luggage does sometimes get stolen from trains. If you are sleeping on one of the berths along the corridor in a sleeper compartment, your underseat luggage is at particular risk. You should sleep with the laptop, camera and money under your pillow or between your body and the wall. Other luggage should be chained to a post under the seat. In most cases this is not really necessary, but it only takes one incident.

Oct 20th, 2009, 03:50	#5
CFPhotoGrafie Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: nomadic Posts: 110	thx RPG so I should carry the laptop bag with me everywhere as for trains I am mostly booked in 3A so I should just keep all that in the berth with me on overnights... anything else?

Oct 20th, 2009, 04:00	#6
RPG Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Timbuktu Posts: 382	Well, railway sleeper berths are quite narrow. You may not find it practical to keep all your stuff with you. Of course this depends on how much you have, and how tall/wide you are. I suggest some form of luggage that can be chained, and a lightweight chain, so that your stuff can be kept under the seat. Few thieves in India are professionals who can pick locks or cut chains; most of it is opportunistic, grab-and-run. They can certainly also grab stuff from your berth while you are sleeping. The berths that are not along the corridor, but in 'cabins' perpendicular to the corridor, are much safer. If you have an 'outside' berth, ask the other passengers if you can store your luggage under one of the 'inside' berths and far from the corridor (close to the window). They will understand and will probably be helpful, and no, they won't steal your luggage themselves. This should not give you the impression that theft is widespread, but a foreigner is a more likely target because you probably have better stuff.

Oct 20th, 2009, 04:34	#8
CFPhotoGrafie Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: nomadic Posts: 110	aren't all 3A berths in a cabin? no one ever told me they might not be, it was sold to me as 3 bunks above one another on overnights... thanks for your info RPG NickH well unless I leave my laptop in the States (not really an option), it has to go on the train w/me thankfully its carrier bag is cushioned so theoretically I could use it as my pillow if it's necessary

Oct 20th, 2009, 05:05	#9
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,180	The side berths are... on the side. Best see the train threads for details and carriage layouts: see Steven_Ber's posts; he has detailed just about everything that can be Edit: I had a bookmark -->link.

Oct 20th, 2009, 22:35	#14
CFPhotoGrafie Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: nomadic Posts: 110	my friend in Mumbai booked all my trains for me and never asked if I had a preference :-( I have copies of the tickets in email but have no idea how to read seat info... will study them AND Steven's charts further today thanks for the advice I am as careful as anyone can be so we'll just pray everything is ok

Oct 21st, 2009, 00:21	#15
Nick-H This is just a cameo appearance Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 36,180	Trains... an IndiaMike speciality! You can find everything you need to know here It is not one of mine, and it is more than a year since I have been on an Indian train. First thing to notice is that the coach numbers look very much like classes, so you might have an A-2-class reservation, and find it says something like A331. A3 is the coach (not the class, don't panic) and 31 the seat/berth number. I don't mind side berths, by the way, although they are narrower.