home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Crime - Notice
- (Travel Advisories)
- June 29, 1992
-
-
- The U.S. Department of State provides the following travel notice for U.S.
- citizens traveling abroad.
-
- When planning your trip abroad, take steps to protect yourself from crime or
- theft. Crimes against travelers are a growing problem worldwide. Tourists
- are particularly targeted by criminals because they are usually carrying
- cash and are often easy to distract. Any traveler can become a victim of
- crimes such as pick-pocketings, robberies, sexual assaults and muggings. To
- keep yourself safe while traveling, follow the same common-sense precautions
- you would exercise at home:
-
- -- Do not take valuable items on your trip. Carry travelers checks and
- major credit cards, not large amounts of cash.
-
- -- Hide your valuables on your person. Wrapping rubber bands around your
- wallet makes it more difficult for a pickpocket to remove. Don't carry
- money or identification in a handbag; all too often, thieves simply take the
- bag, sometimes breaking arms in the process. If possible, don't carry a
- handbag at all.
-
- -- Before leaving, make a copy of the identification page of your passport.
- Take the copy with you on your trip, keeping it separate from the passport
- itself. While traveling, leave your passport and any money you don't expect
- to need that day locked in a hotel safety deposit box. If local law does
- not require you to keep your passport with you, carry only the photocopy of
- your passport when you leave your hotel.
-
- -- Find out which parts of town local inhabitants consider risky. If you
- are out alone at night, stay in well-lit areas; don't use short cuts or
- narrow alleys.
-
- -- Be especially alert in crowds. The most common sites for purse, bag or
- camera snatching are the central train stations, crowded shopping areas and
- places heavily frequented by tourists, such as on public buses, trams and
- subways.
-
- -- Thieves often strike when travelers are distracted. A bag casually left
- at one's feet or on a cart while checking a train schedule or using a
- telephone is an easy target. Money belts or pouches worn on the outside of
- clothing or loosely hung around the neck are easily cut or ripped off.
- Wearing them on the outside highlights where you keep all your valuables.
-
- -- Travel with several passport size photos. It can be hard to get
- replacement photos on short notice if your passport is lost or stolen. Keep
- a record of your passport number, and the date and place of issuance
- separate from the passport itself.
-
- -- If driving, keep your car doors locked and suitcases out of sight.
-
- -- Don't leave valuables in parked cars. Thieves particularly target rental
- cars and cars with out of town or foreign license plates.
-
- If you should fall victim to crime, remember that the U.S. Embassy is there
- to help you. Every embassy and consulate has a duty officer on-call around
- the clock to assist in an emergency. If you need emergency medical care,
- the duty officer will try to help you get in touch with a doctor or clinic.
- If you lose your passport, report the loss to the local police and go to the
- nearest U.S. embassy or consulate on the next business day to apply for a
- new one. If you have a police report, photos and proof of identification
- (or are accompanied by someone who can identify you), a new passport can
- often be issued the same day.
-
- The following pamphlets are published by the Department of State to assist
- Americans traveling abroad. Single copies of these publications are
- available for $1.00 each from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
- Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Please send checks or
- money orders.
-
- Your Trip Abroad
- A Safe Trip Abroad
- Travel Tips for Older Americans
- Tips for Americans Residing Abroad
-
- Tips for Travelers to the Caribbean
- Tips for Travelers to Central and South America
- Tips for Travelers to Eastern Europe (under revision)
-
- Tips for Travelers to Mexico
- Tips for Travelers to the Middle East and North Africa
- Tips for Travelers to the People's Republic of China
- Tips for Travelers to South Asia
- Tips for Travelers to Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tips for Travelers to the USSR (under revision)
-
- No. 92-136
-
- This travel advisory replaces the travel advisory dated May 22, 1991 with
- minor changes.
-
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-