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LIFE&FAMILY
124
June15
What’s the
best way for a
woman to safely
catch a taxi
alone?
Get a taxi from the
hotel, where the
porter is not only
likely to hail one
from a reputable
company but will
often record the
number plate. Text
the taxi number to
a friend. Ask the
hotel ahead of time
how long to expect
the journey to take.
Have the hotel
business card (with
its address in the
local language)
with you, and have
t he numbe r o f
someone that you
can call along the
way; especially in
countries where people don’t speak English. If you feel unsafe,
get out of the taxi and get into another one. Always sit in the back!
What about airport pick-ups?
One traveller was collected by an imposter at an airport, did not
check their credentials and was robbed. It’s not enough that a
person has your name written on a placard: check that they know
where you are staying and who made the travel arrangements.
Get their phone number in advance, so you can call them to verify
their identity.
Any suggestions for safety in hotels?
• Stay on women-only floors, if they’re available; these are common
in Japan, and increasing in number elsewhere.
• Stay in international business hotels where access to rooms and
lifts is usually by key-card only.
• If you’re checking-in late at night and feel uncomfortable, ask
someone to walk to the room with you and wait while you check
that the peephole is covered, any inter-connecting door is secured
and the windows are locked. Ask to move to another room if you
have any concerns.
• At check-in, ask the receptionist to write down your room number
rather than saying it out loud. If they announce your room number
in a loud voice and there are people around, ask for another room.
Any final tip?
Frequent business travellers in particular, should guard against a
false sense of security in places they know well. Though bad things
happen to both men and women, women can be viewed as softer
targets, and the impact of crime on them can be horribly worse.
TIPS FOR
AVOIDING
TRAVEL HORROR STORIES
Be careful with alcohol
A woman visiting London on a business
trip had a few drinks with colleagues
after work and left the pub on her own.
A guy ran by and tried to grab her bag.
She fought back, but he persisted and
took the bag. She hurt her shoulder
badly and still ended up with no money
and no phone.
Advice:
Avoid drinking in a place you
don’t know, and ask friends to wait with
you until you get a taxi. Fighting back is
not
recommended.
Double-lock the hotel door
An Australian woman visiting Kuala
Lumpur on business neglected to
double-lock her hotel door. A male
member of the hotel staff came in with
a key card and sexually assaulted her.
Advice:
Double-lock the door if possible,
and travel with a rubber doorstop to
wedge a door shut from the inside, so
even if someone does get in, you may
have time to call reception for help first.
Keep room numbers private
A flight crew chatted in the lobby of their
Milan hotel after check-in, swapping
room numbers and making dinner
arrangements. A bystander overhead the
conversation and went to one woman’s
room, pretending to be a crew member
with a message. The woman opened
the door because his words sounded
legitimate, and was sexually assaulted.
Advice:
It’s likely we’ve all had innocent
conversations such as this and thought
nothing of it. In a case like this, you
should either ring reception to confirm
that the visitor is legitimate, or ask the
person to slide a message under the
door. Unless you have ordered room
service, you should not open the door.