Today I ask the questions, is the world a dangerous place?
After traveling the world for 13 years to 65 countries I have learned that the world is a safe place in general. You just need to use common sense. We seem to have a belief ingrained in us, that our home country is safe but the other countries are dangerous. I have not found that to be the case. But a little fear is okay because it will keep you awake until you feel comfortable in a new place.
It is okay to do a little safety research before going to a new place. You may even learn a few scams to avoid. Here is one such video I made about the scams we encountered in Morocco. But we had heard to keep our wits about us in Morocco. So when they happened, we were ready to deal with it. But it didn’t stop us from going there or ruin the experience.
Here are some general rules I follow all over the world.
No expensive watches
No expensive jewelry
No expensive designer brands
Clothing consistent with the locals
Observe locals and dress about like them
You can dress extravagantly in Monaco
Carry less cash at night and keep large bills in another pocket
Carry no valuables at night
Use cash, leave cards in room
Never walk into an isolated area
When people leave the area you are in, you leave also.
Be aware of who is around you
What is their motivation?
If you sense danger move away from it
If someone follows, move towards safety
No back pockets, sew them shut.
Use Uber or Grab instead of taxi
If you must use taxi, call one instead of flag one
Keep copies of important documents in cloud (passport)
Use trusted VPN for banking
Have accounts at separate banks each with ATM card
Have credit cards from separate banks.
Keep one set of ATM and credit card in one place, keep the other set in another place
Stay relatively sober while out at night (or have designated non-drinker)
Trust your instincts
Avoid public wifi, instead, use your smartphone as a hot spot
Stay on the beaten path until situationally aware
Never give away your passport
Don’t share information about yourself with strangers
You are a poor retired school teacher
Don’t play big man on campus
Tell bank where you are going so they allow you to use your cards
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Please feel free to grab a free copy of my eBook, How I Fired my Boss, and Traveled the World for 13 Years. This is Dan of Vagabond Buddha. Thanks for stopping by. The world is your home, what time will you be home for dinner?