Tightrope: Travel tips for the safety-conscious
— -- Hi, Gladys: I own a clothing store and frequently travel to buy for my store. But the older I get, the more security-conscious I become, and I am not completely comfortable when I travel. Still, it is hard if not impossible to do business without traveling. What do you suggest that business travelers, especially women, do to feel more secure and comfortable while on the road? — Kelly H.
Both male and female travelers should to be security-conscious. As a road warrior myself, here are some security tips that I have found helpful.
• Never put your home address and phone number on your luggage tags. Use you business address and phone. If thieves see your home address, they will know there is a possibility your house is empty. Plus, if your luggage is lost, your home is not exposed.
• Even if you are away overnight, arrange for someone to pick up your mail and newspaper.
• In conversation, too, keep personal information to yourself. I usually use a certain airport transportation company, and after 20 years, I rarely get the same driver twice. A ride to the airport takes us about 45 minutes; during that time the driver usually recites personal information about previous passengers. A couple of months ago, for instance, the driver started talking about the stock market and how depressing it was. I agreed that it was not the best of times. He went on to tell me about a passenger he had taken to the airport the day before. The driver told me how much money the guy had borrowed to keep his kids in school and how much money he had lost in the market. The entire conversation was fine until he told me who the person was — and I happen to know the man. So keep your business to yourself.
• Arrive early. Airport security requires a lot of patience and cooperation from the traveler and of course increases the time needed for check-in. As a general rule, plan to arrive two hours ahead of your scheduled departure, but you should check with the airline or a travel agent for more specific instructions. Sometimes your destination, day of departure or time of day can help you avoid long lines. For example, in the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area, Mondays, Fridays and Saturday are extremely heavy travel days due to arrivals or departures of cruise ships.
• Watch your bags and purse or wallet at all times. A very good friend had her bag stolen right off of her shoulder as she was pulling her luggage from the carousel.
• Be extra careful if you work on your laptop while in the airport and on the plane. Working takes your attention away from your surroundings.
• Once you get to where you're going, I believe smaller hotels are better as far safety is concerned. The staff has a smaller clientele to keep track of and can often provide better security and service.
• Use hotel vaults for valuables. You can also put your laptop there when going out for the evening.
• Of course, make certain your door closes securely and the dead bolt works.
• If you are not expecting anyone, don't open your door to strangers. I just heard on the news that Academy Award-winning actor Jamie Foxx opened his hotel room door to a stranger who turned out to be a stalker. Fortunately Jamie was unharmed and eventually the suspect was arrested. The average one of us might not be so lucky.
• When possible, do not accept a room on the first floor that has doors and windows that open to the outside.
Things continue to change in the travel industry. You might want to read up on the subject, or find a good travel agent who keeps up with changing regulations and who will keep you informed.
Gladys Edmunds' Entrepreneurial Tightrope column appears Wednesdays. Click here for an index of her columns. As a single, teen-age mom, Gladys made money doing laundry, cooking dinners for taxi drivers and selling fire extinguishers and Bibles door-to-door. Today, Edmunds is founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh and author of There's No Business Like Your Own Business, a six-step guide to success published by Viking. Her website is www.gladysedmunds.com. You can e-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com.