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Your Safety & Health Tips
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Crime Prevention
Crimes against travelers are crimes of opportunity. To
play it safe, here are some steps to follow:
- Whenever possible, ensure that your
hotel room has a peephole, a deadbolt lock, or a chain-and-slide bolt.
- If you travel with valuables, put them
in the hotel safe.
- Find out what parts of town locals
consider risky and avoid them.
- Keep your car doors locked and suitcases
out of sight.
- If you see an accident, don't stop;
instead, look for a well lit pay phone and call for help.
- Minimize the amount of cash you carry.
Replace cash with Travelers Checks, which, once signed, are refundable
if lost or stolen.
For practical advice on protecting
yourself against crime, write for a free copy of the brochure Travel Safety
from the American Society of Travel Agents (1101 King Street, Alexandria, VA
22313). Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
- Fire Precautions
Fire is often more of a hazard when you're away
from home because of the unfamiliarity of your
surroundings. Here's how to protect yourself:
- Take a minute to study the fire
instructions posted in your room.
- Keep your room key on a bedside table so
you can find it in the dark. In case of fire, take the key with you when
you leave.
- If exit routes are blocked, you may have
to return to your room.
- If smoke is coming into the room, touch
the door, frame, and knob. If they are cool, slowly open the door. Take
a
wet towel to cover your face. Go to the nearest exit according to
the posted instructions. (Never use the elevator when there's a fire .)
If your door is hot, do not open it, but remain in the room. Run water
in the tub, soak towels, and use them to block the crack under the door.
- Travel Health Insurance
Several companies now offer various health plans to
cover emergency medical costs, emergency air-ambulance service, hotel and
incidental expenses for those named in the insurance coverage, and
outpatient treatment.
- Check your insurance policy's overseas
coverage.
- Have all your bills itemized in legible
English and be prepared to pay foreign doctors and hospital bills in
cash. However, many hospitals now accept the American Express Card for
payment. Enrolled American Express Card members can also rely on Express
Cash.
- Submit proof of payment to your company
on your return.
- Your vacation a year to save for a second to ruin
Purchase Travel insurance through Travel Guard Travel insurance
starting at $30
 .
- Travel Advisories
The U.S. State Department
issues periodic Consular Information Sheets about political, health,
economic, and other conditions that may affect travelers. You can obtain
information by calling an automated answering system at the State
Department's Citizens Emergency Center at 202-647-5225.
The International Airline
Passengers Association (214-404-9980) publishes a quarterly newsletter, IAPA
World. The publication calls attention to dangerous travel conditions in the
U.S. and overseas, and offers cautionary advice. You must obtain a
membership in order to receive a subscription to this newsletter. An annual
membership is required.
- Staying Healthy
Here are some general suggestions to help you keep in top
shape while traveling:
- Do some medical research before going
overseas. Find out whether the countries you are visiting require
vaccinations and whether preventive measures or inoculations are
mandatory or advisable.
- U.S. Public Health Service
recommendations, current information on vaccination certificate
requirements, and other data are included in
Health Information for International Travel ($14.00 from the U.S.
Government Printing Office). Call 202-512-180 0.
- You can obtain a list of vaccination
recommendations by calling one of the American Express Card hotlines.
- You can get international traveler's
health information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
hotline by calling 404-639-1610.
- Pack an extra pair of eyeglasses or
contact lenses, and take along a copy of your prescription, written in
metric measurements. Also take contact lens supplies, as they may not be
available overseas.
- Wear a bracelet or other medical
identification if you have diabetes, an allergy to penicillin, or any
other condition that may require emergency care.
- Keep medicines in their original
containers to avoid problems with customs duties. Also, leave the cotton
in drug bottles to prevent pills from breaking.
- The Rockport Company, in association
with the American Society of Travel Agents, has produced a booklet,
Destination: Good Health.
A Guide to Healthy Travel Habits. For a free copy, send a
self-addressed, stamped envelope to ASTA, 1101 King Street, Alexandria,
VA 22314, or call (703) 739-2782.
- Have a dental checkup to lessen the need
for emergency treatment while overseas.
- Consider requesting a special meal when
you make your airline reservation. Major carriers now offer as many as
18 alternative menus, including kosher, Hindu, vegetarian,
high-protein, low-calorie, low-cholesterol, no-salt, and seafood plates.
- Avoid common travelers' ailments
In some countries, it's advisable to:
- Avoid raw vegetables, unpeeled fruit,
meat, seafood, tap water, ice, and unpasteurized milk and dairy
products.
- Drink only commercially bottled and
sealed beverages or water that has been boiled or treated.
- Resist the temptation to buy food from
street vendors.
- If you need a doctor
If you become ill out of town, it can be difficult
to locate a physician quickly. Here's where to turn for help:
- The nearest American embassy or
consulate will have a list of English-speaking doctors.
- You can also become a member of the
nonprofit International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers
(IAMAT, 716-754-4883). Members receive a directory of certified
English-speaking doctors and other health-care providers)
Helpful Health & Travel Advisories
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