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(c) Elliott Publishing.

Consider the Source
Err Travel · June 22, 1999

Tourism Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations recently announced that, despite its problems with social unrest, Southeast Asia is still a safe place for the traveler.

Like they would say otherwise.

These country representatives are correct in addressing the issue that concerns many travelers to Southeast Asia nowadays. But as if to underscore the absurdity of objectivity of these government officials, a Chinese-American businessman was kidnapped in the Chinese city of Hangzhou soon after this pronouncement was made. He was later rescued.

If you can't trust those who have a vested interest in bringing travel and tourism revenue into their regions -- and you can't -- who can you trust?

For starters, I'd suggest the U.S. government. That's what I did recently when planning a trip to Malaysia. I sent a message to James Ferguson, the Regional Security Officer (RSO) assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

In my message to him, I included information about me (e.g., my passport number and an emergency contact telephone number) and my itinerary (e.g., when I was arriving, where I planned to stay, what I would be doing while in-country and when I would be departing).

I also remarked that I would be contacting him again within a few weeks to get his advice on what to watch out for while traveling in Malaysia.

Had I not had similar experiences with RSOs in the past, I might have been blown away when Ferguson called me at home that very evening.

Ferguson only reinforced the opinion of RSOs that I have developed after dealing with others in the past. These people are anything but unresponsive, slow-moving, government bureaucrats. Just the opposite. They are responsive, very well informed professionals.

How well informed? Well, not only did Ferguson give me tips on shuttling between the airport, my hotels, and my appointments, he identified specific dangers.

For instance, he warned me of a prevalent street crime being practiced in Kuala Lumpur. Kids on motorbikes zip up onto sidewalks, snatch handbags from inattentive women, and tear away.

Not that I needed conformation that he knew what's happening on the streets, but later when I was in Malaysia's capital, I got it anyway. No fewer than three of the women attending our small conference had to spend the better part of a day at their respective embassies after losing their handbags in just the manner that Ferguson described.

This guy, like every RSO, knows his stuff. Regional Security Officers are resident in every American Embassy and, in larger cities, in consular offices as well. You can find the names and e-mail addresses of the RSOs through the listing of worldwide Embassies and Consulates.

If you want to get up-to-date travel security information from people who know what's what, RSOs should be tops on your list.

They are on mine.

Dr. Terry Riley is a psychologist and travel security authority. Visit his site at http://www.appliedpsychology.com or e-mail him at riley@appliedpsychology.com.