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You've Been Through a Lot
Err Travel · May 1, 2002

You have been bumped off of flights, searched for contraband, and shuffled between hotels.

You have faced rude clerks, forced to pay bribes, and made to sit with drunk, smelly, obese, snoring seatmates. You have had your clothes ruined by spilled drinks, had to borrow underwear from your grandmother (blaugh!), and been confined to your hotel room for days with tourista.

You have had your luggage beat up, punctured, lost, and stolen. You have missed connections, camped for hours - sometimes days! - in airports, and been short-changed.

You have been inconvenienced, ignored, and insulted.

But some of you have been through much more. Like having a bird wipe out an engine on your plane, or discovering a man - an uninvited man, I assume - in the bed of your hotel room, or being held hostage by rental car company employees, or being robbed at gunpoint, or being attacked by an unruly passenger, or even being hit by a rogue wave at sea.

Jeez, you are a tough bunch!

But most importantly you have learned from your misadventures. And because that’s what this site is all about, it seems fitting that I share with the rest of us the lessons you have learned.

Though most of these lessons are cataloged in my book, it keeps our travel wits sharp by hearing from travelers like you rather than from “experts” like me. Here's a sample of those lessons:

Air Travel


• Make sure you get a seat assignment when you make reservations. (You’re less likely to be bumped off an oversold flight.)
  
  
• Avoid traveling on the last flight of the day - especially during high travel times and on cheap tickets. (There is an increased chance of being bumped.)
  
  
• The more engines on an airplane, the better. (My thinking too.)
  
  
• Keep a tight reign on your money. (Use a money belt or neck pouch.)
  
  
• Pack light, and never have more suitcases than you can carry. (While in transit, keep your possessions with you to prevent them from "growing legs.")
  
  
• If you check luggage for a flight, witness the counter clerk putting a (correct) destination tag on your luggage. And carry some toiletries and a set of clean underwear in your hand luggage. (There’s a real possibility that you and your luggage will not be reunited at your destination.)
  
  
• Don't trust airline crews to handle violent passengers. (The training that crews receive in these matters is not standardized - or even required.)
  
  
• Carry earplugs. (To defend against chatty passengers on overnight flights.)
  
  Rental Cars
  
  
• Lock your rental car’s doors before you leave the airport. (Thugs are everywhere.)
  
  
• Remove the key fob with the rental car company’s logo. (It makes it a little more difficult for a key thief to match your key with your car.)
  
  Hotels
  
  
• Check reservations twice to make sure your stay is confirmed, guaranteed, and where you want to be. (Unless you don't mind staying in an "annex property" miles from the main hotel.)
  
  
• Carry an extra credit card. (In case one is denied.)
  
  
• Have a hotel person walk you to your room. (There is safety in numbers.)
  
  
• Before entering your hotel room, knock on the door. (A room that has accidentally been assigned to more than one person could lead to embarrassment - or worse.)
  
  
• Use all the safety locks provided on your hotel room door. (And additional securing devices, too.)
  
  
• Around the pool or at the beach, carry your hotel room and/or car keys into the water with you. (Better your keys get soaked than you.)
  
  
• Sleep with your shoes next to the bed. (Unless fire-walking is a hobby.)
  
  
• Before departing, double-check your hotel room to see if you've left anything. (A toothbrush is one thing, but you'll have some real explaining to do if you forget your spouse.)

Dr. Terry Riley is a psychologist and travel security authority. He is author of the popular book Travel Can Be Murder. Visit his site at http://www.appliedpsychology.com or e-mail him at terry@ticked.com.