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Your Safety and 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.
- 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 $79.
- 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 Stree t,
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 and Travel Advisories
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