Saturday, November 7, 2009

Women's Self Defense If Traveling Alone

By Marion Wilkinson

Traveling alone makes people vulnerable and open for danger. There are many things that you can do for personal protection to ensure your safety.

Always plan your trip in advance if traveling by yourself. In short, know where you are going. Have it all mapped out and know the safest route to your destination. If you arrive at an airport and pick up a rental car try to make sure you get one with a GPS system. This will help you avoid having to pull over in unfamiliar territory and ask a stranger for directions to where you are going. Also, check to make sure your final destination point is in a safe part of town. You don't want to pull up to your hotel late at night only to find out that it is in one of the seediest parts of the town.

We are all pinching pennies these days but when it comes to picking which hotel you are going to stay at the price should not be your main concern. Your safety should be. In the "budget" motels or hotels many times the door to your room is right on the street. It is much safer to have your hotel door inside a building. Most safer hotels have better security. They usually have at least security cameras and sometimes even have security guards patrolling the grounds. Another safety feature you can take advantage of is a hotel's parking valet service. This helps you to avoid having to walk across a dark parking lot at night. If you can find a hotel close to where your meetings are, so much the better. Less time spent traveling in an unfamiliar area the better.

Something to consider if you are traveling internationally to a foreign speaking country is to try to learn a little of their language. If you find your self in need of assistance your chances will improve of getting help if they can understand what you are saying. Take some time before your trip and brush up on the local language of your destination.

One other step you should take before traveling abroad is to find out the location of the United States Embassy. If you find yourself a victim of a crime in the country you are traveling the Embassy will be a valuable resource for you. They can help protect you and make sure you are able to get home safely if need be.

Depending on the foreign country you are traveling to consider carrying self defense products with you. A small canister of pepper spray or a stun gun could be helpful to you. A word of caution though, make sure that the self defense product you are carrying is legal in the country you are going to. Do what ever you can to ensure your safety.

When going overseas you have to consider a lot of things tp make sure your trip is as safe as possible. Know for sure where the United States Embassy is and know how to get to it. Choose as safe a hotel as possible. Always try to use a car that has a GPS system installed and it will really help if you pick up some important phrases in the local language. Bon voyage!

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