While being prepared and knowing about the area you’re visiting is a great way to keep yourself safe while traveling, there’s really nothing that can beat having the street smarts to know how to handle yourself in a potentially dicey situation.
Regardless of where you’re traveling to, there’s always a chance of someone trying to take advantage of you, cause harm to you, or bring you into some sort of accident. But by knowing what you can do to keep yourself out of harm’s way, especially when walking the streets of whatever city you’re visiting, you can avoid a lot of the misfortune or hardships that others might experience.
To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for being street smart while traveling.
Take Care When Walking The Streets
Depending on where it is you’re traveling, walking the streets will likely have a varying degree of safety. While more developed areas will generally have marked sidewalks and crosswalks to help pedestrians travel safely, less developed areas might be lacking in this department, which could result in you getting into a walking accident with a vehicle.
Additionally, pedestrians can often be easy targets if you’re not careful. To combat these hazards, SecurityToday.com recommends that you take certain precautions when walking the streets while you travel. Some of these precautions include things like keeping your distance from both the road and from buildings or shrubs where assailants could be hiding, avoiding dangerous streets at night, and always knowing where you’re going without looking like a tourist.
Separate Your Valuables
When traveling by foot around a city, it’s wise to be carrying the right items with you both for your comfort and safety. However, you’ll want to be careful with how you pack these items on or around your body.
To ensure that you don’t get everything stolen from you all at once in the event of being pickpocketed or mugged, the Huffington Post recommends that you separate your valuables on your person. Try keeping some cash in your purse or wallet, a credit card in your front pocket, and some other money zipped into your jacket.
Know Some Signs Of A Scam
In different parts of the world, people may try to run some type of scam on you as you’re walking the streets. Because tourists are especially vulnerable to this type of thing, it can be helpful to know what signs to lookout for that someone’s trying to scam you.
According to Holly Ashworth, a contributor to LiveAbout.com, many street scams involve having someone come up to you being too friendly or someone approaching you with a sad story about how they need help. If you get stuck in either of these situations, try to just move on as quickly as possible and make sure you keep your belongings close to you.
To help you stay safe when walking the streets in a foreign city, consider using the tips mentioned above to increase your own street smarts.
