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28 July 1999
Rent-a-victim
Car rental counter is a dangerous place
By Terry Riley
The World's Most Dangerous Places
describes locations that would make even the most adventurous traveler take cover. In this
soldier-of-fortune travelogue, Robert Young Pelton recounts the "adventure" of
visiting dangerous countries from Afghanistan to Zaire.
A place that Mr. Pelton doesn't mention though is the one location that is the most
dangerous for the everyday traveler like you and me: The airport rent-a-car
counter.
It is here that travelers fall all over themselves to offer up information that bad
guys use when sizing up potential targets.
Here's an example of how it works. An unassuming traveler shows up at the Avis counter at the San
Francisco airport. The conversation—at least the part
of the conversation that can be overheard—goes something
like this:
Hi. My name is Pat O'Shea. I have a car reserved for two weeks. I was
supposed to pick it up earlier this evening, but my flight from Boston was
delayed for hours. I hope you held a car for me. It may be under my name or
the company's—Allister Corporation.
You did? Great. The white GrandAm will be fine. No, I'll be the only driver. This is my
first time in 'Frisco, so can you tell me how to get to the Hilton Hotel downtown? I'm
exhausted. All I want is to get to the hotel and crash.
These few sentences are rich with the kind of information that would-be robbers love
to hear, the kind of information that places Pat O'Shea high on a list of potential
victims.
Look at all the details of his vulnerability that have been presented to anyone
listening. Pat has revealed his first and last names and the name of his employer—anyone using them when approaching him can cause him to let down
his guard. Pat is tired, alone, maybe a little confused. This is his first time in
"Frisco" (no kidding there), and he plans to be around for a couple of weeks.
Anybody in earshot knows what he will be driving, where he is going, and where he plans to
stay—one of the seedier parts of the city, by the way.
Now if Pat looks like he's carrying items of significant value—successful criminals
are good at determining that—then Pat becomes a
"mark." And Pat himself has had a major role in achieving that standing. Whether
he completes his trip safely is unknown. Chances are that he will. But those chances have
more to do with luck than with his own behavior.
Take a lesson from this allegory. The next time you rent a car, offer as little
information as possible. Keep your answers brief and your questions general.
You may be in one of the most dangerous places of your travels: The rent-a-car
counter.
© 1999 Applied Psychology
Related Err Travel columns:
Run like hell - Leave junior in the car
and go
Can your company hear me now? - Cell
phone danger
... and from Travel Fox:
Hotel group to
rate service stations - Flushing out fragrant violations of restroom
standards
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