|
1 July 2002
Travel products
best left at home
Many travel security products do little more than make your wallet lighter
and your luggage heavier
By Terry Riley
In my training
clinics and book, I recommend seven items—and only seven items—to pack for personal protection
while on the road. Of those seven, I carry along the following five
items every time I travel.
 A
flashlight
to deny criminals the cover of darkness and to help in an emergency
evacuation
A
smoke detector
to sound in case of a fire
Duct tape
to seal a hotel room against smoke intrusion
A
portable
door stop to jam a hotel door shut
A
cellular telephone
to reach help
These articles are easy to carry, simple to use, and for the most part
inexpensive.
On the other hand, there are a whole slew of items of marginal utility on the market
advertised as being necessary for safe travel. At best,
most of these will do little more than make your wallet lighter and your
luggage heavier. In the name of
"travel security" (and of course "profit") manufacturers have come up with
some doozies,
ranging from wallets that beep when removed from a pocket to briefcases
that deliver powerful electric shocks when handled by the unwary. From
these, I've listed here the bottom five travel security product
categories.
Weapons
This includes knives, tasers, stun guns, pepper spray, Mace®, and of course
handguns. A non-injurious deterrent can get you noticed, a weapon can get
you dead.
Personal
audio devices
Otherwise known as Walkmans® (Walkmen?), these gizmos can block out all
but the loudest noises around you. Awareness of your surroundings and Aerosmith
at 120 decibels are not compatible.
Fancy
electronic burglar alarms
Instead of spending up to $100 and having to schlep around some
battery-powered doohickey, make your own alarm on the spot by stacking
trashcans, water glasses, or whatever in front of your hotel room door.
Reinforced
steel-cable carrying cases
These extra-tough bags can prevent criminals from cutting through them to
separate you from your belongings. The problem is that they may still race off with
your goodies while you're still attached.
Fake
book- and can-safes
Hotel burglars often have all the time in the world to rummage through the
items you leave in your room. And they know all the hiding places
including the
fake book and phony can.
Like your expensive watch, items in these categories are best left at home while traveling.
---
Did I miss something? What do you carry for personal protection when
you travel? Let me know.
© 2002 Applied Psychology
Related Err Travel columns:
Combo deals - Products that travelers can
really use
... and from Travel Fox:
Ronco to purchase
US Airways - Passengers receive Rocket Fisherman after six flights
|
|
