PROTECTING YOURSELF Have a safe trip

1Think Like A Thief. Thieves want only items with resale value. Laptops, handheld computers, cell phones, watches, jewelry, furs and of course, cash and credit cards.
2Be On Your Guard. Thieves often work in pairs, with one distracting you while the other steals the goods. Popular distractions: spilling a drink on you, brushing mustard or ketchup on your arm (using those small packets from fast-food places), bumping into you, asking for help, falling down or dropping coins on the floor where you're standing.
3Clean Out Your Wallet. Before you leave home, take out extra credit cards and debit cards you don't need. If you are robbed while traveling, you'll minimize your losses.
4Make Copies of Documents. These include your passport, tickets, itinerary and contacts. Carry one copy with you -- separate from the originals -- and leave one copy with someone at home or at your office.
5Carry A Variety of Money. Take traveler's checks, cash, one credit and one debit card. If they are stolen, you'll have a backup.
6Distribute Your Money. Put some of your cash in your wallet, some in a money belt, some in a briefcase or backpack and the rest (if there's any left) in the hotel safe.
7Use A Two-Way Radio. It enables you to stay in touch for up to two miles away when hiking or skiing. Pick a model that resists damage from water, shock or vibration.
8Carry more than one ID. To effectively deal with increased post 9/11 restrictions, travel with your driver's license, passport, (even if going domestically), a copy of your birth certificate, and your Social Security card. For children: Carry a picture showing you holding one of your ID's while standing or sitting next to your children.
9Don't Use A Slim Jim for Opening Car Doors. Although they are terrific for unlocking vehicles from the outside in an emergency, they can disturb the sensor and wiring on the side airbags.
10Put Your Business Card In Your Coat Pocket. Then if you leave your coat somewhere or if someone accidentally takes yours, you may get it back.
11Travel With Your Doctor's Names. Make a list and include telephone and fax numbers as well as hospital affiliations. Don't forget to list any specialists you have seen.
12Travel With Your Medicine Bottles. Having the original prescription bottles makes two things easier: getting refills and getting through customs.
13Take A Second Look at Deeply Discounted Tours and Cruises. If it's too good to be true, it probably is. Make certain the tour operator or cruise line has been in business a number of years or is a member of a reputable trade organization such as: Cruise Lines International Association: (212) 921-006 & amp; www.cruising.org; US Tour Association: (800) GO-USTOA & amp; www.ustoa.com; National Tour Association: (800) 682-8886 & amp; www.ntaonline.com. Or use a reliable travel agent. Members of TravelSmart may use our agent, Jim Maggio of Hastings Travel at (800) 449-0061. To locate a travel agent in your area, contact American Society of Travel Agents at (800) 275-2782 & amp; www. asanet.com.
14Protect your money. If your wallet is stolen, cancel all credit cards immediately and call the three national credit reporting companies to have them place a "fraud alert" on your credit file. If you don't, thieves may apply for a new credit card in your name. The companies are: Equifax at (800) 525-6285 & amp; www.equifax. com; Experian at (888) 397-3742 & amp; www. experian. com; Trans Union at (800) 680-7289 & amp; www.transunion.com.
15Travel With Two Cards. If you use one card when checking into a hotel or renting a car, you may not be able to use it to charge at restaurants, shops, etc. Car rental firms and hotels control a portion of your credit line in anticipation of your total bill.
16Get Updates On Troubled Cities and Countries. Sign up with iJet Travel Intelligence Company. It monitors 5,000+ sources 24/7, delivering alerts directly to travelers. Topics covered: A country's entry/exit conditions, legal issues, transportation problems, terrorism, etc. Call (887) 606-4538 & amp; www.ijet.com.
17Beware Of Connecting Doors. If your hotel room has a door leading to an adjoining room that you're not using, ask to be moved. Locks on these doors are often flimsy and inadequate, especially in older hotels and motels.
18Compare Drug Costs. If you've been going to Canada or Mexico to buy prescription drugs at lower prices, compare mail order prices first before using online site www.Medicines.MD.
19Cut Long Distance Phone Costs While On The Road. (a) Use your cell phone if it's inexpensive. (b) Use a pay phone rather than making in-room calls. (c) Use a prepaid phone card with low rates.
20Get An International Driver's Permit. Although they're not required in most countries, they make it easier to communicate with foreign authorities and to get courteous attention. They are available at AAA offices for $10. Info: www.aaa.com/vacation / idpf. html.
21Wear Fanny Packs Under Clothing. Thieves are adept at cutting wrap-around pouches off your waist as you ride up an airport or train station escalator or on a crowded walkway.
22Rope Small Bags Together. Thieves look for a heavily loaded cart at the airport or train station. They then grab a bag or two while you buy a newspaper, eat at a food stand or hail a cab. Tied-together bags are harder to steal.
23Pack Valuables In the Middle Of Your Bags. Never use the outer zippered compartment. Dishonest airport employees who load and unload bags from planes can easily steal items near the surface.
24Get A Brightly Colored Bag For Your PC. A favorite poly among sophisticated thieves -- while you're at a pay phone, you can lean your laptop, which is in its standard black case, against the wall. A thief quickly replaces your case with a similar looking black bag. Go for color.
25Lock Up Your PC. Protect your laptop by installing a motion-sensitive alarm. Consult with Mobile Planet at (800) MPLANET and www.MobilePlanet.com.
26Check The Parking Sticker. If you're required to use a special parking sticker to put your car in a hotel or motel's private lot, be sure it does not state your name or room number.
27Pay With A Credit Card. If you're holding a ticket when an airline goes on strike and you paid for it with a credit card, notify your bank within 90 days and your money, in most cases, will be refunded.
28Carry Insulin Carefully. Don't put insulin in a glove compartment or car trunk. Extremely low or high temperatures result in insulin deterioration. Use an insulator pack and transfer it to a refrigerator as soon as possible.
29Use Bottled Water In Developing Countries. Even to brush your teeth. Otherwise you'll have nothing to smile about. You can get a parasitic disease, diarrhea or even hepatitis from viruses in water supplies. Use bottled water, boil tap water or purify with an iodine tablet. The same precautions apply to rinsing contact lenses, soaking dentures or taking a small amount of water to wash down a pill.
30Get Medical Care Abroad. Most foreign hospitals and doctors require cash payments. Before leaving home, check with your health insurance provider to see what benefits, if any, apply to medical expenses outside the United States. And get a copy of Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad from the Bureau of Consular Affairs at http://travel.state.gov/yourtrpabroad.html.
31 Find Out About Terrorism. Check with the U.S. Department of State at (202) 647-5225 or www.state.gov to make certain the country you plan to visit is safe.
32Don't Stand Out. In Europe, men wear jackets and women dresses more than they do in the United States. Leisure and jogging suits along with white sneakers identify you as a tourist and potential victim.
33Leave Obviously Expensive Items At Home. That includes clothing, jewelry, furs and leather goods.
34Take A Piece of Hotel Stationery With You. If you have difficulty with the language in a foreign country, show the hotel's writing paper or matches (if they have the address on them) to your taxi driver or a policeman.
35Ask For A Room Change. If the desk clerk announces your room number within earshot of strangers, ask for another room.
36Make Friends Cautiously. If you meet a stranger you like and you want to meet again, don't give out the name of your hotel. Meet elsewhere -- at a caf & eacute;, restaurant, library or historical site.
37Ask The Concierge To Mark Your Map. Have him circle the location of the hotel and places where you are going. And, ask if your destinations are in safe areas and what it costs to get there.
38Don't Unlock the Minibar. Snacks and beverages in hotel rooms average 21/2 times the price than if you bought in a grocery store.
39Skip Room Service. Room service charges run anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent above hotel dining room prices. Instead, buy snacks at a nearby convenience or grocery store or get carry-out at a local restaurant.
40Pick A Clean Ship. The U.S. Public Health Service's Vessel Sanitation Program (800) 323-2132, regularly issue sanitation scores. Call their fax-back number (888) 232-3299 and ask for Document #510051 or go to www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/default.htm.
41Find The Right Doctor. Up to 70 percent of Americans who travel abroad develop some sort of medical problem. Because many doctors cannot answer travel-related requests and don't know what shots to give, consult one who is a travel specialist and a member of The American Society for Tropical Medicine & amp; Hygiene at www.astmh.org. (Click on "Travel Clinic Directory.)
42Just Say No. Be polite, but don't let anyone into your hotel room without first checking out who they are. If you have not ordered room service or housekeeping, call the front desk to make certain the person is a hotel employee.
43Walk Around The Airline Cabin. To prevent what's known as economy class syndrome, request an aisle or bulkhead seat so you can stretch your legs. Then get up every half hour. Life-threatening blood clots may develop in passengers who keep their legs bent and motionless for long periods of time. At greatest risk: People who are overweight, have a history of stroke, embolism, phlebitis or deep-vein thrombosis or have had a severe leg injury. Other risk factors: severe varicose veins and unusually high levels of estrogen (in pregnant women, for example).
44Skip Gum and Carbonated Drinks. Both increase gas in your digestive tract while flying, causing unpleasant stomach troubles. Stick with plain water or juice.
45Wear A Ski Helmet. In an effort to reduce the rapidly mounting number of skiing accidents, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta recommends wearing a helmet at all times, even on novice slopes.
46Ask For A Room On The Third or Fifth Floors. Hotel/motel rooms that open onto a terrace, pool or central garden are easy targets for thieves. Instead insist on one between the third and fifth floors -- that way you'll be able to quickly walk downstairs in case of fire and firemen can quickly reach you.
47Rad Road Safety Travel Reports. Issued by the Association for Safe International Travel at (301) 983-5252, and www.asirt.org, these reports describe driving conditions on 95+ countries. They include information on the country's most dangerous roads, as well as hard-to-obtain contact numbers for emergency roadside assistance.
48Don't Flash Cash. When checking into you hotel, be understated. Showing a roll of bills sends a quick message to thieves.
49Keep Fit. If you have several hours between flights, or are staying overnight at an airport hotel, pump iron, jog or take a swim. Most major airports now have a gym within the terminal and a growing number of airport hotels offer day passes to their fitness centers for nonguests. Tip: Select a hotel that offers free shuttle service.
50Ask About Stairs. Many small inns and bed-and-breakfasts do not have elevators. If you have trouble walking, book a room on the ground floor.
XFor more information, contact TravelSmart at P.O. Box 397, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522; call (800) 327-3633; or visit www.TravelSmartNewsletter.com on the Web.
Source: TravelSmart