continued from p. 1
The Swarming Children
Suddenly-- outside a tourist attraction-- you're surrounded by a band of kids, holding a piece of cardboard. What the heck is this? A distraction, is what. The kids shout, or beg for candy-- so that you don't feel little hands swipe your valuables.
Again, Scam Watchhas advice: if you see a swarm of kids, head for other people; or walk into the nearest store. Trying to take the kids's picture might scare them off.
If you do get swarmed, hold your wallet tight. Some tourists carry a fake second wallet, to throw at thieves.
Can I be your friend?
Striking up conversations with "the locals" is one of the true pleasures of travel to foreign lands.
Beware, however, of over-friendliness: watch out for "touts", those friendly young men who hover at the spots where tourists arrive, who offer to get you a free taxi ride to your hotel, or who know a great shop to buy jewelry... You can easily get find yourself under heavy pressure to make a purchase which will include a commission for the friendly tout.
Taxi Scams
There are probably a hundred and one ways to get cheated in a taxi in a foreign country.
Most basic point: always make sure that the taxi will use the meter-- and that the meter is set to zero when you get in. It's also nice to have some idea of your route, so you don't get taken an extra 20 miles out of the way.
But don't be too upset if you pay too much for a taxi, or a trinket, your day of arrival. View the first day as the learning day.
Insurance
Very important: check your insurance, before you go. After my camcorder was stolen, I had to pay $500CDN "deductible" when the insurance company replaced it. For a mere $14 a year, I could have had the insurance company "schedule" the camcorder as a separate item-- with zero dollars deductible.
Nowadays I separately schedule my digital camera and my laptop: if they're stolen, at least I won't pay a big "deductible".
Of course, no insurance could get back the memories lost on the cassette that got stolen in my camcorder. As a precaution-- whatever technology you're using to store family memories-- either backup your images, if possible, or buy two image storage devices and alternate every couple of days.
Also, if you're traveling with a laptop, a theft might not be covered if the computer is being used for business purposes during the trip; business use sometimes requires much costlier coverage.
Bottom line
Whether you're only venturing to Europe, to Indonesia, or only as far as a two-day car ride: it's always good to be aware of scams and take precautions. But don't forget to relax and enjoy the trip.
