What do you do to avoid dangerous situations or getting robbed/ripped off when traveling? Any stories?
I keep a 2 days worth of cash in a money clip in my front pocket and keep a color copy of my passport and some large bills in a non-homosexual travel belt (picrel). If I have to bribe a cop or get robbed at gunpoint I can empty my pockets and say "that's all I have".
I set daily/monthly limits on my debit card in case it's lost or stolen. I don't use my main checking account and limit how much money I keep the account. I also have email alerts of all transactions so I know if anything fishy happens.
I don't travel with a credit card, but I have the info memorized if I want to do any online shopping.
Fanny pack and having my arms on my hips at all times
With a fanny pack you're painting yourself as a target.
I don't use it. I cut the belt to the right length so the loop on my pants keeps it in place. The buckle on this belt is sucks. When you're not traveling check out the Adventure Belt, it's elastic and has a good buckle. Most comfy belt I've ever worn. It's about $20 on Amazon.
>With a fanny pack you're painting yourself as a target.
no i'm not. They see that my goods are secured and my hands are at my hips ready to slap away any pickpockets
Also I check the currency conversion rate every week or so and do the math in my head to make sure prices are reasonable.
I have that exact belt. ykk. good belt but you're gonna lose the loop pretty quick.
Wear a pair of gym shorts under your pants and keep your wallet there. Show body language that you are alert and wear actual shoes you can run in. Learn enough of the language to ask prices and compare to signs at local markets. Use small bills in public.
>that's all I have!!!!
Repeatedly insisting that what you gave the robber is all you have makes it abundantly clear that it is not all you have.
Best idea to avoid robbery is to be a hard target. Forget being a pussy and not walking at night, or avoiding dangerous areas. It's all about how you react to being sized up.
>bribing police
If you intend to pay a bribe to police, you must perceive it as a business transaction, and chat amiably with the police like you were buying a "service" from them. Extortion is not bribery, know the difference. Stalling and bullshitting is how you make extortionist police give up on demanding money from you, in my experience. Not sitting stuttering and frozen in fear, mind you, but being amiable and telling the cops about the places you have visited, your favorite local foods, and how much you enjoy visiting their country.
>money clip in your front pocket
Rubber bands work just as well. I usually carry 1-2 weeks' worth of cash in a cash-dominant country. Good idea to keep most of your cash in your front pocket, if only to avoid back problems from sitting on an overstuffed wallet.
>limit how much money I keep in the account
I also keep most of my travel funds inaccessible to my debit card, but easily transferred as needed with my bank app.
>carry a photocopy of your passport
Very common travel advice. Also bullshit. NEVER leave your passport unsecured and out of your reach. That's how passports get stolen.
>wallet in your underpants
kinda disgusting to reach inside your pants for your money. besides, do you change them every day? if not, even more disgusting.
>keep your wallet in you front pocket
Nope, that's where my cash wad, bandana, flashlight, multitool, room key, phone and lighter are stored. If dense crowds are passing right behind me, say while I am standing on line at a sidewalk take-out window, I untuck my shirt and pull it tight against my back pockets.
I didn't say repeatedly insisting. What I meant is if I'm outnumbered or at gunpoint I give what's in my wallet/money clip and if they ask for more I say I say I don't have anything else. Not much they can do at that point. Most robbers aren't methed out psychopaths that are going to force a fight to turn over imaginary money.
I misspoke, I did mean a police offer extorting me. Obviously be cordial with the officer, but if he pushes it and your wallet/pockets are empty there's not much he can do. He's not going to strip search you or get vindictive because you gave him the $50 in your pocket and he wanted more.
Also the passport thing depends, in civilized countries like Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Finland, etc. you can safely leave it in your room. Just hide it just in case. In turd world countries yeah, there's a real risk of it getting stolen. I always hang the do not disturb sign on the door when I'm out.
I don't do even half this shit and I've never had a problem. I carry myself like I'm not a beta cuck, keep my eye on things and answer any inquiry/distraction with suspicion. Just keep your wallet in your front pocket, you look like a boomer if you don't anyway, and watch what the more melanated people around you are up to.
Neither have I. Still, doesn't hurt to take some extra precautions. If you lose your debit card what happens when someone uses it? Do you have limits set? Do you allow overdrafts? You can call your bank and have them decline all overdraft charges. Do you have email or SMS alerts for when some Paki starts charging your card or will you be surprised when you see your monthly statement?
What happens when you have to bribe a cop at a checkpoint? Are you going giving everything you have or just what's in your pocket with the rest of your cash hidden?
This happens quite frequently in the US but I've never been liable for any of it thanks to robust consumer protection laws. Gas stations and Vegas and the major problem areas for card cloning. The latter typically isn't on the resorts themselves but ancillary businesses like souvenir stands. Always pay cash there.
As far as the police, if you give them all you got you're absolutely doing it wrong.
as this anon said it's a business transaction. You're awfully sorry for the trouble but you'd like to get on your way, and would like to just pay the fine directly to the officer and no you don't need a recept so he can keep any extra for the trouble. You can have $1000 USD in you but don't part with more than that cop earns in a few hours of regular wages. Unlike US cops btw 3rd world cops aren't shit. You can just say you're not going along with their bullshit and unlike the US they don't bust your teeth in.
Debit cards don't have the same protections as credit cards.
Obviously you give as little as you can unless you have no other options. Keep say $100 in your pocket and another $200 hidden. If the officer is extorting you $20 is usually fine. But if he wants a bribe or you to pay a fine of $200 and you only have $100 in your pocket you can offer $60, say you need some money for food and to get home and he'll likely accept it and leave it at that. If you have the full $300 in your pocket you probably won't get away with only paying $60. He's just a corrupt piece of shit trying to get himself some easy money. He's not going to pat you down and strip search you to see if you're lying and hiding money.
If my debit card information is stolen and used fraudulently, I just call my bank, and they cancel the card and charge back any illegitimate purchases. Do banks in your country not do that?
I did a Eurotrip in winter.
I put coded locks on my backpack and would just have my wallet and phone in my winter jacket pocket that I was able to zip closed. I spent most of the time with my hands in my jacket pockets anyways because it was cold so I was able to hold onto my wallet and phone almost the whole time.
I think the best possible defense is just being aware. You can have all the knick knacks and strategies but all it takes is one moment of absentmindedness and some motherfricker gets your shit. Being aware of your surroundings, knowing pick-pocket and unsafe hotspots, knowing which types of people to watch out for, etc is the best way to not get your shit stolen.
I should also add I got little trackers put into my backpack so if I left it somewhere like the hotel room or on the rack on a train, etc and it got stolen, I could just look at my phone to see where it was.
I literally don't do any of that
I don't drink, don't do drugs, don't party, stay home after 8pm, always maintain awareness of where I'm walking and have an ingrained "shadiness sensor" in my head that rings when it feels I'm getting close to a danger area, prompting me to swiftly turn back.
Observe the locals at all times, if they're relaxed and with their phones out then you know you're good, if they look tense, don't show any valuables or the concentration of unsavory characters increases you keep your head low, don't even take your phone out unless strictly necessary (and even then you enter a store or something and check it there) and just bail.