Safety, terrorism and travel

"But don't you worry about staying safe when you travel?"

"I'd love to travel, but I don't have anyone to travel with. It wouldn't be safe."

" 'X' just happened. Weren't you just there? That could have been you!"

These comments are frequent, and they share a root cause: fear. The violence of the American culture hard-wires us to be fearful, and we assume that going someplace else will be the same. It's all we've ever known.

It doesn't need to be that way.

I like Rick Steves' perspective on travel and terrorism. Yes, bad things may happen. They happen everywhere, including right here at home. The chances of bad things happening while you travel is smaller than small; it's a tiny, tiny fraction of a single percent. With very few exceptions, you're in greater danger at home - danger of being assaulted, raped or shot - than you are while you're traveling. And even at home, it's far more likely that that awful thing won't happen to you.

It does make sense to be, well, sensible. That's true regardless of where you are, and you'll add a layer of security to your travels by:

• registering your trip with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program through the U.S. Consulate, so you're notified if demonstrations or other "incidents" could affect where you go on a particular day and time

• avoiding dark alleys at night, just as you would at home

• keeping your wallet and your phone securely stored, not in a back pocket

• keeping your purse or messenger bag closed

• blending in with the locals at least a little, as this MuchoHop video explains

• staying in touch with someone back home; when my daughters travel, they usually text me once a day, even if it's just to say, "Am alive. Am having fun. Talk 2 u tomorrow."

The worst crime you can expect while traveling is pickpocketing, and I'm not minimizing that; it is annoying. But the pickpockets are easy to thwart. Just keep your wallet and your phone securely stored; keep your purse or messenger bag closed; and blend in with the locals somewhat.

How do I know? My husband's wallet was stolen in Rome.

Even he laughingly admits that it would be surprising if his wallet hadn't been stolen, because he broke every rule (ahem, against his wife's counsel). He wore his new jacket that said ROMA, which may as well have read AMERICAN TOURIST STEAL FROM ME NOW. He traveled during Rome's rush hour through its busiest station, Termini, which is notorious for pickpockets. He left his wallet in the outside back pocket of his jeans. And he didn't pay attention.

Despite all this, our bank accounts weren't touched; the pickpocket wanted only his cash. If we'd realized sooner that it was missing, we might have found his wallet and all his cards in one of the trash bins around the terminal, but it was the next morning before we missed it. Right away we reported his debit/credit cards and his driver's license as stolen. Calling our bank was easier than we expected, and other than the hassle of replacing the cards, it didn't affect the rest of our travels. The amount of money the pickpocket got? Ten Euros or less. What we learned was far more valuable.

It's worth noting that my wallet was not stolen, even though I was with him the whole time.

More serious crimes are far less likely while traveling than they are at home. Twice in the U.S. I've been assaulted by strangers. That's never happened while traveling. I've never felt unsafe. I've never been followed.

I have, however, met wonderful people while traveling. Train employees in Coventry, England gently explained that although they use military time in writing, they speak in 12-hour-clock language. Viennese waiters let me know that the amount I tipped was too high. Florentine hotel managers coached me on speaking "authentic" Italian without that telltale American accent. Tube conductors in London put out announcements in all the stations to reunite me with my husband when we were unexpectedly separated.

Human kindness is everywhere, and you'll find it if you shed some of that fear that has become a part of you. It's not fun and it doesn't look good on you.