A vacation to the US of A is a fantastic way to relax and unwind from the stresses of the real world. In a nation as culturally diverse as the US, you’ll find no end of amazing activities to get involved with; meaning you’ll never struggle to find something to occupy your time.
However, that doesn’t mean you should completely take your eye off the prize. Hidden dangers still lurk out there. Here are four tips for keeping safe when travelling around the US.
- Avoid Ticket Scalpers
These unsavoury sorts are on the prowl, trying to fob off fake tickets sometimes to events which don’t even exist. This issue has evolved to such an extent online Barack Obama would have to pass a legal sanction to ban large-scale ticket scalping on the web shortly before his term in office came to an end.
The best way to avoid falling into this trap is to always buy your tickets from official vendors. Even if that means you end up paying a few quid more than you might do on the street, it’s definitely worth it for the peace of mind of knowing you’re guaranteed not to have been scammed.
- Don’t leave your drink unattended
If you’re out in a bar or club and drinking alcoholic beverages, make sure nobody in your group leaves their drink lying about unattended. Doing this will gift an opportunistic predator the chance to spike it with a narcotic.
Preventing this is as simple as not allowing your drink to leave your sight at any time. Keep your hand over the top of the glass if you’re seriously concerned someone might be trying to target you or just stop drinking altogether.
- Motor Vehicle Safety
If you choose to hire a rental car for your stay, it’s critical you ensure you keep it as safe as possible. There’s a high likelihood you’ll be keeping important or valuable items in the vehicle, so experiencing a theft could potentially be a nightmare.
There are more than one million stolen cars reported in the US every year. Make sure you don’t add to this number. You can do this by always parking in a safe (officially regulated) lot and hiding any pricey items from sight such as in the glove compartment.
- Dealing with pickpockets
While some people associate this time of crime with a Dickensian image of Victorian England, the reality is pickpockets still very much exist (and thrive) in the modern era.
The best way to avoid becoming a target of one of these thieves is to keep everything tightly secured in your front pockets preferably zipped up or in a bag. Placing any items in your back pockets makes you stick out like a sore thumb to these crafty thieves.
Don’t be afraid of what the US has to offer but also don’t head there naively thinking there’s no danger. Follow the advice we’ve laid out here and you’ll be fine when you next take a trip to the States.
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