After spending a few months writing for this blog I am interested to see if anybody actually reads it!
If you are a regular visitor to the site it would be great if you could leave a comment below. That way I know that I’m not just talking to myself!! 
Gary
For the first time on the culture blog we asked you to contribute. And, we weren’t disappointed with the response! Going on vacation can be a great chance to meet some interesting people you would never interact with at home. However, talking to the wrong people can often make you wish you’d stayed at home! We asked visitors to the culture blog to share their personal experiences of holiday scams and the advice they would give to others so they didn’t fall victim to the same fate. Here are the responses:
My biggest blunder happened in Rome several years ago. After arriving late to the city via train (surprise, surprise), my buddy and I checked in to our hotel around midnight. Weary but still adventuresome, we decided to take a stroll to see what a Wednesday night in the eternal city had to offer. Upon approaching a street corner, a seemingly lost looking fellow grabbed our attention and, in slightly accented English, asked if we knew where a certain street was (sorry, I forget its name). Well, we just happened to pass by it while walking, so we pointed him in the right direction. He proceeded by telling us that he was a business man in town for the night and heading to a Piano Bar recommended by his hotel concierge…”Would we like to join him?” he asked. He seemed like a good enough chap, so we joined, chatted while walking, and found the place.
We entered the bar, moved to the back room, and sat. As if on cue, three very scantily clad ladies joined us at our table. A waiter poured them some champagne. They started talking with us, and gradually began losing more of their clothing. Sensing my friend’s scepticism, we nodded at each other and announced our need to return to our hotel. As we got up to leave, a rather large male approached us and handed us a piece of paper that simply stated “Bill” at the top, with “$250 For the Ladies Champagne” written at the bottom. We each had $20 with us, which we reluctantly forked over, and thankfully the guy believed that we had no other access to funds. We skedaddled, realizing in the end that our street corner friend was a scamming recruiter for this little brothel house. Hook, line, and sinker, we fell for it.
My advice – Day or night, unless you know the person who approaches you or are connected to him via a group in some way, do not follow. And if you do, ALWAYS tell him/her that you’re part of a larger group, that the group knows your general whereabouts, and that they are expecting you to return shortly….this was the only leverage that we had when later negotiating with the big guy who looked like a professional torturer.
Ricco Ardemagni, NYC
My husband and I were on our honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico; we rented a car for the trip. We were actually warned of this scam beforehand, but were not properly prepared. When we pulled in to a gas station, 5 or 6 guys ran over to the car and wouldn’t let us pump our own gas despite our protests. One of them stood directly in front of the pump to block the price. They told the amount we owed, and there was nothing we could do about it. They weren’t mean or threatening in any way, but we had no choice but to pay the amount without knowing how much gas was put in and what the actual price should be.
My advice to others would be to use a gas station where you see customers pumping their own gas, or just wave a $5 bill at them and tell them it’s all you have.
Dan and Lauren Milligan, Cozumel, Mexico
My wife and I went to Mexico.
Hurricane ensued.
3 days later after no electricity she freaked and said we need to rent a car. We argued because I’m a white guy in Mexico renting a car. And I didn’t think it was a good idea.
We rent a car.
5 minutes into driving I’m pulled over by cops in a pickup truck.
They ask me to step out of the car and begin to arrest me because I was speeding, swerving and not wearing a seat belt.
I was doing 10mph and swerving to avoid trees and coconuts in the road from the hurricane.
I ask why they were arresting me and they said I had to pay 150.00 fine at the police station. I asked if I could pay 100.00 now, they asked to step off the street and went on the sidewalk to avoid anyone seeing us. I already had 100.00 bill in my hand. They took it and sent me on my way.
We turned around and took the car right back.
Rental car 55.00. Time in rental car 5 minutes. Cost of “excursion” 155.00. Not spending a night in a Mexican jail…Priceless!
My wife was travelling in Spain and stopped at a red light. Someone knocked on her passenger window and kept pointing towards and saying “tire flat tire flat” She got out of the car to look and they opened up the passenger door and took her purse off the seat.
Pickpockets are everywhere. Use a money pouch that hangs from your neck under your shirt or around your belly. The most common forms of theft occur in your hotel room. Leave nothing of value in your room or in its safe. Take it with you. Unfortunately travellers are targets because they look out of place. However, by blending in with the locals style of dress will help. Have a constant awareness 50-100 feet around the perimeter of your body and expect people to try to distract you while they remove your wallet or bag that’s sitting next to you. Hyper awareness while travelling lets you see 10 times more of the environment for both entertainment and security value.
Robert Siciliano, SafteTravelSecurity.com
My husband and I were in a park in the tourist section of Mexico City when a young man in his early 20′s approached us. He was an American, well spoken and nicely dressed. He asked for our help. Said he was a student on vacation that had been pulled from a taxi, beaten, and robbed. All his money had been stolen. He even showed me a large bloody wound on the back of his head. He said that his father had wired him money for his plane ticket but he just needed cab fare, $25, to get to the airport.
Since I had been robbed myself a few years before that while on a business trip in Bangkok, I knew how frightening it can be in a foreign country to be without your passport and stranded, so I ‘loaned’ him $25 and gave him my business card so he could send me a check with the $25 when he got home. (After all, his request for help was so realistic and he only needed a little bit of money.) In the end, I left the park feeling like a Good Samaritan.
The next day, my husband was back in the park taking photographs, when the same young man approached him, asking if he could help him. Before the ‘victimized’ student could begin his spiel, my husband said, “My wife gave you $25 yesterday. You still need more?” That’s when the student aka scam artist left in quite a hurry. Only later when I recounted the story to a clerk at our hotel, did I learn that this was a popular tourist con and I had been scammed.
Don’t ‘loan’ any money to people that tell you hardship stories whilst on vacation!
Diane N. Bates, Loganville, GA.
I spent a blissful week sightseeing in Paris charmed by the people and wowed by the art, history and cuisine. I had saved enough francs to pay our cab driver with paper money and handed him the bills folded together when we arrived at the airport. He then turned to me as I got out of the cab and claimed I had shorted him on the fare. I knew I didn’t because I had double counted the bills before handing them to him. Because I had a plane to catch and my bags were still locked in his trunk I paid him more USD because the hassle of calling him on the scam wasn’t worth the anxiety. Lesson learned I now tell people to count the bills as they pay their cab drivers when travelling abroad so that this doesn’t happen to them.
Stacie Tamaki, The Flirty Guide
When my girlfriend and I took a low-budget tour across Western Europe a few years ago, we ended up pay $60 for what amounted to a 5 min. cab ride in Italy.
We were headed to Rome and used a discount airliner to fly into Ciampino. Our flight landed at 11pm and all the public transit was closed. We didn’t speak any Italian and we didn’t know exactly where our hotel for the night was, so we just hopped into the first available cab and told them the name of the hotel. The driver took us, literally, around the block and down about 4 streets and then asked us for 40 Euros (US$60 at the time). We were shocked, but it was late, we were in a foreign place, and we were inexperienced travellers.
What I know now is that in Italy this is a very common practice and cab fare is almost always negotiable as long as you settle on a price BEFORE accepting the ride. If we’d done our homework, we’d at least have had a better idea of how far we needed to go to get to our hotel and would have just walked.
Tyler Tervooren
Here is my personal experience of a holiday scam:
Whilst on holiday in Cuba a man approached me trying to engage me in conversation. I said no but then he made me feel bad by saying ‘Don’t you want to speak to a local? I’m not trying to sell you anything’. Feeling bad, I gave him my name, where I was staying and other little bits of information about me. The man went on his way 5 minutes later.
Later that day a different man approached me and said ‘Hey, Gary’. Shocked he knew my name I started to talk to him and he told me that he was friends with the hotel owner and that he would show me around. We spent a few hours together where he cleverly made me build up my trust and it got to the point where I needed to withdraw some money from the bank. In Cuba, they have a separate currency for tourists so my new ‘friend’ told me he could get me the currency of the locals at a great exchange rate. I handed over my money and, strangely enough he did come back.
He told me we could visit his grandmother’s house but before we were able to he would need to go in and speak to her. He disappeared around the corner and I never saw him again. Later, when reporting the incident to the police I found out that the money he had given me was worth virtually nothing.
That was my first major trip abroad and it taught me a lot. Basically, do not trust anybody no matter who they are. Sure, become friendly with people but never EVER let down your guard.
Gary Mullen, HandcraftedUK
And finally, just to show there is some good out there here is a positive experience:
My girlfriend and I were on a beach in Antigua where a native looking guy walks up and we buy a necklace.
Anyway, I give him a twenty and he says he has to get change. After he left my girl friend looked at me and told me I was an idiot and that he was not coming back…
I told her that he would be back. She said no way. Somehow I felt I could trust him and that he would be back. After talking with her though I was much less sure of myself.
However, he did come back! I just gave her that look and she mumbled something about it was still stupid. LOL!
I find it interesting that no matter how many times you prove yourself right; they still don’t listen to you. LOL!
Hawk
If you have your own story then share it here for everyone to read.
After all the hard work we put in at home, taking a holiday is a great chance to take a break from everything. We can leave any worries at home, throw caution to the wind and concentrate on letting go and enjoying ourselves. There are many things to take into consideration whilst travelling and this list will give you some tips on things to consider to make your holiday a safer, well organised and highly enjoyable experience.
Before you leave
1. Check up to 6 months ahead what vaccinations you may need.
2. Photocopy passport and, if possible, save a copy onto your email account.
3. Take recent photographs of your children with you so it will be easier to identify them should you become separated.
4. Get phone number and address for your country’s embassy at your destination.
5. Give someone at home contact details for you.
6. Get a comprehensive travel insurance policy. If you have any existing conditions, check these are not excluded. Some travel insurance policies exclude acts of terrorism, make sure yours doesn’t!
7. Do not buy insurance directly from your agent or airline. These are often overpriced and by shopping around you can get the same protection for a fraction of the price.
8. Check the weather patterns for time of your visit and plan for this. Pack appropriate clothing.
9. Stock up on essentials before you leave (sun creams, repellents, medicines etc.) as they may be difficult to obtain at your destination.
10. Check tripadvisor for information regarding your destination. The forum can provide many useful hints and tips.
11. Check with your country’s government body about travel advice to the country you are visiting.
12. Take a compass so you know which direction to head when looking at a map.
13. Take ear plugs in case you have a noisy hotel room.
14. Take a torch.
15. If you are taking a mobile telephone, make sure your operator has unlocked it to work abroad. Contact them to check.
16. If you are abroad for a while investigate buying a local sim card for your phone. This can make calls much cheaper. Make sure your phone is unlocked to accept other operator’s sim cards.
17. Take a basic first aid kit.
18. Purchase a personal alarm that emits a loud sound.
19. Take an extra pair of glasses.
20. If you are on medication, take a copy of your prescription with you. Ensure it is legal to import your prescription medication.
21. Before leaving for your holiday, do a Google search on ‘(holiday destination) scams’.
22. Before leaving, make a note of the accommodation you will be staying in. This often needs to be given to customs officials.
23. Before your flight, pack essentials into your carry bag. This will come in useful should your hold baggage go missing.
24. Do not put home address on luggage tag as this could compromise security. Use the address of friends/workplace instead.
25. Pack your own bags and do not leave them unattended.
At your Destination
26. Do not approach animals as they may carry disease.
27. Be wary of people who approach you. Don’t let your guard down!
28. Do not reveal any confidential details to anybody.
29. Do not accept drinks from strangers. If someone insists in buying you one, go to the bar with them and keep a close eye on it!
30. Be wary of strangers who approach you. They could be scammers!
31. Beware of pick-pockets. These people often work in pairs and will strike up a conversation with you or create a disturbance of some kind.
32. Respect local customs. Check what is appropriate behaviour and act accordingly.
33. Respect local dress codes, especially in Islamic countries.
34. Try to dress like a local. This will make you less of a target to hustlers/thieves and make your holiday more enjoyable.
35. Do not keep valuables on display as this may make you a target for thieves. If possible, leave any unnecessary valuables at home.
36. Avoid public protests as these can be dangerous.
37. Remain alert, if something feels potentially dangerous then steer clear.
38. If visiting a beach, check it is safe to swim. If in doubt, do not go into the water.
39. Do not photograph military personnel or installations. This can get you accused of being a spy and lead to prosecution!
40. Be careful when using taxis. If possible, use only taxis from registered firms. If your taxi is unmetered, agree a price before you get in.
41. Buy a phrasebook and map for your destination.
42. Make your children carry a card with your name, hotel and contact details on it.
43. Keep your hand on or draped over your bag at all times.
44. If confronted do not fight back, it’s better to lose some valuables than it is your life!
45. If you need to ask directions, ask only people in a position of authority (e.g. Police).
46. Avoid walking and travelling during the night.
47. In hotels, make note of the emergency exit procedures. If you are unable to find them, ask, if there isn’t one…leave!
48. If someone approaches you and claims to be in a position of authority ask for some ID. It’s not unknown for scammers to pretend to be policemen!
49. Avoid anybody approaching you claiming to be a tour guide. If you need a guide, locate one yourself.
Money
50. Contact your credit card companies before travel. It’s a nuisance to have your card blocked when abroad!
51. Keep a copy of your credit card numbers with someone you can trust at home. In the event of loss, they can be easily cancelled.
52. Save the phone number of your credit card companies into your mobile telephone so it will be easier to contact them in the event of a loss.
53. Get some of your destinations currency at home. This will make things easier when you arrive at your destination if there are no ATM’s.
54. Have some of your local currency ready for when you arrive home. This comes in useful for airport shops and taxis.
55. Take a small amount of cash and at least two credit cards.
56. Keep credit cards separate from one another.
57. When leaving the hotel only take one card…leave the others in the hotel safe. Check it is secure.
58. Only carry as much money as you need for each day.
59. Have a dummy wallet with a small amount of cash in it. This is useful in case you are confronted by a mugger.
60. Carry lots of small change ready to give as tips.
Food and Drink
61. Check if it is safe to drink the water. If not, buy bottled water when you reach your destination. Check the seal is unbroken.
62. If water is unsafe, make sure there is no ice in your drink.
63. Take water purification tablets in case you are unable to access bottled water.
64. Avoid foods that have been kept warm, bacteria could thrive on it!
65. Avoid uncooked fruit and vegetables unless you can peel them yourself.
66. Avoid food exposed to flies.
Driving Abroad
67. If driving, do your research on road customs, highway codes and conditions.
68. Check if your current driving licence is accepted.
69. Inspect the condition of the hire vehicle before accepting it. Bring to attention any bumps and scrapes to the hire company and make sure they note them so that you will not be accused of the damage.
70. Collision damage waiver insurance is essential cover when hiring a car. Try to buy this from a third party (not the hire company) as you can make huge savings.
Before Coming Home
71. Check what you are allowed to import. Bringing items home which are not allowed could lead to prosecutions and fines.
I hope you find this list a useful guide on things to consider before you travel. Of course, the list is not exhaustive and there may be things that you do that have not been covered. If that is the case, then I encourage you to join in and leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
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