WorldNomads.com Travel Tip - How to manage the risk of theft
WORLDWIDE | Wednesday, 17 December 2008 | Views [669]
It is one of the peculiarities of travel insurance that people buy it because they imagine having their belongings stolen, and yet this is one of the least important reasons you actually need it. By this I mean that although it is an incredibly common occurrence, it isn't actually such a big deal is it?
It's all a question of attitude.
In my view you shouldn't really take anything with you that you can't afford to lose. After all, they are just possessions and can usually easily be replaced, however inconvenient.
Having said this, let's not throw stuff away. A few basic precautions can greatly assist in keeping valuables safe, although they certainly won't prevent someone determined too get them from you. Hold onto your things, put bag straps around your foot or around your chair leg if you are in a bar or restaurant and don't leave your bags unattended, even for a few moments, as this is all the time that is needed.
A common tactic of these thieves is for one person to distract your attention for a few moments whilst another disappears with your bags. People putting their bags down a few meters away and turning around for a chat only to then find them gone happens so frequently it isn't even funny.
It is actually extremely rare but in the unlikely event that you are held up at gun or knife point, don’t resist or fight and try not to look at the thief’s face as psychologically this can be taken as a sign of challenge. Just let it go and walk away with your life and dignity.
If any of this happens be it minor or not, report it to the policy and no matter how much hassle, get a proper paper report from them. Without this, any likely claim on your travel insurance will prove difficult if not impossible.
And lastly, try to keep things in perspective. Thefts happen but they aren't the end of the world. Things can be replaced. You can't. Your health and your life is what is precious.
Simon Monk
Director of Online
simon.monk[at]worldnomads.com
Tags: travel tips, theft, travel insurance, worldnomads.com, world nomads
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