Feb08.pdf

AGAINST ALL ODDS

Although alluring, remote towns

and villages hold a host of

dangers and are usually void of

efﬁ cient law enforcement.

TRAVEL SURVIVAL

» BY JEFF RANDALL

traveling to under-developed

countries, I’m not surprised

when the news reports another missing,

kidnapped or dead American. And I’m

not just talking about war-torn coun-

tries. “Friendly” nations such as Mexico,

the Caribbean and most any country in

Latin America seem to consume more

U.S. civilians than Iraq, Afghanistan and

other hostile nations combined.

During my years of traveling, just

about every dire situation I’ve seen

has come from the traveler’s lack of

situational awareness. They either get

zoned-out over their new surroundings

or they’re so focused on not being a vic-

tim that they lose their ability to think

rationally. Most travelers are easy marks

once they leave their familiar surround-

ings, and you can bet that those who

wish to take them apart—be it a terrorist

or a common mugger—have done their

homework.

Most security groups will tell you,

“Try not to look like an American when

traveling abroad.” Yeah, right. While that

sounds like a good concept, the fact is

that your culture, language and actions

are bred into you. No matter how much

you dress and try to act like the locals,

the seasoned hunter always knows his

prey. With that said, avoiding any mili-

tary-style dress, watches, jewelry, packs

and insignias is imperative, since threat

potentials typically get taken out i rst.

The i rst rule of travel survival is to be-

gin at home. With a little bit of research,

it’s easy to identify the problem or high-

crime areas of a city or country, under-

stand the local culture and laws, formu-

late a last-ditch bug-out plan and put a

little insurance in play back home—be-

fore you leave. I can’t tell you how many

travelers I’ve run across who don’t have

the i rst clue about the country they’re

in. Even the Americans who cross into

Mexico daily to shop are mostly unin-

formed when it comes to understanding

the environment. The individual who

doesn’t research their destination by

consuming as much open-source info as

they can prior to departure is a fool.

constantly changing. It’s almost impos-

sible to keep up with what you can carry

on board and what has to be checked—

and these rules seem to change on a dai-

ly basis. Having said that, I still advise

you to keep a few items on your person

just in case you’re stranded without lug-

gage. Some of the items I include (not

counting documents and valuables) are

a quality l ashlight, common destination

maps, language phrase book, phone call-

ing card, small i rst-aid kit and personal

meds.

Keep your travel documents, cash and

credit cards on you at all times. A good

adventure travel vest is a must, since it

identii es you as a common tourist and

keeps your valuables secure. Avoid

wearing clothing, watches and jewelry

that identify who you work for or hint at

you being military or law enforcement.

Avoid idle talk that lets anyone know

the reason for your travel. If anyone

asks, simply tell them you’re a tourist.

Do your best to get seating next to

an emergency exit—preferably in the

front or rear and away from the wing

fuel tanks. If you can’t get emergency

AIR TRAVEL

Since 9/11, air travel rules have been

20 S.W.A.T. » FEBRUARY 2008

SWATMAG. COM

H aving spent a lot of my life

AGAINST ALL ODDS

row seating, then make a mental note

of where it’s located. While I prefer aisle

seating for the convenience of moving

around in the cabin, window seating

is the safest spot in a hijacking, since

you’re less of a target of opportunity for

a terrorist trying to make a statement.

Pay attention to the airline light atten-

dants when they’re giving their safety

brieing. As boring as it may be, what

they have to say is valuable in an emer-

gency. Having been on a plane that was

evacuated due to a bomb in the luggage

compartment, I can tell you that once an

emergency happens, it becomes chaotic.

Knowing where to go and what to do is

important to your survival.

Once you arrive at your destination

and clear Customs, take charge of your

own baggage and politely avoid the

mobs of street hawkers common to the

Third World. Secure reputable transpor-

tation and move away from the area as

soon as possible. Remember, crowds and

known tourist areas attract terrorists as

well as common street thugs.

Third World deaths due to transportation and infrastructure outrank all other

causes. It is also where most kidnappings occur.

to get to the Embassy, you may have to

waste extra time getting your important

documents to exit the country. Once you

get to the Embassy, it will probably be

jammed with other Americans wanting

to leave. This happened to me in Jakarta,

Indonesia during the riots. That taught

me to keep my passport and documents

securely on my person at all times.

When in any country or big city

(even American), avoid large crowds

and public demonstrations. And at all

costs avoid any political or religious

discussions—just because you’re a free

American citizen, that doesn’t make

you right in the eyes of some cultures.

Never criticize local customs or beliefs.

If hassled by a person in a vehicle or on

the street, avoid confrontation. Simply

turn and walk in the opposite direction.

If the problem persists, make your way

to a well-lit area. Constantly practice

surveillance techniques, searching out

“safe” areas and mentally logging any-

one who may be following or watching

you. If you’re followed, make your way

to an area that’s brightly lit and has other

people—enter a busy place and simply

ask for help. If you’re the victim of what

appears to be a robbery, don’t resist un-

less you sense it is more dangerous to co-

operate. If you decide to ight, then ight

for your life. No rules. Fight with the in-

tention of killing your attacker and make

as much noise as you can in the process.

If you manage to free yourself, run.

and you have the makings of daily di-

sasters. It’s also worth mentioning that

most kidnappings occur while the vic-

tim is in transport mode.

Here are a few tips that may help you

survive the deadly transportation fac-

tor:

Always keep a map with you and

know where you are, alternative routes

and how to get to police stations, hos-

pitals, military posts or other safe areas.

Vary your departure times and routes

and be on the lookout for anyone who

may be watching or following you.

Use vehicles that don’t attract atten-

tion—renting that cool Mercedes may

be tempting, but it’s not wise. Store

your valuables in the trunk and imme-

diately lock all the doors upon entering

the vehicle. If you’re driving, drive close

to the centerline of the road to make it

harder to force your vehicle to the curb.

Leave plenty of distance at stoplights be-

tween yourself and the car in front for

quick evasive maneuvering if need be. If

you’re using a driver, then tell him your

destination only when you get in the ve-

hicle. Never give your driver or anyone

else your ground itinerary unless there

is a good reason to do so.

ON THE STREET

Avoid the street money changers,

since there are no less than a million

cons associated with money exchange.

Use banks or certiied money exchange

businesses. While I’m on this subject,

I suggest changing a small amount of

money into local currency before leav-

ing the States, then wait until you’re

in-country to change more, because the

exchange rate is typically better.

Keep your wallet in a front pants

pocket to make it harder for pickpock-

ets. Always keep more cash separate

from your wallet, stuffed into another

pocket. When you have to buy some-

thing, use this stash and then replenish

it later in a private location—never ex-

pose your wallet or valuables in public.

The security gurus will tell you to keep

your passport secured in your hotel safe

and carry a copy with you while on

the street. I disagree. Think about it: if

you’re mugged and lose your passport,

that’s a singular event and the country

is not coming unwound because of it.

You can calmly go to the Embassy and

start the process of having it replaced.

However, if chaos breaks out and you’re

miles away from your passport and need

HOTELS

Never provide your title, company

or similar information when checking

into a hotel. Show only the credit card

needed to register and never expose

the contents of your wallet or briefcase

to the check-in clerk. Do not use credit

cards that have your corporate name on

them. Businessmen are high-value kid-

nap targets in most Third World coun-

tries and hotel databases are usually

compromised.

After you check in, take a look at all

GROUND TRANSPORTATION

Of all the things we’ve done in remote

locales, transportation has always been

the most dangerous. Whether it’s a bus,

taxi or personal vehicle, Third World

drivers are nothing short of suicidal.

Couple that with poor infrastructure

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AGAINST ALL ODDS

sides of the hotel, escape routes from your

room and directionally orient yourself.

Also look at the surroundings at night.

Learn the hotel entrances, exits and ire

escape routes. I prefer the second loor of

a hotel because it gives some immediate

insulation against the street or political

protests that may turn violent, but also

allows you to escape through a window if

need be. When you leave the hotel, never

leave any document or information that

may reveal who you work for or what

your business is in the country.

Before you lie down to sleep, pack all

your documents and valuables so you

can immediately grab them in case you

have to escape in a hurry. On a couple of

occasions, I even slept with my clothes

and boots on, due to the volatile nature of

the area we were in.

LAWYERS, GUNS AND MONEY

While much of what I have discussed

here may seem to border on paranoia, ev-

erything can be implemented in a reason-

able manner and requires very little time.

Situational awareness is the one thing

that will keep you alive when traveling

abroad. If the worst happens and you

end up kidnapped, mugged or accosted

in any manner, know that the only things

that will save you are the ability to think

rationally and your training. No matter

how many lawyers or guns may come to

your rescue, it will probably be too late.

The one thing that usually works, howev-

er, is money. In fact, kidnapping in Latin

America is what keeps most of the fringe

groups inanced. So, if your business trip

takes you to high-risk areas, I suggest

looking into kidnap insurance. In almost

all cases, once the ransom is paid, the vic-

tim is released.

In the end, if you educate yourself be-

fore your trip, practice a few simple safe-

ty techniques and remain aware, you’ll

probably come back alive. §

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[Jeff Randall has worked and traveled

in China, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia,

Singapore, Switzerland, and nearly every

Latin American country. He co-authored

Adventure Travel in the Third World and

is also an accomplished photographer. He con-

siders the Amazon jungle his second home.

He can be contacted through www.jungle-

training.com.]

24 S.W.A.T. » FEBRUARY 2008

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