Clint Van Zandt • Profile • E-mail

Since Natalee Holloway disappeared almost three years ago on a high school graduation trip to Aruba, personal safety on trips has become a part of our national subconscious. Hundreds of thousands of young Americans travel on spring break every year; the risk to those seeking the sun-drenched 24/7 “party of all parties,” no matter what their age, are greater than ever.  A little common sense and preparation can help insure that your trip to some hot beach is not the trip from hell.

Consider these factors:

• Know where you’re going before you start.  Use the Internet to research the city, state, or country that you’re traveling to and know both the good and the bad about your destination. Some countries consider the use of drugs or the abuse of alcohol to be a very serious offense, something that can get you thrown in jail for.  In other countries the authorities may try to set you up in a sting-like operation, but their purpose is to force you or your parents to pay a bribe to gain your release.  Demands other than money can also be made of you.  But whether you think of them or not, they are real, as is the threat to your personal safety.  And if another language is spoken at your location, learn a few phrases like “I need the police” or “I need a doctor” or just “Help me.”
• Insure that someone at home has all of your travel and contact information, including a copy of your passport, the front and back of your credit cards and identification cards, and information as to where you are staying and who you’ll be with. If this data changes, use your cell phone, Blackberry, or find a local Internet kiosk and send the new information along so that you can be found or helped should the need arise.
• Yes, cell phones are great, but many won’t work outside the U.S. or may need to be set up in advance of your travel. Don’t assume that your phone has this capability. Call your cellular provider to arrange such service for the length of your trip, to include a better international rate for your calls while you’re traveling.
• There is always safety in numbers. Don’t travel alone and try to travel in threes. The idea of three is the hope that no matter how wild and crazy the situation can get, out of three friends, one can be counted on to be the voice of reason.  In a worst-case scenario, one can run for help while the second stays and stands by the third.  Remember, you’re all in it together.
• Avoid using stairwells or elevators by yourself. Don’t tell any “new friend” where you are staying.  Put your valuables in the hotel’s safe, not under your pillow. Remember, not all “taxis” are really taxis. Insure that you’re taking a safe mode of travel every time you go out at night and don’t open your hotel door to strangers. If the person knocking on your door says he’s with the hotel, call the front desk to check before you unlock your door.
• Drink only from sealed containers or get your drinks directly from the bartender. Don’t leave your drink unattended because you don’t know what someone could put into it.  Date rape drugs are many and varied. These drugs are used to facilitate rape because they make the assault easier. This “anesthesia” type of drug renders the victim physically incapacitated or helpless and unable to withhold consent to unwanted physical activity. Rohypnol is one of the drugs most commonly implicated in drug-facilitated rape.  It can mentally and physically paralyze an individual. Effects of the drug are of particular concern in combination with alcohol and can lead to a form of amnesia, one where events that occurred during the time the drug was in effect are forgotten by the victim.  If your drink tastes or looks different than it should, e.g., salty, foamy, cloudy, or has some type of residue in it, just dump it.
• Lastly, remember Spiderman. “Spidy” had a sixth sense; he instinctively knew when trouble was around.  And so do you.  But we don’t always listen to that  small voice that says, “This could be trouble.”  If you think you’re being followed, go into a safe place and ask for assistance, and always look sober and look like you know where you are and what you’re doing. You only need to watch the potential predators in any vacation bar or on any “booze cruise” that normally lurk just outside of your vision; but they may still be watching your every move. Predators look for the lost, the weak, the vulnerable, usually the inebriated. You don’t want to look like a zebra or gazelle that’s separated and lost from her herd or to look too eager or available to strangers. Your overture of friendship to some can be a sign of vulnerability to a predator, and they can be very cunning as they work ever so stealthily to cut you out of the herd. You don’t need to be paranoid.  Just know your surroundings, your limitations, set boundaries, and stay with your wingmen.

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