Study Abroad: Taking Responsibility for Your Safety

Suggestions for keeping Yourself Safe while Abroad
Safety Tips
Note About Illegal Drugs

We are all aware that Americans abroad are now at greater risk than in recent years. Please take the following steps, even if you will be in an area where no terrorist or anti-American activities seem likely to occur. Before you leave, inform yourself of any potential conflicts and trouble spots in the countries you plan to visit. Keep up to date with news of current events while you are abroad. Make sure you heed any special instructions by your program staff. When you arrive, register your passport with the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/registration/registration_1186.html

Also, keep in mind that other countries have different sensibilities and prejudices concerning gender, background and race. Sometimes this is displayed in ways that may surprise you.

Some of the following suggestions are appropriate under any circumstances; others should be borne in mind if you travel into areas where anti-American sentiment has occurred or in the event of an unforeseen animosity against the U.S. occurs in response to a special situation.

(Adapted from a Bulletin by Arcadia University Center for Education Abroad).

• Keep a low profile in demeanor and dress. College T-Shirts, sweatshirts, baseball caps, and athletic shoes identify you readily as an American. Do not wear jewelry or insignia. Once you have some time to adjust to your new location, you will have a better sense of how you need to act in your new surroundings.
• Be discreet and polite, heeding signs and regulations in public areas
• Be especially careful in helping to maintain security at your residence and other program buildings
• Always have some cash on you
• Speak the local language whenever possible
• Watch your intake of alcohol-excessive drinking is both unsafe and inappropriate in another culture and in an unfamiliar area.
• Speak softly; Americans tend to speak loudly compared with many cultures
• Travel by public transportation. Do not hitchhike and do not travel alone. Leave word with the program director of your travel plans detailing your companions, itinerary (with contact points and phone numbers), mode of travel, and dates of departure and return. Avoid night travel especially on buses, minivans, or taxis.
• Take special care around tourist sites and possible terrorist targets, such as police stations, churches, synagogues, and airports. Avoid identifiable American institutions, such as embassies, American Express offices, McDonald's, and other places where Americans typically gather.
• Don't get involved in controversial discussions/situations in public places, street gatherings or demonstrations, rock concerts and public events characterized by crowd excitement.
• Speak to program alumni and on site directors about safe areas as well as areas to avoid.
• Keep clear of military and diplomatic installations and war memorials

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Additional web sites with important safety information:

• U.S. Embassies overseas: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/embassies/embassies_1214.html
• The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC): http://www.osac.gov

Learn about the customs and local laws of the country to which you are going. Remember that you are subject to their laws and are NOT protected by U.S. laws.

Lock your luggage and put your name and address on the INSIDE of each piece, in addition to the outside tag. Make sure you receive a claim check for each item you check. Baggage handlers overseas often check if you have a claim ticket for EACH bag.

Never leave your luggage or any bags unattended. NEVER let a stranger watch your luggage while you go to the bathroom or purchase a ticket. If you see a bag or luggage that appears unattended, notify appropriate personnel or the police. NEVER agree to carry a package for anyone.

Photocopy two copies of your passport ID page, airline tickets(s) and ATM/credit card(s). Leave one copy at home, along with any Traveler's Checks' serial numbers. Bring the second copy with you in case something is stolen abroad. Bring extra passport size photos for a student ID, a replacement passport if needed, discount student rail passes, or for obtaining a visa abroad.

Beware of con artists and pickpockets. They exist everywhere in the world. Be careful when approached in foreign cities by beggars, as they can often be accompanied by pickpockets. Be especially alert in crowds. The most common sites for purse or camera snatchings are central train stations or crowded shopping areas. Thieves strike when people are distracted while making a phone call or checking a train schedule, with a bag casually left at one's feet. A money belt is an excellent investment and a great deterrent to prying hands!

If anything is lost or stolen, report it to the local police. Keep a copy of the police report for insurance purposes or in case you need to replace your passport or student visa.

Use common sense: Avoid dangerous areas. Don't use short cuts, narrow alleys or poorly lit streets. Try not to be out on the streets alone at night. Make a note of emergency phone numbers you might need, such as the police, fire department, hospital, physician, and U.S. consulate. Always carry a little extra cash in case you have to select an alternate route home (i.e. taxi). Every U.S. consulate and embassy has a duty officer on call around the clock to assist in an emergency.

These precautions are not meant to scare you, but to remind you to be aware and to take responsibility for your own safety. Take the same precautions you would take in any large American city with which you are not familiar. Do not give your address to strangers. The best thing you can do is to become a professional people watcher .Observing the locals and their habits is your best guide to safe behavior. The less you stand out, the safer you tend to be, as tourists are often the main targets.

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While abroad, avoid all temptation to buy, sell, carry, or use any type of drug. Most countries have VERY strict drug laws. Long trials, prison sentences, and even the death penalty can result from drug possession. Remember that you are subject to your host country's laws. If arrested, the American consular officer cannot get you released from jail.

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