Security and Traveling to Mexico
The information contained in this post will familiarize,
the American traveler with personal security guidelines
for traveling into Mexico or Latin America.
1. Travel Itinerary
When applying for a visa, avoid telling anyone even
Mexican Immigration, you are going to Mexico on business.
Tell them you are going to explore their country. Business
visa's can become complicated to some individual
immigration officer's. They immediately know that you live
by schedules, for which they know you will pay a price.
2. Actual Travel
DO NOT publicize your travel plans, but limit that
knowledge to those who need to know. Leave a full itinerary
of your travel schedule, hotel phone numbers and business
appointments with your office and with a family member or
friend.
First we most probably take a flight to Mexico.
Try to book a non-stop flight, as these have fewer takeoffs
and landings.
From the time you pack your luggage until you check it in
with the carrier at the airport maintain positive control of all
items, both hand carried and checked.
At many airports security personnel, following FAA protocol,
will ask you questions about control of your luggage.
Know what items you are carrying and be able to describe
any/all electrical items. When going through the pre-board
screening process cooperate with security personnel and
remember that they are there to help ensure that your
travel is safe.
When arriving at or departing from an airport it is a good
idea not to be
exchanging items between bags while waiting in line for
security screening or immigration/customs processing.
Complete all packing before entering such areas.
If a conflict should arise while undergoing the screening
process, cooperate. Obtain the names of the screeners
involved, and then discuss the matter with a supervisor
from the appropriate air carrier. Remember that x-ray will
not damage film, videos or computer equipment. Many
times such items can be cleared using x-ray which means
that they will not have to be handled by the screener.
NEVER leave your luggage or briefcase unattended, even
while checking in or once in the secure zone. In some
countries, the police or security forces assume that an
unattended bag is a bomb, and your luggage could be
forcefully opened or even destroyed.
Always be aware of where you are in conjunction with
where you are going. If an incident occurs, you need to
know how to avoid it and either get out of the area or to
your boarding area.
Dress casually when traveling as this will keep any undue
attention from you. Once aboard the flight, remove your
shoes for better circulation. Walk around the flight cabin to
keep your blood circulating and swelling down.
Avoid last minute dashes to the airport.
Eat moderately, avoid alcoholic beverages and drink
plenty of water as this will help to avoid dehydration.
Carry air sickness medication with you.
Even the best traveler sometimes experiences air
sickness.
Avoid a demanding schedule upon arrival. Give yourself a
chance to adjust to your surroundings.
Great, we got there.
Hopefully you have a car waiting for you.
Consider being transported to/from the airport by a hotel
vehicle. Generally the cost is not prohibitive, and arrange-
ments can be made in advance by your travel agent.
If you're smart, you had a local employee come pick you up
at the airport. If not, at the airport go to a reliable taxi stand
in the airport.
Avoid individuals offering you a taxi service.
However way you get to the hotel, do so with a high state
of security awareness. The most effective way to do so is
to see what others are doing.
Stay alert.
Upon arrival, invest in a good map of the city. Mark
significant points on a map such as your hotel, embassies
and police stations. Study the map and make a mental note
of alternative routes to your hotel or local office should your
map become lost or stolen.
Be aware of your surroundings. Look up and down the
street before exiting a building.
Avoid jogging or walking in cities you are not familiar with.
If you must jog, be aware of the traffic patterns when
crossing public streets.
In Mexico City remember the altitude and smog,
they can both give you a heart attack.
Passport
Your U.S. Passport should be current. Let's not have it
expire while in Mexico. If not, you and everything in your
possession, may be looked at in-depth by host government
authorities. If you are carrying documents that are sensitive
or proprietary, they will be examined in detail to see if there
is anything that would be of interest. If there is, you can bet
that copies will be made, and there is not much that you
will be able to do about it.
Keep your passport with you at all times. The only time
that you should relinquish it is:
When it is requested by a local authority.
Make photocopies of your passport, visa and other
important documents that you will be traveling with. Put
copies in both your carry on and checked luggage.
Medical
Take plenty of any prescription medication with you, as
well as an extra set of eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Also, take a copy of your prescription should you need to
have glasses, contacts or medication replaced.
Keep an inoculation record and update it before each trip
as each country has different requirements. Carry your
shot card, some Latin American countries required all your
shots to be current.Carry with you a list with your blood
type, allergies, medical conditions and special
requirements.
Carry in your wallet/pocketbook only the documents you
will need. Take only the credit cards, you plan to use on
your trip. If you plan to rent a car which is foolish, check to
see if you must obtain an international drivers permit for
the country you plan to visit. Contact AAA insurance
company about the International Driver's License.
Miscellaneous
Keep your personal affairs up to date. If possible, leave a
power of attorney with a family member or friend should
anything happen to you. Do research on the area, you will
be traveling to before you go.
Talk with friends, family or business associates who have
visited the country. They can usually give you some good
tips for your trip.
Check State Department on line for travel warnings or
other conditions that you should be aware.
Luggage
DO NOT pack sensitive or proprietary information in your
checked luggage. Double envelope the material and hand
carry it. Be sure that your luggage is tagged with covered
tags that protect your address from open observation. Put
your name and address inside each piece of luggage and
be sure that all luggage is locked or secured in some
fashion.
Keep your luggage locked whenever you are out of the
room. It will not stop the professional thief or intelligence
agent but it will keep the curious maid away.
Never place your valuables (jewelry, money and travelers
cheques) in your checked luggage. Never leave your bags
unattended. Consider obtaining a modest amount of
foreign currency before you leave your home country.
DO NOT pack extra glasses or necessary daily medication
in your luggage. Carry such items in your briefcase, purse
or pocket. If you are the victim of a hijacking you may need
these items if they are in your luggage, you probably will
not be able to get to them.
REMEMBER :Criminals often watch for and target
international travelers purchasing large amounts of foreign
currency at airport banks and currency exchange windows.
Wait to do currency exchange at local banks near your
hotel.
Selecting a Secure Hotel
Many U.S. corporations have hotels abroad that are
owned by local businessmen and staffed by local workers
but managed by first class U.S. hoteliers. You usually can
expect levels of safety and security that are consistent with
U.S. standards. Ask the corporate travel agent for a list of
recommended hotels.
Request information about parking arrangements if
anticipating renting an automobile. If at all possible avoid
renting an automobile in Mexico City the traffic there is a
nightmare.
For excellent hotel security in Mexico City, I recommend
the Sheraton Isabela Hotel next to the U.S. Embassy.
Many of the registered guests are diplomats. Some carry
black diplomatic passports which allow them to carry
weapons, others have security detachments (teams). The
hotel is very secure.
The hotel has excellent service and is well rated. Next door
to this hotel is an excellent restaurant and bookstore with
many reading selections in English.
Be aware that credit card information has been
compromised in the past. Always audit monthly credit card
statements to ensure that unauthorized use has not been
made of your account.
Making Reservations
Make your own reservations when practical and consistent
with company policies. The fewer people that become
involved in your travel and lodging arrangements, the better.
If traveling abroad, especially in politically sensitive areas,
consider making reservations using your employer's street
address, without identifying the company, and using your
personal credit card.
Consider using the bellman. Luggage in the "care, custody
and control" of the hotel causes the hotel to be liable for
your property. Protect claim checks; they are your
evidence!
Keep in mind though that there are limits of liability created
by states and countries to protect hoteliers. Personal travel
documents, lap tops, jewelry, and other valuables and
sensitive documents in excess of $l,000 in value should be
hand carried and personally protected.
If you arrive by auto, park as close to a hotel access point
as possible, and park in a lighted area. Remove all
property from the car interior and place it in the trunk.
Remember avoid driving in Mexico City.
Avoid leaving valuables or personal documents in the
glove compartment. Prior to leaving the security of the
vehicle, note any suspicious persons or behavior.
If using valet service, leave only the ignition key, and take
trunk, house, or office keys with you. Often, valets are not
employees of the hotel and work for contract firms.
Parking garages are difficult to secure. Remember avoid
driving in Mexico City.
Avoid dimly lit garages that are not patrolled and do not
have security telephones or intercoms. Female travelers
should consider asking for an escort to their vehicles
whether parked in the lot or garage.
Be aware of persons in the hotel lobby who may have
unusual interest in your arrival. If carrying your luggage,
keep it within view or touch. One recommendation is to
position luggage against your leg during registration but
place a briefcase or a purse on the desk or counter in front
of you.
Ground floor rooms which open to a pool area or beach
with
sliding glass doors and window access, are considered
vulnerable. Depending upon the situation, area, and
security coverage, exercise a higher level of security if
assigned a first floor room.
It is suggested that female travelers request rooms that are
away from the elevator landing and stairwells. This is to
avoid being caught by surprise by persons exiting the
elevator with you or hiding in the stairwell.
Always accept bellman assistance upon check-in. Allow
the bellman to open the room, turn lights on, check the
room to ensure that it is vacant and ready for your stay.
Before dismissing the bellman, always inspect the door
lock, locks on sliding glass doors, optical viewer, privacy
latch or chain, guest room safes, dead bolt lock on
interconnecting suite door, and telephone.
If a discrepancy is found, request a room change. Ask
where the nearest fire stairwell is located. Make a mental
note which direction you must turn and approximately how
many steps there are to the closest fire stairwell. In the
event of a fire, there is frequently dense smoke and no
lighting.
Also observe where the nearest house telephone is
located in case of an emergency. Determine if the
telephone is configured in such a manner that anyone can
dial a guest room directly, or whether the phone is
connected to the switchboard.
Most security conscious hotels require a caller to identify
whom they are attempting to telephone rather than
providing a room number.
All hotel rooms abroad are bugged for audio and visual
surveillance. This statement, of course, is NOT TRUE, but
that is the premise under which you must operate to
maintain an adequate level of security awareness while
conducting business abroad. Many hotel rooms overseas
are under surveillance.
In those countries where the intelligence services are very
active, if you are a business person working for an
American company of interest to the government or
government sponsored competitor, everything that you do
in that hotel room may be recorded and analyzed for
possible vulnerabilities or for any useful information that
can be derived from your conversation.
With the basic premise established above, here are some
security tips that will minimize the potential risks.
Your Hotel Room Key, keep it with you at all times. The
two most common ways that thieves and others use to
determine if a person is in their hotel room is to look at the
hotel room mail slot or key board or call the room on the
house phone. If you do not answer the phone that is one
thing, but, if your room key is there, you are obviously out
and the coast is clear for a thief or Valuables
If traveling to Mexico or Latin America on business and you
must carry valuables, the best and safest place to secure
your valuables is at your local Mexico office.
If you do not have an office in Mexico, the best location is
your hotel's safe deposit box or safe. Seal your valuables
in large vanilla envelopes.
Do so in two envelopes, envelope in an envelope. Tape
off the seals or seems.
In most hotels you may be required to identify yourself.
Some hotels will ask for a copy of your visa. Get a copy for
yourself, leave the original with your valuables.
Use a copy of your visa for walking in the street or for
identifying yourself to local authorities.
Take to Mexico, a small burglar alarm for the hotel room.
At night, lock your passport and your other valuables in
your luggage. While in your room, you can put two glasses
of water with ashtrays of top of them at the base of the
entry door. The glasses and ashtray will make a sound if
someone enters unannounced. This eliminates the
mysterious disappearance of valuables while you are
asleep or in the shower. Also utilize your portable or
improvised burglar alarm while asleep.
If a straight chair is available, place it next to the door and
put the ash tray/water glass alarm on the edge of the chair
where it will fall with enough racket to wake you.
Hotels are required to provide reasonable care to ensure
that guests have a safe and secure stay. Hotels are not
required to guarantee guest security. You are responsible
for your personal security and property.
While in the room, keep the door closed and engage the
dead bolt and privacy latch or chain. A limited number of
hotel emergency keys can override the dead bolt locks.
To ensure privacy use the latch or chain!
Hoteliers provide guest room "safes" for the convenience
of guests. However, these containers are not as durable
as bank safes and can be breached. Furthermore, the
Housekeepers Liability Laws provide that if guest property
is not in the "care, custody and control of the hotel," the
hotel is not liable. Guests should always place money or
valuables in the safe deposit box at the front desk of the
hotel.
When leaving the guest room, ensure that the door
properly closes and is secured. Make a mental note of how
your property
was left; avoid leaving valuables in plain view or in an
unorganized manner. A number of hotel employees enter
the room each day to clean, repair and restock the room.
Although
most hotel employees are honest and hardworking, a few
succumb to the temptation of cash or jewelry left
unprotected.
If you determine that an item is missing, conduct a
thorough search prior to reporting the incident to hotel
security. Do not expect to receive a copy of the security
report, as it is an internal document.
The incident should be reported to the local police, the
Regional Security and Consular Officers at the U.S.
Embassy, and your insurance carrier.
Hotel security can provide a letter verifying that you
reported property missing.
Prior to traveling, it is recommended that you copy all
credit cards, passport, air tickets and other documents to
facilitate reporting loss and replacing them. While traveling
abroad, secure these documents in the room safe deposit
box and carry copies of your passport and visa.
Request housekeeping make up your room while you are
at breakfast, rather than leave a "Please Service This
Room" sign on the door knob. This sign is a signal to
criminals that the room is unoccupied.
If you are required to use parking stickers in your auto, be
sure that it does not indicate your name or room number.
Most first class international hotels have spent a
considerable sum to ensure your safety and security. Fire
safety equipment,
CCTVs, and security patrols are often part of the hotel's
security plan. Regardless of the level of security provided
by the hotel, you need to become familiar with certain
aspects of the security profile of the hotel. This will take on
increased significance when you may be forced to stay at
the only hotel at a particular location.
Vary the time and route by which you leave and return to
the hotel. Be alert for persons watching your movements.
Note if hotel security locks certain access points after dark.
Plan to use the main entrance upon return to the property.
Speak with the bellman, concierge and front desk regarding
safe areas around the city in which to jog, dine or sightsee.
Ask about local customs and which taxi companies to use
or avoid.
Do not take valuables to the spa or work out room. Note if
there are house phones available in the event of a
confrontation or emergency.
Be cautious when entering rest rooms in the hotel. On
occasion, unauthorized persons use these facilities to deal
drugs or engage in prostitution or theft. Female travelers
should be alert to placing purses on hangers on the inside
of the lavatory doors, or on the floor in stalls.
Areas around public telephones are often used by criminals
to stage pickpocket activity or theft. Keep briefcases and
purses in view or "in touch" while using phones.
Caution is urged in safeguarding telephone credit card
numbers. Criminals wait for callers to announce credit card
numbers on public phones and then sell the numbers for
unauthorized use.
Purse snatchers and briefcase thieves are known to work
hotel bars and restaurants waiting for unknowing guests to
drape these items on chairs or under tables only to discover
them missing as they are departing.
Keep items in view or "in touch". Be alert to scams involving
an unknown person spilling a drink or food on your clothing.
An accomplice may be preparing to steal your wallet, brief-
case or purse.
The pool or beach area is a fertile area for thieves to take
advantage of guests enjoying recreation.
Leave valuables in the hotel.
Safeguard your room key and camera.
Sign for food and beverages on your room bill rather than
carry cash.
Prostitutes take advantage of travelers around the world
through various ploys, use of "knock out" drugs, and theft
from the victim's room.
Avoid engaging persons who you do not know and refrain
from inviting them to your guest room.
Fire safety at home and abroad is a matter of thinking
ahead, knowing what to do, and keeping your fear under
control. Panic and smoke are the most dangerous threats in
the case of a fire.
To minimize the risk of a fire, the traveler should remember
the precautions listed below and where feasible:
Stay only at hotels which have smoke detectors and/or
sprinklers installed in all rooms and provide information
about fire/safety procedures.
Request a room between the second and seventh
floor. Most fire departments in Mexico City do not have the
capability to rescue people above the seventh floor
level with external rescue equipment.
Inquire as to how guests are notified if there is an emergency.
Note the location of fire alarms, extinguishers and hoses and
read any fire safety information available in your room.
Check outside your room window to ascertain if there is a
possible escape route that would be feasible in an extreme
emergency.
In Case of a Fire,”KEEP CALM DO NOT PANIC”. Call the
front desk and notify them of the location of the fire.
Check your door by placing your palm on the door and then
on the door knob. If either feels hot,
DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR.
If it is safe to exit from your room, head for the stairs.
TAKE YOUR ROOM KEY WITH YOU, YOU MAY HAVE
TO RETURN TO YOUR ROOM.
Note the location of the fire exits (stairs) on your floor.
Count the number of doors between your room and the exit.
If there is a fire, you may have to crawl there in the dark.
Check exit doors to be sure that they are unlocked and that
stairwells are open.
DO NOT USE THE ELEVATOR!
If you can not leave your room or the stairwells are unsafe
and you must return to your room:
Notify the front desk that you are in your room awaiting
rescue. Open a window for fresh air. Do not break the
window as you may need to close it again if smoke starts to
enter from the outside.
Fill the tub and sink with water. Soak towels and blankets
as necessary to block vents and openings around doors to
keep the smoke and fumes out. Attempt to keep the walls,
doors and towels covering vents and cracks cool and wet.
A wet towel swung around the room will help clear the
room of smoke.
Cover your mouth and nose with a wet cloth.
Stay low, but alert to any signs of rescue from the street or
the halls. Let the firemen know where you are by waving a
towel or sheet out the window.
The work place, your home away from home. Here you are
safe and secure in the one place where you no longer
have to worry about what you do or say.
WRONG!
On the next posting I will give you Part II
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