• Trust your instincts.
• Be aware of what’s going on around you, all the time.
• Avoid becoming an easy target. Project the impression that you can defend yourself.
• If you drink, remember to be a responsible drinker. Becoming highly intoxicated exposes you to arrests, assaults, robbery, and rape.
• Never leave a friend who’s intoxicated.
• Never leave your drink where you can’t see it. If you don’t see it, leave it.
• Never accept drinks from someone you don’t know.
• Get your drinks only from the bartender or a person you trust.
• Never go out alone. Be in a group and make sure the group remains intact. No one should ever be left alone; everyone should always be accounted for.
• Never stray from your group. Stick with people you know and trust.
• Do not go off with strangers. Fellow travelers you’ve just met and local people qualify as strangers.
• Be wary about following strangers and people you don’t know back to homes, parties, rooms, etc.
• Don’t carry plenty of cash. Don’t show your cash.
• Whenever possible, use plastic (debit or credit cards) or traveler’s checks.
• If traveling to a foreign country, ensure you have proper documentation to travel, state-issued identification and passports. Be sure to get the correct immunizations needed for travel to particular countries.
• Follow all the local laws and regulations.
• Leave your important valuables and documents in the hotel’s safe deposit box — never in your hotel room — when going out, even to the hotel swimming pool or beach.
• Leave copies of your travel itinerary with a family member, a relative or a responsible friend. This should include information about your flights, hotels and contact numbers.
• Leave a copy of your passport (especially the page containing your personal information), if you’re travelling abroad. Call at least once while you’re on travel. If you change plans, you must call to inform.