- An improvised money belt
If you’re pressed for time, you can make your own money belt out of a pair of old pantihose. Put your money, passport and other valuables into the foot of the pantihose and tie the top around your waist. And don’t worry, your home-made money belt will be concealed by clothing.
- Point your shoes towards the emergency exit
When you check into a hotel, take a few minutes to study the fire-exit diagrams posted on the inside of your door. Then place your shoes by the door before you retire for the night, pointing them in the direction of the emergency exit in your corridor. This way, if an alarm goes off in your hotel room and you wake up and smell smoke, you won’t panic trying to remember which way to turn to escape.
- Seal luggage latches
When you check your luggage onto a flight these days, you may be encouraged to leave them unlocked, in case security decides to inspect them. Thoughts of your luggage being chucked about and the latches popping open —and your belongings being made vulnerable to thieves — may well follow. Allay these concerns by covering the latches of your suitcase with just enough gaffer tape to fit over the fastenings. Security will then be able to inspect the bag by peeling back the tape, and hopefully they will retape the fasteners once they have finished. Use tape that matches the colour of your suitcase or travel bag so that your quick fix won’t be obvious to potential thieves.
- Thwart pickpockets
A simple safety pin can make your wallet a lot more secure. Put your wallet into a pocket of your trousers or your jacket and close the opening with a safety pin in such a way that you can still squeeze the wallet out — but just barely. The pin will dumbfound anyone who attempts to pickpocket you, since you will undoubtedly notice the tug.
- A fine-toothed wallet protector
If you’re a man, a wallet and a comb are two items that you probably carry with you at all times. But did you know that you could use them together to prevent pickpockets from taking your wallet? Place your comb in the fold of your wallet so that the teeth extend beyond the open edge; then double-loop a rubber band around the wallet through the teeth of the comb. When you put the wallet in your trousers pocket or the breast pocket of your jacket, the teeth will catch on the fabric when they are moved. So when a thief tries to slip the wallet from your pocket, the comb will act as both a barrier and an alarm.
Credit: Reader’s Digest
Picture Credit: Google
