Whether traveling in the United States or abroad, there are certain steps travelers can take to ensure the safest possible travel experience. Having provided ground transportation services in the Philadelphia area since 1996, we have placed highest priority on helping our passengers and their belongings remain secure as they travel to and from area airports, or between local venues.
We are happy to share these tips for those who plan to travel in the future; please feel free to print and share this useful information with anyone you know who may benefit from it.
TRAVEL SAFETY AND SECURITY TIPS
Some of these recommendations may seem obvious, but worth mention since it’s often easy to overlook details when preparing for travel. Other tips are not so common; it is our hope that even one of these suggestions will help to prevent any problems you may encounter during your trip(s).
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL:
- Leave valuables at home when possible.
Here’s an extra-handy tip: If you don’t feel that your home is the most secure place for some of your most precious items, take them to your local pawn shop… yes, you read that correctly! You can pawn valuables for a small amount, and know that those items are guarded by security systems, cameras and strong entry locks… an inexpensive ‘rental’ of secure space for your valuables until you return home to retrieve them. - Make a list of customer service phone numbers for all credit/debit cards.
If your cards are stolen, you must act quickly before thieves charge up your accounts, but you won’t have the cards in hand to look up customer service phone numbers. Carry a list of numbers with you, and leave a copy of the list with a friend or family member. - Document your electronic devices, (mobile phones, laptops, etc).
Make a list of all serial/make/model numbers of your devices, for easier tracking if they are lost or stolen. Also, back up important data such as photos/videos that cannot be replaced. - Set PIN codes for electronic devices.
While it may be inconvenient to enter a pin # or other authentication each time you use your device, it’s best to endure this extra step when traveling to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, you may check into security apps, such as Prey, that enable tracking and/or remote control access for your devices. - Leave your itinerary with a friend of family member.
While you don’t want to spend your vacation ‘touching base’ with the folks back home every day, it’s easy to send a quick text or email each day so that someone will be aware if something is amiss.
WHILE YOU’RE AWAY
- Be aware of your surroundings.
It’s easy to get caught up in activities and sightseeing, and forget to keep an eye on what’s going on around you. Staying mindful of suspicious persons, packages or situations may give you extra seconds or minutes to react in the event of emergency. - Don’t keep valuables in purses, shoulder bags or backpacks.
Money or other important items should be kept close to your person, deep in pockets or even in your shoes if possible, so they can’t be easily snatched. - Remain low-key when carrying cash or valuables.
When possible, Use cards or traveler’s checks, but if you must use cash, separate your ‘wads’ of bills into smaller amounts, and always keep the lower denomination bills on the outside of the roll. Other valuables should never be obviously ‘flashed around’ in public view. - Monitor your accounts.
Check your bank/credit card accounts when possible to watch for unauthorized transactions; the sooner you’re aware of suspicious activity, the sooner you can take action to prevent further charges. - Avoid using public WiFi to access sensitive accounts.
For online banking, payment transactions or any other online activity that require usernames, passwords and personal information, don’t use open WiFi that could leave your information exposed to anyone trolling the network. - Don’t use the “remember me” option for logins.
If you must log in on a public computer, make sure the ‘remember me’ box is UN-checked, and be sure to fully log out of the accessed account before closing the browser window. If possible, clear the computer’s browser history & cache for added security. - Learn about the area you’re traveling to.
If you’re not using a travel agent or tour guide who is familiar with the locale you’re visiting, check with the city’s law enforcement agency to determine any areas you may want to avoid. - Ensure a solid and safe reputation for any ground transportation services you use.
Check reviews and request recommendations. When you step into a chauffeured vehicle, make sure there is a latch to open the door from the inside, as well as an accessible door lock. Also ask your driver to lock all vehicle doors during the drive, if they haven’t already done so.
We hope you find these tips useful; stay tuned next week for Part II: overseas travel safety.
SAFE Philadelphia AREA transportation
At Philadelphia Limo Services, our passengers’ safety and security are of utmost importance. We make it our business to get you where you need to go in luxury, comfort and without incident. Every one of our chauffeurs is guaranteed to possess a clean driving record, and have been fully background checked prior to driving for our company. Our vehicles are fully equipped with the latest in state-of-the-art security features, and up to date on all inspections. We are honored to provide safe, reliable service for our Philadelphia area travelers.
You can get a fast and easy rate quote for Philadelphia area transportation by clicking the button below to get more information or speak with one of our reservation experts:
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