Safe Travels

People travel everyday, they travel by air, by rail, by sea, and on the road, either in groups or just on their own. Some travel to places more frequently than others, either around the city, nation, or the world. In any case there are chances where problems may occur because the traveler is careless, or if another one decides to cause harm to others.


These are issues travelers come up to:
1. Pickpockets
2. Sexual harassment
3. Unsanitary bathrooms
4. Traffic congestion
5. Passengers that are unpleasant to be nearby
6. Transportation workers who are sometimes rude.
7. Security screenings
8. Baggage lost during transport.
9. Uncomfortable seats.
10. Construction areas.

I think I'll address all of these.

1. Pickpockets are out there, they don't discriminate. The best thing you can do is just watch your surroundings. You're better off not taking out your wallet, electronic devices, because thieves are usually after those too.

2. I know this might sound strange to most people, but sexual harassment in transportation happens, including inappropriate touching. You should report this to your bus operator, train operator or conductor, or any law enforcement officer should this occur. Harassment a lot times occurs and not too many people aren't reporting such instances.

3. We all have to use the bathroom every now and then. Sometimes bathrooms aren't available in airports or subway/railroad stations. Sometimes the only available ones are the ones that are so dirty, you can't even breathe in there. I hear bathrooms in airplanes have a lot of dirt in them too.

4. Traffic Congestion is also another pain, but as travelers we must be patient and drive carefully. If we're riding buses or railroads/subways with a construction area around our path, we must allow extra travel time.

5. Fellow passengers that annoy you? For example, talking too loud on his or her cell phone can be quite annoying. If you feel uncomfortable, find another seat, or you can tell that passenger to quiet down. There may be other annoyances besides this one.

6. Transportation workers, such as a traveling agent, to bus operator, to station booth clerks in subway/railroad stations can be rude sometimes to passengers. Act professional, and do not act mean towards them. They most likely are having a bad day.

7. Security screens include checking your belongings. In airports this is common, however it's becoming more increasingly a daily routine in boarding buses and railroads. Some subway systems are also allowing random bag searches. You must cooperate with the police searching your bags, and a refusal may warrant an arrest. Best thing to do is make sure you have nothing personal to hide.

8. Baggage we carry a lot, or not at all, sometimes baggage may be sent on the wrong airplane or bus, by human error. I never lost my bags, however my friends did. You should go call your travel agent if this happens. Airlines are responsible for your baggage traveling safely and are obliged to hand over as much as $3,300 if you can't retrieve your bags.

9. Some seats aren't as comfortable as we like it, but we must deal with it, after all airplanes, buses, trains, cars, they're not our living rooms.

10. Oh the construction, while it means a short-term headache it means a long term of good commuting. Improving the path to transportation means a smooth and more comfortable commute.

One last note, if you see something, say something. If it looks like nothing, it will stay that way.

If you like more info I'll give you a few links:

http://mta.info/nyct/safety/
http://thetravelinsider.com/travelaccessories/delayedbaggagerights.html
http://mbta.com/riding_the_t/safety/