Amber McKinney

Ms. Hunter

English 1201

February 25, 2020

How To Safely Explore Europe

Have you ever wondered what dangers lie behind the beauties of traveling

Europe? When I went to Europe, one of the first nights I witnessed someone get

pickpocketed. The lady got physical and was trying to steal a wallet from an old man,

but we were all so close and it could have happened to any of us. Traveling across

Europe can hold many dangers such as theft and terrorism. However, by blending in

and being aware of the surroundings, danger can be avoided.

To better understand where all this comes from, one must start from the

beginning. How did tourism across Europe become so popular? IT all started with

educational exploration pioneered by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He believed that "’

an intelligent person gains the best education from traveling,’"( Friedhelm

Schachtschneider). This is believed to begin the idea of traveling for fun instead of just

finding new land. Then came the late 1820s where a young Karl Baedeker would

publish the first travel guide. After traveling himself many times, he learned a few tricks

when it came to each region. He included advice and personal experience when writing

his guide. Lastly, Thomas Cooke left his imprint on traveling. He did not invent the idea

of the “package holiday,” but instead he advertized it. He did so by arranging

campaigners to attend society rallies. He paved the way for what we see today in

resorts and cruises. Although, since then, travel has opened up much more to the
public. However, what comes along with this is more potential targets and the dangers

the everyday tourist faces.

Amongst the dangers that come with traveling across Europe are a few things.

Pickpockets are the most well-known danger, however, there are many others. Such as

getting lost or drifting away from your tour group. Terrorism and other dangers that are

from the country itself, like war. Lastly, scammers are a large threat to tourists because

of the communication block.

Pickpockets are one of the most common topics spoke about when learning

about traveling safely across Europe. There are many different circumstances when it

comes to pickpockets. Sometimes they simply slide their hand into your bag or pocket

and grab whatever they can. Rita, a tour director from Europe, taught our tour group

about how to safely hide our valuables. One, if possible, hide your bag. Two, use bags

with zippers, not just buttons. Three, hold your entire bag in front of you because they

can cut the straps and you will not realize it until after. Rita also warned us about many

other ways they will pickpocket.

Another tactic used is a distraction. While in Europe, there were these ladies with

clipboards asking people to sign a petition for change. However, many travelers did not

realize they were pickpockets. Trippsavy makes sure to warn travelers about this in their

article, How To Travel Safely In Europe. The author, James Martin, references

“cardboard kids,” These are children who come up to tourists with a piece of cardboard

with something written on it to distract them while they steal the tourist’s belongings.

However, the best way to stay safe in these interactions is to be aware of them, say no

thank you, and walk away. If they start to get pushy, ignore them, hold your bag, and
walk faster. The pickpockets are looking for quantity and will move onto something

easier.

Martin touches base on another form of thieving as well. This being “thieves on

Vespas,” what he is referring to are the little scooters that most Europeans use to travel

around the busy streets. What they will do is have one person driving and another

person ready to grab a bag from the people walking amongst the street. The best way

to avoid this is to grasp your bag tightly and move as far away from the street as

possible.

Another threat is terrorism. The United States puts out advisories for this reason.

The higher risk advisory is called a Travel Warning. This means that travel could be very

dangerous and it is a current issue. However, a Travel Alert is under less serious

circumstances. Things such as planned protests, storms, or politics. The best way to

keep up with these things is the news. Simply going to BBC.com and see what is

happening in the countries you are planning on visiting.

In 2016, there was a series of attacks in Paris. This left 130 dead or wounded

and they were in seemingly harmless places. In response to the attacks, the United

States put out a worldwide travel alert on various places in Europe. You can stay aware

of these things by visiting travelstate.gov and looking under travel advisories.

Scammers are another threat. When visiting Paris there are little piddlers that try

and sell you small key chains or statues but do not buy them. They will try and put

things in your hands and claim you stole them and make you pay for them. Tuta Ionescu

taught me the best way to handle them is to state you are not interested and walk away

from them as quickly as you can. They will try and make a scene, however, do not
participate. Once more, it is best to stay calm and walk away.

Street vendors are also a threat. This is not due to them being harmful, but the

law. In Europe, it is not illegal to sell knock off goods, but instead to buy them. The best

way to avoid this is simply being smart about what you’re buying. Stick to knick nacks,

not a cheap knock-off Prada. Although, if a US citizen was arrested in Europe, do not

panic. Stay calm and ask the police to alter the US embassy. They can provide an

attorney who speaks both languages and work with the foreign police.

` Another form of scamming is simply ripping tourists off. Due to the language

barrier, many tourists face they ofter get overcharged. Such as getting offered things at

a restaurant, and assuming it is free, however, it is not. The best way to avoid this is by

always having someone familiar with the culture and language with you. However, that

is not always reality. So, another way is by simply trying to learn to navigate the

language before you go.

In contrast to this claim is the dangers that come with traveling the United States. One

of which is gun violence. The US is the leading country when it comes to gun rates.

CNN reported, “The US is first with 120 firearms per 100 people,”(Caitlin Hu). Although,

the probability of being shot or being involved in a mass shooting is low. Other countries

such as Canada still warns its citizens to “. . . take normal security

precautions,”(Caitlin Hu). However, this is the only major threat when visiting the United

States.

Other potential hazards when traveling to the United States could include the

following; petty theft, hazardous traffic, and dangerous homeless people. Tourists can

find petty theft and muggers in most big cities.

 How dangerous traffic depends on the area. Dangerousroads.org named Fort

Lauderdale and Orlando, Flordia, to be the top two dangerous cities to drive in. To stay

safe in these cities, tourists would need to practice safe driving habits and avoid driving

at night. As well as trying to avoid walking in high traffic areas.

Lastly, is the danger posed by the desperate homeless population that is only

growing. California has been facing a homeless crisis that rose to an all-time high in

2019. The consequences of this would include a rising danger posed by these

individuals. Fox News reported that “The number of violent assault cases increased to

2,496 in 2019 from 1,763 in 2017,” (Chakraborty). The potential danger for uneducated

tourists is growing, especially since California is one of the top-visited tourist locations in

the United States. Although, tourists can avoid this by not visiting highly homeless

populated areas in potentially dangerous cities. Some cities to be aware of are San

Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Rosa, and San Jose.

In conclusion, traveling across Europe can be extremely exciting and

invigorating. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the excitement and forget about the

dangerous realities that creep behind the fun idea of a different country. Traveling can

behold many dangers, however, you can travel as a smart tourist. Do this by

researching your destination beforehand. Become familiar with the city and make sure

there are no travel alerts or warnings. Understand the risks of the cities and traveling on

foot. By being aware of pickpocketers and scammers, you can learn how to avoid their

tactics. Understand the country and its laws, but most importantly, understand your

rights and how to get out of a legal situation based on its region. It is a beautiful world

we live in, and it is time to go explore it. Do so, but carefully.

 Works Cited

Chakraborty, Barnini. "Attacks by Homeless on Rise in California, Advocates Say Local

Leaders to Blame." Fox News, FOX News Network, 13 Nov. 2019,

www.foxnews.com/us/homeless-attacks-california-local-leaders-blame. Accessed

25 Feb. 2020.

Ellerbe, Tom. Traveling Europe - How to Be Safe and Smart. Tom Ellerbe, 2013.

Europe-BBC News. BBC News, www.bbc.com/news/world/europe. Accessed 2 Feb.

2020.

Farrier, David, and Polly Fryer, producers. Dark Tourist. Netflix, 2018.

"15 Dangerous Cities for Driving in the USA." Dangerousroads,

www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/2423-15-dangerous-cities-for-

driving-in-the-usa.html. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.

Hu, Caitlin. "What They Really Think: America Seen through the World's Travel

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www.cnn.com/2019/08/07/world/us-travel-advisories-intl/index.html. Accessed 25

Feb. 2020.

Ionescu, Tuta. Interview.

Martin, James. "How to Travel Safely in Europe." Tripsavvy, Dotdash,

www.tripsavvy.com/tips-for-a-safe-trip-to-europe-1507195. Accessed 2 Feb.

2020.

Passy, Jacob. "Nearly Half of the U.S.'s Homeless People Live in One State: California."

Market Watch, MarketWatch, 29 Sept. 2019, www.marketwatch.com/story/this-

state-is-home-to-nearly-half-of-all-people-living-on-the-streets-in-the-us-2019-09-
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Schachtschneider, Friedhelm. "How European Tourism All Began." DW, Deutsche Welle,

25 Sept. 2015, www.dw.com/en/how-european-tourism-all-began/a-18738123.

Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.

"US Department of State Issues Travel Alert for Europe on 16 November." Global

Rescue, GLOBAL RESCUE, 17 Nov. 2017,

www.globalrescue.com/common/blog/detail/US-Department-of-State-issues-

Travel-Alert-for-Europe-on-16-November/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.