23 November, 2009 21:08:59
in society
Personal Safety in Peru: A Few Tips
By Walter Raffo
This week LivinginPeru.com brings Walter Raffo's monthly safety article, with a theme of general tips on personal safety.
Whether or not you are a tourist in Peru, living in any of its major cities or towns, or planning on visiting this beautiful country in the future, this is an article that you need to read.
Learn all about what to do in various situations, such as taking a taxi, crossing the street, while out to eat, or while walking around by reading further!
When carrying a bag or a purse
• Try not to carry a large, a smaller one is easier to protect
• Carry it in the front of your body, so your body will protect it.
• Make sure that the zipper is closed; it will help to avoid falling items while walking
• Choose low profile items, never something that would be too luxurious for street walking.
• In crowed situations, embrace your bag or purse with both arms and move fast.
When waiting for a taxi on the street
• Never take the first or second one
• If it is a yellow or company cab the better
• Look at the driver straight to eyes while bargaining for the fare
• Make a quick assessment of the driver and the car
• If it is a station wagon, make sure that the rear part is clean and empty
• Take the back seat behind the driver
• Lock all doors and close windows, leaving enough space to get air, but not for anyone to open the door
At a street intersection
• Avoid being in the first line while waiting to cross, it may help to avoid accidents
• Watch out for bag snatchers or muggers who take advantage of the crowd
• Follow the traffic signs or the police instructions
• Try to cross the street quickly but safely, walk fast but with a firm step
On the street
• Make a mental plan how to get to your destination
• If there is no specific destination, remain alert in regards to your surroundings
• Make unexpected turns or change velocity in order to notice if somebody else is doing the same
• Go into stores and walk out immediately for the same reason.
• Always play safe and do not trust strangers.
• Ask for the same directions to two or three different persons and find out if their descriptions match.
While in a restaurant or bar
• Prudently try not to sit too close to the entry door or the end of the room
• If you sit facing the entry door the better, it will help to keep visual control of it.
• Keep your belongings within sight, and your purse locked to the table (most restaurants in Lima offer this service)
• Make a quick assessment of the staff at the restaurant or bar, and memorize the waiter’s name and physical aspect.
• Engage in what you are doing, but remain alert
http://www.livinginperu.com/features-1008-society-personal-safety-peru-few-tips
Victoria Lugovskaya came to Peru three months ago. She is Russian, blond and tall, and she doesn't live in the touristy districts of Lima. She, as you can imagined, is noticed. "Whenever I go out, all eyes are on me," Lugovskaya writes. But, she's not just complaining. "And once you get accustomed to the intense interest people show in your unusual looks, you may want to enjoy the benefits of being a foreigner in this country," she writes. "You’ll be welcome here. I learned it from a lot of little experiences when being very nice to me was of no benefit for the people who did it."
