Crime on the Road

Crime and Travel

I’m currently following a single woman (on Twitter!) who has traveled the world all by herself. Having never been a woman, I never realized until recently how creepy guys in ALL countries can be toward a woman traveling alone. That being said, I have observed the behavior of folks toward me and my group when we’re traveling domestically and overseas.

On a flight out of Newark back home to LA, I “lost” an Apple iTouch.  I wanted to blame the TSA, but it could have “disappeared” in the airport shuttle.

A friend purchased some marijuana at the marina in Cabo San Lucas. A young guy took the money, went around the corner and came back with a wad of newspaper and thrust it at her like “here’s your purchase. Now get out of here.” She checked her “purchase” when we got back to the car, but there was nothing in the wad of newspaper. “I’ve never had this problem before,” she pouted.

In Bangkok, we bought tickets to ride the skytrain, the mass transit alternative to getting around the city. In our hurry to catch the next train, a friend threw a wad of Thai baht at the cashier and ran for the train. She left her booth and chased him down to give him his change!

One night in Bangkok, a driver offered to take me to a bar outside of town in the middle of nowhere that was not observing the queen’s birthday and thus was open when others weren’t. We pulled up front and he said, “I’ll be right here waiting for you, boss!” Twenty minutes later when the bar closed, there were no lingering taxies and he was nowhere to be found. I didn’t know where I was. I struck out on a lonely road toward the lights of Bangkok in the distance, not even sure I was headed in the right direction. Behind me, I heard the whine of an approaching tuk-tuk, a vehicle part motorcycle, part rickshaw that is the common form of transport for tourists in the city. I flagged him down. He didn’t speak English, but he understood the name of my hotel. It turned out I had only an American quarter on me, but I promised him I would hire him to be my exclusive driver for the rest of my trip. I insisted on getting his number when he dropped me off at the hotel and promptly lost it!

A single guy traveling in our group decided to avail himself of a local woman at the same Bangkok hotel. At first he was stopped by hotel security. “We don’t allow locals in here,” he said. After a bribe of about five dollars, the security guard took her ID. “You get this back when you leave the hotel,” he told her. Later on that evening, they parted ways. The security guard called his room to make sure he still had all his possessions and was okay before he allowed her to leave. Now that’s service!

People on holiday behave differently than they would at home. My wife and I were in Amsterdam when an inebriated young man staggered into the coffee shop and fell on the floor. We helped him up, but he was incoherent. “Don’t worry,” the proprietor assured us. “This happens all the time. We’ll get him back to his hotel.”

Once in the Bahamas and another time in Edinbrough we stumbled on drug deals in progress, and were promptly shooed off. It may seem like we live a charmed life, but on the whole, I think people are basically decent. Please don’t burst my bubble.

Scottish food? Hmm...

Former quaint little fishing village, Portpatrick remains true to its origins and was an epicurean highlight of our trip to Scotland. Though the country is only about the size of Massachusetts and possesses an awesome transit system, there's a lot of rural settings you'll miss if you don't rent a car. The vehicles in Scotland are remarkably frugal on petrol in most cases and you'll get to test drive something they've never heard of back in the States! Driving on the left side can be challenging, but fun. Keep in mind that whoever rides shotgun is the lookout for the drop-off the driver can't see. My co-pilot kept disturbing me with a panicked, "Close! Too close!" so I was forced to slow down a bit. Also, you don't look under the hood; you glance beneath the bonnet and put your stuff in the boot.

Portpatrick, which hugs the west coast of Scotland, is picturesque as you can see and has its own lighthouse with souvenirs available on the ground floor.  (Just to confuse us, in the UK the first floor is called the ground floor and the second is the first!) The four of us had an excellent seafood meal, caught locally, served up at the Waterfront Hotel and Bistro and easily the best meal we had all week.

The day before, one of us had ordered a chicken and mayo sandwich at a deli in Ayrshire. The chap behind the counter buttered the bread, slathered on the mayo and put a smidgen of chicken on top. Yuck!

The Scots have a reputation for pinching a farthing or two, so feel free to let your frugal flag fly! If you're going to buy a sweater, know that they're not cheap(er) unless they're made with less material.

Another Frugal tip: If you're from a more temperate climate like California, (like we are) and on a budget, (like we are), consider buying the heavy clothes you're going to need for a chillier, more humid climate at a second-hand store like Goodwill. You won't need them when you get home, so see they get donated to a local shelter and voila! You've got more room for souvenirs!

And, for goodness sake, try the haggis!