Make copies of important documents

 Before you leave, photocopy your passport, drivers license and credit cards you will be taking on your trip and leave them with a trusted friend. Keep a list of important numbers to call hidden in a separate location, such as your luggage or with travel itineraries. In the event your wallet is lost or stolen you'll have the information you need readily available.

Clean out your wallet or purse

Take out all unnecessary documents that can possibly compromise your identity. Your Social Security, library and business cards won't be much help on vacation, leave them safely tucked away at home.

Don't put all you eggs in one basket

Good advice for investing and traveling. Don't keep all your cash in the same place. Keep what you'll immediately need for food, souvenirs, etc., in one pocket and larger amounts in another. Or consider getting a money belt. It keeps your credit cards and large amounts of cash close to you and safe. When you anticipate the need for more cash or a card, go to a discrete location, such a bathroom stall or lobby alcove to retrieve it out of view from prying eyes.

Leave debit cards at home

While convenient, debit cards present a special problem if lost or stolen. By the time you discover your card is missing an opportunistic thief may have already wiped out your account. Resolving the situation can take weeks, effectively ruining your vacation. Instead of debit cards, travel with credit cards. If lost or stolen the account holder is usually not liable for fraudulent charges over a certain amount. Plus some credit card companies can get a replacement card to you in days in some emergency situations and even offer travel protection. Check with your card company for specifics and travel benefits available.

Use traveler's checks

It's never a good idea to carry large amounts of cash with you. Traveler's checks offer flexibility and security. Simply cash what you need for the day and securely stash away the rest. If lost or stolen, they can easily be cancelled and replaced. Many banks offer special rates for account holders, check with your bank for reduced or no-fee offers on traveler's checks.

Take advantage of the hotel safe

Before leaving your room for the day, put extra credit cards, return trip tickets and other valuables in the hotel safe. There's usually no charge for this service and some locations offer individual safes in guest rooms. If still uncertain about the room safe, ask to use to hotel front desk safe or safety deposit box if available.

Be vigilant, not paranoid. While thieves are always looking for an opportunity to take advantage of an unsuspecting tourist, don't let the constant fear of an incident keep you from enjoying yourself. Always be aware of your surroundings and keep valuables such as your digital camera or iPod close to you at all times. Plan ahead and be prepared for the worse if it happens, but don't let worry spoil your fun. After all, the point of a vacation is to leave your worries at home.

While planning your trip, obtain maps of the areas you intend to visit. Free and relatively reliable websites can provide a good general view of roads and thoroughfares in most countries. It is best to print these out and keep them with you while traveling. The best source for maps will always be locally produced, but short of that, be aware of alternatives.

The first basic tenet is to not stand out in a crowd by announcing who you are and where you come from. National pride is heartening to see in light of challenging global events, but wearing brightly colored ball caps embroidered with an American flag while strolling in Middle East marketplaces is simply not smart. T-shirts, sweatshirts, bandanas, patches, and belt buckles emblazoned with the flag are perfectly fine when worn within the United States, but they become a neon sign for trouble when outside the continental U.S., and should be left home.

If traveling by air and you are a military or government member with an official passport, it is a good idea to also carry with you a civilian passport. If a terrorist should attempt to take over a plane, and assuming they are not looking to repeat the events of September 11th, 2001, a government passport will be among the criteria looked for in selecting potential victims for abuse and worse. Also, have a non-military or government I.D. with you such as a driver's license so that you won't stand out when asked to produce identification by terrorists.

Terrorists look for predictable patterns of movement in their potential targets, allowing them to set up and prepare for their actions. Having prepared yourself with area maps prior to arriving at your destination, you will be able to accomplish two things: If you are taking public transportation such as a cab, you will know if the driver is remaining on route, or if he is taking you off route. Taxi drivers can be affiliated with terrorist organizations, or could simply have been paid by a terror cell to take you to a different destination where they can act against you. By knowing your area routes, you will be able to determine whether or not your driver is acting on your instructions or someone else's. Second, by knowing the nearby roads, you can pre-plan your routes and alter them daily, particularly if you travel on foot. If terrorists cannot determine where you will be traveling, they can't pre-plan against you and may look for an easier target.

If you will be staying in a country for an extended period, try to change lodging accommodations periodically. Again, the key to success in avoiding terrorists from planning actions against you is unpredictability.

Have key phone numbers available to you in the event of an emergency, including embassy numbers and local police. If available to you, keep a cell phone on your person at all times and keep the battery charging when not in use.

While it may put a damper on your social activities, avoid events or places where large groups of your countrymen gather. Terrorists look for spectacular results from methods such as car bombs, suicide bombers, or gunfire attacks, and the denser the public gathering, the more attractive it appears to terrorists, so avoid them whenever possible.

These are just a few of the measures that can be taken, and a future, more expansive article might be forthcoming if the value is determined. Wherever you are going and whatever the reason for you being there, take careful, thoughtful measures to reduce the threat to you and the people you are traveling with. Too much human tragedy has occurred already at the hands of terrorists, and making it easier for them is inexcusable. All of the measures outlined above are relatively simple, yet highly effective, so put them to good use.

For your Safety

The primary objective of every airline is the safety of all its passengers, and the Flight Safety Committee of every airline takes all the necessary measures to ensure that this objective is achieved. The Cabin Crew may take a stern line when dealing with passengers who refuse to obey and lawful command, or with passengers who conduct themselves in an inappropriate manner, such as through offensive, aggressive or violent behaviour towards other passengers and/or crew. Under such circumstances the Captain may take appropriate action to ensure the safe conduct of the flight. The following are a few simple safety requirements that we ask your cooperation in upholding.

Electronic Devices

All electronic devices should be switched off for take-off and landing of each and every flight. Electronic devices such as laptops, electronic games, video games, DVD's etc, can be used only when the Fasten Seat Belt sign is switched off after take-off until switched on again for landing. Mobile phones should be switched off from the moment you leave the terminal building of each and every airport and during all phases of your flight. Should you wish to use your electronic devices during the cruise, please ask the cabin crew and they will advise on which devices are permitted and when.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited form when you leave the terminal building until you return to the terminal building. Smoking is allowed in designated smoking areas only. Smoking is not allowed during any phase of most flights around the world. This is due to safety measures, and consequences that happened on board in the past. Should you be aware of a passenger who has smoked in the toilet during the flight, please inform the Cabin Crew immediately so that they check for any undetected fires. These are very important measures that each and every individual should take onboard as it can be of a survival measure.

Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol consumed at high altitude can have a stronger effect than usual. Cabin Crew are legally empowered to refuse serving any alcohol to the intoxicated passenger and to any one under the age of 18years old. In extreme cases, Crew may also temporarily confiscate the passenger's own drinks so that the passenger would not become a nuisance to the other fellow passenger sitting around his area, as well as the Crew. Further more, each and every airline is bound by international regulations which prohibit embarkation or the carriage of drunken passengers. But once you are reading this article, that most passengers are aware of this safety measures, and are an exemplary passenger. Indeed, the Cabin Crew may need you to assist and restrain another passenger if there be need. And the unlikely event that the her or she may act irresponsibly during the flight.

Enjoy you flight

Cabin Crew Manager

If you travel abroad you can end up bringing home some exotic little beasts, which will feast on your blood and lay eggs in your organs. Threadworms and head lice are much more common than most people would like to admit, although neither are actually dangerous. Generally the bugs we encounter abroad are much nastier than you would find at home. If you are in southeast Asia you may encounter an aquatic leech. It will crawl into any orifice if can find-mouth, vagina, nostrils, ears-and suck your blood. Even worse, you might be invaded by something you can't even see-a particularly nasty group of amoebae that swim up you nostrils and wriggle into your brain. They destroy brain cells, causing vomiting, fever and usually death. Luckily this condition is very rare.

Swallowing eggs of the pork tapeworm is much more common. It happens when you eat infected undercooked meat or drink contaminated water. The eggs hatch and worms make their way through the blood supply into the muscles, eyes or brain. It is most dangerous when the worms die in the brain, as the immune system detects them as "foreign" and tires to destroy the remains. This causes fits, paralysis and sometimes death. But don't burn your passport just yet.

The most common risk facing travelers is diarrhea. And though it can come in exotic forms, it is usually easily curable. Often a change in diet alone is enough to cause nausea and a mild case of diarrhea, which usually gets better within a couple of days. But some food poisoning bugs and parasites are much worse than others. The condition can almost always occurs when traces of human feces make their way into the water supply. The highest risk areas include Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

You are least likely to get diarrhea is you eat in a private home and most likely to get it from a street vendor. Hotels and restaurants come in the middle. Avoid the following: raw fruit and vegetables, undercooked seafood, undercooked or raw meat, tap water, ice, dairy products and unpasteurized milk. The safest drinks come from a sealed bottle or are hot, like coffee and tea. Be particularly careful about washing your hands before eating or handling food, and after using the toilet. If washing is difficult, use antiseptic wipes.
If you have diarrhea and/or vomiting, it is important not to get dehydrated-but only drink water that has been boiled or comes from a reliable bottled source. Avoid alcohol, dairy products and coffee. Lying down on your left side while you are recovering from diarrhea will relieve the pressure of gas. Medicines such as Imodium will help and are useful if you have to make a long journey where toilets are hard to find. See a doctor if it's possible who can give you an antibiotic that works against bacterial infection. It is always good planning to take some medicine with you for diarrhea no matter where you travel.

Other critters you may encounter on your journeys could be bed bugs, head lice and scabies. Bed bugs are vile but they don't spread diseases. They are brown wingless insects that feed on blood and hind in the crevices in walls and furniture. They excrete as they feed leaving telltale dark stains that you might spot on the edge of a mattress. Avoid them by pulling your bed away from the wall and leaving the light on, as they prefer to feel in the dark. Mosquito nets with some insecticide should also help. Ask for another room immediately if you suspect bed bugs and make sure the linen in a room is clean.

Head lice are all over the world but are most common among school children. They are transmitted by head-to-head contact. In turn, family members of any age can also get them. They are difficult to avoid unless every person in the family who is acting as a host to the head lice is treated at the same time. They cause itching and can be seen if you shake them out of your hair and on to a piece of paper. They are treated by using insecticide shampoos and removing eggs with a special comb. The crab louse lives in pubic or armpit hair and is transmitted by human-to-human contact (usually sexual). The body louse, despite its name, lives in clothing that is worn for a long period of time. In all the above cases, all over the world, go to a pharmacy and ask for an insecticide that will treat the problem. Wash all clothing and bedding thoroughly and immediately, or these lice will reappear.

Scabies can cause a lot of discomfort if left untreated. It is a parasitic mite that burrows into the skin following close physical contact. Its favorite places are the hands, feet and male private parts. Because the parasite creates an allergic reaction, people can find themselves itching all over rather than just in the site where the mite has invaded. To avoid it, be careful who you get close to. The jury is still out on whether you can get scabies from towels or bedding. Protect yourself by washing towels and bedding at high temperatures. Don't share towels or beds until you have completed treatment.

The most important advice is to stay in clean places with clean bedding and towels, although some First Class hotels have been accused of having bed bugs. Seek treatment quickly and don't be ashamed to go to a pharmacy and ask questions about treatment for this or any medical problems you may have on your travels.

Many unexpected problems can occur while yachting for pleasure. These few items can help to assure your peace of mind, knowing that you are well prepared for the occasional mishap.