Security On Holiday - Part 2 - Respect The Culture

What is the world coming too, Death, Despondency and Sinking to the Depths of Despair?

Will our weekly shopping bills be rising, are the feral youths running riot on the streets, will the COVID-19 virus be escalating tremendously. Need I go on?

The world does seem to be sinking into the depths of despair!

If you believe what the papers say, then yes, we are sinking and sinking fast.

‘STOP’

Do not despair; you can easily protect yourself with sound and adequate security measures.

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Security While On Holiday

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Respect The Culture

You may be a tourist, but you are also a guest in that country, and you should show respect for its culture by the way you dress and conduct yourself. In a Muslim country, women should wear long sleeves, and a long dress buttoned up to the neck or trousers. If you show bare arms and legs, you are potentially disrespectful. Some Muslim societies will let it go, but the more conservative ones will take it as an insult. British holidaymakers often go to countries like Tunisia and Morocco without giving the local culture a thought. These are Muslim countries with very different social attitudes and customs. Women tourists go wandering into the souk in shorts and a bikini top, yet they are surprised when people prod and throw things at them.

When a British Army Unit was operating in the Malayan jungle way back in 1971, they found that they earned more goodwill by gestures like allowing the local village headman to take the salute when sounding ‘Retreat’ and by demonstrating the twist or jive at ceremonial dances, than by all the shiny gifts and barter goods that were customarily used to win over native populations.

Try at least to learn the local greeting in the native tongue, even if that is all you know, and find out the local quirks. You can make it part of the holiday for your kids and teach them to say a dozen words in the local language. They will enjoy that, and if they do get lost, they will not be unable to communicate.

Some research on places where you are thinking about taking a holiday might also influence your choice. It may be that you do not want to go to a particular location in a specific time for medical, cultural, or other reasons. A high crime rate in a country may influence you to give it a miss. For example, you would not want to restrict your enjoyment by going to a Muslim country during Ramadan, because it is not worth the hassle. Innumerable people come back from their holiday complaining that they did not like the place and saying, "I did not know it was going to be like that.” The only reason they did not is that they had not done any reading and research on it before they went.

How many times have you been to a resort and come across what looks like the thug element from the UK, all of them I would say? You can always tell by the country colours, the football tops and drunken behaviour. It is a bad state of affairs when our country flag, our Union Jack, is taken as an example of the thug element of our country. We all want to enjoy our holiday, so the way we conduct ourselves does have an impact on how others see our whole society. We are a proud Nation, with a fantastic sense of humour, and yes, we like a drink or two or three. However, sometimes the minority tend to go too far, probably spurred on by young holiday reps, bar owners, and cheap drink. I am not blaming others for our drinking habits; I feel it is all down to high spirits and wanting to have a laugh. The only thing I will say is ‘Think of others too’.

The literature you get from travel agents is all very alluring and colourful; unsurprisingly it does not give you information on the downsides or dangers of the area you are visiting. Ask your travel agent about Florida, and they will tell you about Disney and the Kennedy Space Centre; but, they never tell you about the danger areas to avoid. Find out as much as you can about the crime rate and the areas in which crime is usually perpetrated. Do not take your opinions from one dramatic incident that makes the front pages, which may be entirely out of the ordinary.

Everyone is paranoid about Miami and Florida now because of lurid publicity about a handful of cases; but, the number of people who go there safely shows that if you do the right things, there is a minimal danger to you or your family. You have to build up your awareness of what the actual risks are and in truth; they are often fewer than those of the area in which you live now. If you conduct yourself properly, there is no problem with a place like Florida.

If you live in Washington DC, for example, and go on holiday to London, you will want to know the danger areas there, which are probably equivalent to the ones you know back home. In Washington DC’s Acacia Avenue, you know to avoid the notorious Death Valley housing estate; all you are trying to do on holiday is identify the Acacia Avenues and Death Valleys in the area you are visiting.

Don’t forget, when you go abroad and intend to drive, check the local driving laws and never be tempted to scrimp on insurance; it may save a lot of trouble later.