A TRAVEL security expert has revealed how holidaymakers can protect themselves against thieves in airport car parks.
Some Brit holidaymakers heading to the airport are likely to get their car valeted before jetting off overseas.
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While this may sound extremely organised, it can actually pose a potential safety risk, as Carolyn Person, the CEO and Founder of Maiden Voyage, explains.
Carolyn told Sun Online Travel: “One thing I have evidence of from my training courses is that when people have taken their car to a valet parking, they have sometimes left their dashcam on, and they’ve seen some peculiar things happening in their car.
“For example, they’ve seen people rummaging for loose change in the seats.”
Among the loose change left between the seats, Brits often leave letters, and other important documents, in their cars, thinking they’re safe from potential thieves.
Carolyn added: “If you’re leaving documents in your car that have got your home address on, it could mean that someone could inform somebody else about that address, which could potentially lead to a crime.
“Before you go away, make sure to take any personal identification out of the vehicle.”
Carolyn isn’t the only person who is weary of leaving her car with an airport valet.
Earlier this year, holidaymaker Alan Ennis, 62, was stung by a £60 parking fine after he left his car to be valeted at a UK airport.
After landing back from his holiday in the Canary Islands, Alan was shocked to receive a £60 parking charge notice for allegedly leaving his car on a road in a housing estate in Purfleet, Essex, without a permit, some 100 miles away from the airport.
Baffled Alan has complained to the airport parking team, who deny the claims.
Other travel safety tips
FLIGHT attendants and other travel safety experts have also shared how they keep themselves when travelling.
Carolyn Pearson founded Maiden Voyage, a business dedicated to making travel safer, 16 years ago.
As part of her role, Carolyn educates businesses and industry professionals on safety and security in the travel sector.
In addition to providing training to hotel employers and their employees, Carolyn also shares safety tips, tricks, hacks, and advice with holidaymakers.
In a series of other articles in Sun Online Travel, Carolyn revealed how getting a taxi to the airport can also pose a potential safety risk.
She told Sun Online Travel: “I don’t know if this is an urban myth or a rumour, but there’s an understanding within our city that there’s a certain minicab company that when they know that the occupants are on holiday, it seems to be coincidental that they’ve taken that minicab firm and their houses get broken into.”
“If you’ve got concerns about your minicab company, maybe organise a pick up which is close to your house but not your actual address.”
Carolyn explains that your pick-up location could be on the corner of your street or slightly further down the road – although don’t use your neighbour’s address.
HOTEL SAFETY TIPS
At the end of last year, Carolyn urged holidaymakers to avoid announcing their room number at the check-in desk.
She said: “Once they’ve read out the room number, reception staff will give guests directions to their room.”
Despite seeming helpful, sharing this information in a hotel foyer could be dangerous.
Ask for your room number to be written down instead, so other guests won’t know where you’re staying.
Carolyn always makes sure to travel with a £1 doorstop too, to give her hotel room some extra security at night.
She said: “I always travel with a door jammer because there are some hotels that I really like, but they don’t have a second lock.”
Safety mistakes when boarding planes
PASSENGERS also make these safety mistakes when getting on board our planes
Not charging devices
Sometimes airline staff might ask you to prove your phone, or any other device, works as expected.
This is to show us that it’s actually a phone and not just a phone case hiding something sinister or banned.
If you’re unable to prove your device works, we have the right to take your phone off you and force you to leave it behind at the airport.
It’s either that, or you don’t board with it – those are your options.
Vaping on board
This is really stupid – imagine the panic you could cause by creating a billow of smoke in the plane cabin.
A lot of people think they can get away with vaping, but the smoke is so thick and often comes with a pungent aroma that we’re more often than not going to catch you in the act.
Storing electric devices in the overhead bins
This is a huge fire risk and you should never do it. Phones, vapes and other devices should be in your personal bag under the seat in front of you, if it has to be on the plane at all.
If the batteries crack in a certain way, they can very easily start fires and that’s the last thing you want to happen in a metal tube 40,000 feet in the sky.
Meanwhile, a flight attendant recently shared her top safety hacks for travellers to prevent hotel break-ins.
And Royal Marine Robin has revealed how you can stay safe in your hotel room using just a belt.
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