 | Your children:
Don't allow your children to play in
the hotel by themselves -- at the beach, in a store, in the swimming pool, outside the
lobby, in the workout area, -- or anywhere else out of your sight. Remember that
children are easy to grab, and a girl
(or boy) of
baby-sitting age is attractive to a dangerous predator. If you lose sight of your children
even for a moment, it could very well be for ever. |
| Cribs: Make
sure cribs are safe: (The American Academy
of Pediatrics has suggestions for picking a crib. No less care should be taken with
hotel cribs). See the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission for a 2000 report on hotel cribs. |
| Check over the room:
Before you accept a room, ask the clerk if it has
balconies, fireplaces, and windows that open. Check the windows to make sure they're secure, and cover the
electrical outlets with your own covers, with covers
provided by the hotel, or with duct tape. Scout through the room for anything dangerous, and remember that
bathtub handles in hotel rooms are often loose, backward, dangerously hot, or touchy.
Check for bugs or bad odors. Make sure the lights and locks work properly. |
| Night lights:
Plug in at least two night lights -- one in the bedroom and one in the bathroom -- so that
everyone can find their way at night. |
| Answering door:
Don't allow your children to answer the door, and don't answer the door without verifying
who it is through the viewer. Remember that hotel staff wear uniforms, and if a person
claims to be an employee, call the front desk and make sure the visit is a valid one. |
| Strangers:
Don't ever invite strangers to your room -- even if you've had a few drinks with them and
feel they're OK. |
| Doors/Windows:
Close the door securely at all times, and use all of your locking devices. Don't leave
windows, balconies or sliding glass doors open and/or unlocked. Secure them before
leaving, taking a shower or going to bed. |
| Your room number:
Don't allow the desk clerk to flash your key or announce your hotel room
number when booking a room or
when making queries. If the clerk makes a mistake, and you don't feel comfortable about
it, change your room. Don't display your guest rooms keys while at restaurant tables, the
swimming pool or in stores. When in front of strangers,
don't discuss plans for staying somewhere other than
at the hotel. |
| Trust your instincts:
If you're a single woman (or mother alone with a child) who is about to enter
an elevator with a single man already inside of it -- or if you're inside the
elevator and a single man is about to enter -- be alert to your instincts. If
you have doubts, excuse yourself politely and get off or stay off the elevator.
Don't worry about seeming rude (if the man
is friendly, he will understand -- and if he isn't friendly, you have made a wise
decision). In fact, use this philosophy while at the hotel's swimming pool or workout area
-- or even at playgrounds, restaurants, Laundromats or stores. If you have a bad feeling
about a situation or about someone -- leave quickly and firmly. Let your natural instincts
guide you. Teach your children to do the same. |
| Use the main door:
Use the main entrance of the hotel for both leaving and arriving. Be alert to suspicious
activity, and look around parking lots before entering them. Don't be reluctant to report
suspicious activity to the management, and don't allow your concerns to be blown off. |
| Valuables:
Don't leave valuables out in your hotel room (many hotels have a safe deposit box or safe
you can rent). Don't draw attention to your cash or jewelry: Don't allow anyone to see
large amounts of cash or jewelry. Don't leave packages, suitcases or other valuables
visible in your vehicle -- or unattended in the hotel lobby. |
| Meth labs: Some drug dealers who cook methamphetamine will use hotel rooms to
better elude the police. Because of the volatile and toxic nature of meth chemicals and
the cooking process, you should be on the lookout for hotel rooms with iodine stains, a
strong chemical odor, or acid marks in the room -- particularly around the sinks, toilets
or bathtubs. If you come across any of these things, find another room. You might want to
make a habit of renting rooms near the front desk,
because meth cookers would probably want to operate at
some distance from management. Also look for signs of meth labs in houses you're thinking
of purchasing or renting. We are told that once a meth lab has been in a house --
the house should simply be condemned. |
