I’ve been a nonstop traveler for about five years, and for the last year and a half, I’ve been a solo female traveler. Let me tell you, I have learned a lot about how to stay safe and avoid dangerous situations while traveling. Today, I’m going to share my top tips with you.
Always Share Your Location
One of the most important things that I do is sharing my location with two to three people at all times. Typically, that’s one person in Mexico, one person in the US, and one person specifically wherever the town or city is that I’m living in. There are a lot of apps that you can do this for free. I just use Find My iPhone, and it doesn’t actually drain your battery at all.
Keep Your Phone Charged (and Bring a Backup!)
The next extremely important thing I do to keep myself safe while traveling is I try to always leave my rental or apartment, wherever I’m staying, with a fully charged phone. In addition, I always, always, always have a portable battery pack on me that is also fully charged, so I’m never put in a situation where I don’t have access to call somebody in an emergency, get an Uber, get a taxi, call 911, or anything like that. I’ll mention one I recommend later in this blog post. I’ve had it for like six years now, and it’s going strong. It’s about the size of a tube of lipstick, so it’s super portable, and I take it with me everywhere.
The “Fake Phone Call” Strategy
Another thing I like to do when traveling alone, especially if I have to walk around at night, but in any case, if I’m just walking around by myself and perhaps feeling uncomfortable, is call someone on the phone, call a friend, and just chat the entire time I’m walking. Somebody is way less likely to come up and bother somebody that’s on the phone and would have a way to communicate like, “Hey, there’s this creepy guy that looks like this that’s following me,” or something, than somebody who’s just trying to keep their head down. And if it’s an absolute emergency, and nobody’s available because it’s super late at night or something, I will fake have a conversation on the phone because that is just as effective, and I don’t mind talking to myself and looking like a crazy idiot if it means staying safe.
Trust Your Gut Feeling
The next extremely important thing that I’ve learned while traveling is to always, always, always trust my gut feeling. In any situation where I have red flags going up, I always listen to that and get out, even if it means doing the most awkward thing possible, like walking away from somebody mid-conversation, getting out of an appointment even if I’ve already paid for it, or anything along those lines.
That also means if, for instance, somebody walks up to me and there’s a bunch of other people around and they’re asking me, the very obviously foreign girl who’s alone, for some help with something, then I’m just going to walk away, because there’s absolutely no need for somebody to do that when there’s plenty of other people who are very clearly locals all around. I’m not saying that if some old man walks up and asks me to open the door for him or needs help with groceries or something, I’m not going to be rude or mean to people unnecessarily. But if it’s weird, like, “Hm, I don’t know about this feeling,” then I just get out.
The Check-In Buddy System
The next thing I do, just to be on the safe side, since I do live alone, and who even knows what the heck could happen while I’m by myself in my apartment—trip over a rug and crack my head on the kitchen table, or get sick, have a coughing fit, who knows? Heaven forbid anything would happen while I’m living alone by myself. That was redundant, but I have a check-in buddy. So, there’s a friend of mine that we send an emoji every morning whenever we wake up or whenever we think of it throughout the day. If we don’t hear from the other person, then we call, we check in, and make sure that nothing else is going on. So, it’s just an added level of security just in case, because, you know, maybe family members of mine, they’re like, “Okay, we hear from her a couple times a week,” or depending on the situation, whatever, but just to have that person that is consistently checking up on you. This person is also one of those people that has my location shared so that she would know if I was home or somewhere else and whether or not to be worried.
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Avoid Predictable Patterns
The next thing I do to stay safe is never doing anything in a pattern, if I can avoid it. So, that means even, literally, in the small town of Ajijic where I currently live, I take different routes and different paths to go to restaurants, even if it means going out of the way or something, just so that people cannot track my habits. I don’t go to the same restaurant on the same day, and I know this isn’t possible for some people, but whenever, if ever it’s possible, I have the most spontaneous and erratic schedule and patterns, and it does make me feel a lot safer because people don’t bump into me like, “Oh, hey, good to see you here again.” And I don’t have to wonder, “Hm, are they planning something to rob my apartment while I’m out?” Or do they know that I always travel on the first of the month? If that was the case, it’s not, so I don’t have to worry so much.
Send an Outfit Photo Before Going Out
Moving right along. The next thing I do to make sure that I’m safe, or as a kind of insurance plan, is to take a picture of whatever my outfit is before going out, even on a travel day, and send it to a friend, just like my emoji check-in buddy. That way, in case, once again, heaven forbid, anything were to ever happen to me, that’s a picture that you can give to the police of exactly what I look like if I, like, got kidnapped or something. I hate saying that out loud, but just in case, you never know. I do not, however, post said picture on social media because I think that would have the complete opposite effect as to giving somebody, essentially, how to pick me out in a crowd if they wanted to. And that is something I worry about occasionally, like crazy fans, maybe, or somebody that’s a stalker that I don’t know about.
Strategic Seating in Public Places
My next travel safety tip is to position myself in the most optimal place that I can in a restaurant. Obviously, this isn’t possible every single time, but if I can never have my back to the exit and always have a clear emergency exit path if I were to need to run out of there quickly, I try to do that. So, that’s not always in the very back corner of the restaurant, but definitely where nobody could sneak up behind me and grab me.
Never Leave Food or Drinks Unattended
I also think this goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: I never, never, never leave my food and drinks unattended, especially drinks. So, that means I will not go to the bathroom with a napkin or a coaster on top. I don’t think that’s safe at all. I’m either going to finish it or just give it back, you know, I’ll just be done with it at that point. And it does, honestly, make me kind of nervous that the standard thing that they do in Mexico is instead of bringing a box to you, they take your plate to the back and box it up there. That’s just pretty standard practice. I have been recently asking for the box myself because even that makes me a little bit uneasy, because if I were to go eat that somewhere else, especially if it’s to-go food, and they slip something in there, or whatever, I just don’t want to give myself that extra opportunity for risk.
Quick Venue Scan (Video for Reference)
And I know this is going to sound incredibly paranoid, but it does make me feel better to just take a quick pan of any bar, restaurant, or event that I’m going to, so that that video can be up in the cloud. I’m not necessarily going to post it or include it in a travel journal of my travels, but just to have it in case I need to look back and go, “Hm, were there any unsavory characters?” Or, “Who was that guy or that person that did that thing?”
Dress Appropriately for the Local Culture
Now, let’s talk about wardrobe. I am certainly not of the mentality of the victim blaming, “Well, what was she wearing?” type of thing. But I do think, for instance, if you go dressing like you are going to the beach in central Mexico, well then, yeah, you’re going to stand out like a sore thumb and probably be more likely to be the target of scams or other undesirable situations. So, that’s why, as a solo female, I have, for instance, started wearing jeans almost everywhere because that’s what people do in central Mexico. They wear pants, and so when you’re not, even if I’m wearing skirts or shorts, or whatever, that does make me stand out, and it does get me more stares, which, at the very least, makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable. But I also think it does make me more likely to be a target.
Uber and Taxi Safety Protocols
Now, let’s talk about Uber. Whenever I’m getting in an Uber or InDriver, or any other type of taxi, especially if it’s one that I’ve ordered, and then I know who is supposed to be picking me up, I always, always, always verify the license plate and ask the driver what their name is, and I try not to go, “Are you Luis?” Instead, make them tell me what their name is, because they can just agree. I also don’t volunteer my name unless they say, “Are you Maddie?” And then, of course, I’m going to tell them. I also make it a habit to get on the passenger side in the back seat so that it’s less likely that they can grab me or do anything if it ever turned into something like that. And I also verify, as soon as I get in the car, that I can open the door, that there’s no child lock on, and, therefore, that I’m not trapped inside the car.
Also, when it comes to taking Ubers and taxis, or any other type of transportation where it’s not a fixed route, like on a bus, I’m always going to familiarize myself with the route ahead of time, and typically, I’ll even have it up on my phone, not necessarily in the Uber app or anything like that, but just to see what the route is that they should be taking. And if they take any serious deviations off of that, then I know I either need to call 911 or communicate with them. Like, for instance, when I was in Mexico City recently, the driver had accidentally put in a completely wrong address, and so we were 30 to 45 minutes outside of the city, super confused what we were doing, and just thinking, “Mm, there must have been traffic, must have been an accident, must have been construction or something,” and said something like this to that effect to the driver who didn’t really respond totally like we thought. And that is an instance where, thankfully, I was with somebody, I was with Nate, Spanish with Nate, and nothing bad came of it. But I always, always, always make sure to have that up on my phone just in case anything starts to go awry.
Stay Alert and Make Eye Contact
So, another thing I do when I’m traveling is that I always keep my head looking on a swivel. That even means that I have pretty much all but stopped recording my experiences by myself because there’s no way that I can really do that, or even watch where I’m going, to prevent myself from tripping and killing myself in a pothole, or what do you call those where the manhole, there’s no manhole cover on the thing, which is a thing that I see all the time, especially in Mexico. But I’m always looking around.
In addition to that, I’m always making eye contact, at least brief eye contact, with anybody that I’m walking by, because, statistically speaking, studies have shown, and in interviews with criminals, that they are far, far less likely to target somebody who has seen them, who they know has looked them in the face, than somebody that’s just kind of keeping their head down and not walking very confidently. So, confident walk, eye contact, super essential wherever I’m going. But on that note, not too much eye contact, because I don’t want somebody to think I’m interested in them like that.
Look Up Directions Before You Go
Also, on the note of walking confidently, I do my best to always look up directions ahead of time so that, as I’m walking, I’m not looking at my phone, confused, and looking around, making myself a very obvious looking tourist. So, I try to memorize, or look at things on my phone, when I’m inside a restaurant, or somewhere that’s more safe and secure.
Phone Security
Since, of course, I did get my phone stolen this past year, I now have this strap on the back, which makes it much less likely that somebody can just come up and swoop it right out of my hand. But I do my best not to be on my phone ever in public anymore.
Carry a Personal Weapon
The next thing is, as a solo traveler, I’m always going to have some type of personal weapon on me. One of those could be these super long nails that I always keep. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I stab myself with these all the time, so I know they’re effective. Another thing, of course, is pepper spray. I’m also looking into getting one of those lipstick tasers, and they also double as a flashlight. Although having that or any type of those like key chain personal weapons, you have to be careful when flying with those because they don’t always go through TSA, and sometimes they are considered illegal, depending on the country. But having something as an extra layer of protection, in case somebody were to attack you, I feel like it makes me feel a lot better, and I think it’s very important.
Before I continue with the rest of my tips, I hope you’ll share your best tips for staying safe while traveling.
Don’t Be Afraid to Lie
So, pretty recently I’ve dealt with some very unsettling and very scary situations. One was in a restaurant where I was very sure that I was being targeted and asked some very uncomfortable questions that were not just the, “Hi, how are you, where are you from?” type of thing that, you know, was just somebody being friendly. Another time was at midnight when I was coming back. I was flying into the Guadalajara airport, and the taxi driver, the vibe quickly shifted from, “Where are you from? What are you doing in Mexico? Are you here on vacation?” and all those type of very standard, socializing type questions, to, “Is anybody at home waiting for you? Do you have roommates? Do you have a boyfriend?” All these things where I’m like, “Oh my gosh!” It is, like, nobody’s awake right now. Ajijic is going to be totally dead. I’m alone with this taxi driver, and he’s asking me, like, “Do I have roommates or is there anybody at my house?” So, in that case, I have no problem lying my ass off, and in any other context, I’m a very honest and very straightforward and very truthful person. But in this case, I’m like, “Yep, I do have a boyfriend, and I’m very excited to see my big dog. They’re both waiting for me. My boyfriend’s actually kind of mad because he usually goes to bed by now, but he’s staying up late ’cause he’s so excited and he misses me so much,” and all this stuff. All of those were lies. But if it means getting myself out of a situation like that, then abso-fricking-lutely I’m going to do that. So, although, like I said, I don’t think it’s very… that kind of violates my morals and values, to lie to people, in general. If it’s in a dangerous situation like that, yes, stamp of approval from me.
Flip the Conversation
Along these same lines, though, I always try to flip the conversation around to the other person to get them talking about themselves, because, first of all, people love talking about themselves, and they’re usually very happy to do it. Then also, you’re getting information about them, and you can kind of feel out more, so if it’s a sketchy type of thing, or if they are just interested, or maybe they’re hitting on you, or something like that. So, you know, “Where are you from? What’s your favorite food that you like to eat from around here? What do you do for fun? Do you have any other jobs? Are you just a taxi driver normally?” or whatever. Just different things like that. In my experience, I have been able to tell when the person was being a little bit weird, even with Uber drivers where at the end they’ve followed me a little bit. Thankfully, with Uber, there’s recourse; you can file a complaint or different things, but with taxis, not so much.
Selfie with a Taxi Driver
On the note of taxis, though, something that I have started doing, especially since that very, very uncomfortable taxi ride, is to take a literal selfie with the taxi driver. Like, I don’t care if I’m looking like a total tourist, like, “Hey, selfie time!” and take a picture of their cab too, so you have their cab number. I don’t care. Again, it’s my safety at the end of the day, and I don’t want to be kidnapped, or something, I don’t know, something horrible, so I’m totally okay being that awkward weirdo that does something like that, just to make sure.
Driving in Mexico (Future Topic)
I’ve actually been driving all across Mexico for, I think, four-ish years now, but since I recently had to sell my car—recently, as in, I can’t believe it’s been already a year because my residency changed from temporary to permanent, and I wasn’t able to nationalize the car—I don’t currently have a car, which is why to include travel tips for driving in Mexico, in my experience, I’ll probably just do a separate blog post for that, which may be coming relatively soon because I’m so sick of not having a vehicle and feeling kind of like landlocked, or I don’t know what the right phrasing is for that, but I will be looking to get one in the next two months hopefully.
If I missed any tips for how to stay safe while traveling, please share them below. It will also help out others. I hope you’ll follow this blog for more content. I write about my life and travels in other countries, and you can find recent articles, like the one where I was house hunting in Queretaro. Stay tuned for future updates! I hope to see you here.
