"Spidey Sense" Safety Tips From An International Traveler: Interview With Bri Hansen
In January, Bri Hansen co-produced a documentary for an international non-profit that nearly escaped disaster on more than one occasion. In this riveting and fun interview with The Safety Doc, she shares edge-of-your seat accounts with danger and how specific planning informs traveling on foreign grounds. ABOUT BRI. Bri Hansen is a twenty-something year old frequent international traveler since age 11, including over a dozen trips to Haiti. She’s explored France, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Jamaica as well as most of the 50 states. THE MOTORCYCLE INCIDENT. While filming on a documentary in Haiti, a man riding a motorcycle approached Bri’s crew upset and claiming that light reflecting from equipment momentarily blinded him. He sought some sort of compensation for his alleged near-accident experience. Bri shared that such matters can be resolved by pretending to include someone in a scene, a small payoff or else standing firm that no wrongdoing occurred and wait for the man to leave. FIND A NATIVE GUIDE. Bri found that efficiency in navigating areas, as well as personal safety, is increased by having locals as friends and paying them to be guides if needed. GUT FEELINGS. Bri recalled being stuck at the airport in a confined room – machine gun and a desk, upon arrival because she hadn’t completed the location section on her Custom Form. PREPARATION & TIPS. Bri plans a detailed itinerary and gives a copy to someone at home. A quick call alerting your credit card company of your travel locations and dates can prevent a declined card. Traveler’s insurance is certainly worth the low premium and strongly endorsed by Bri. Countries also have entrance and exit fees – so have the requisite cash ready! Know your conversions! Bri prints a little cheat sheet and keeps it in her wallet. She advocates the use of Google Maps and taking screen shot of your maps and turning off your data when you leave WIFI. Take a photo of hike trails, not ideal, because phones die, but maps get wet, and it gets dark. Better to have 2. Guidebooks with maps. She prints Google maps out with her itinerary. RECONNAISSANCE & AVOIDING CONFLICT. Bri urges travelers to visit travel.state.gov to learn about visa requirements, local laws, customs, medical care, warnings and alerts in new destinations. In addition, consider the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and contacting the local embassy to make them aware of your presence in the country. Finally, the CDC can offer recommended vaccinations depending upon your travel plans. THINGS YOU LEARN AS YOU TRAVEL. Bri encourages making friends on the airplane and that “joining” a group might make it easier to get through customs compared to presenting as a solo traveler. Don’t make eye contact and don’t be flashy. Ask permission before taking photos and be mindful of brandishing electronic equipment and jewelry. FORMATS. You can also listen to this podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud or on The 405 Media http://the405media.com/the-safety-doc/ You can view this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/UB1vL_nrJJ0 FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: On Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to “The Safety Doc” YouTube channel and SoundCloud RSS feed. DR. PERRODIN'S SAFETY BLOG: https://crisisprepconsulting.wordpress.com/ SAFETY DOC WEBSITE: www.safetyphd.com David will respond to discussion thread comments or questions & also to emails. The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host and guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show is curse free and adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse and debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com
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