Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer
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Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer
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Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer
#2Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer
#3Kind of cool to read but these are not any tips that a normal (non-paranoid) person will need to follow unless they are traveling to some seriously dangerous locations.
Except maybe the tip not to use the hotel safe or leave money under the mattress, those are good.
But do normal people really need to write their name down on pieces of paper and pass them across the desk with a wink to avoid their name being said out loud?
I think not.
Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer
#4I was almost impressed by the equally prominent "Reject" cookies button until I realised that when you press it, it refuses access.
Ironic for an article about how to be a security paranoiac.
Edit: Especially as it recommends an online booking and doing so without regard to cookies and other trackers is probably leaking far more personal information to people who actually could use that information than saying your name out loud.
Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer
#5> I find the fire escape plan, and I follow it.
Yeah, actually try this sometime. I do this regularly and it's amazing how often floors are locked from the stairwell, and more than once I have found floors skipped--you take the 4rth floor stairwell down and end up in a basement kitchen or something.
Also he neglects to mention in the "Book online" section that it's always safer to book directly from the hotel website. Fewer middlement. These days their prices are competitive or better than the aggregation sites, and with better terms. Some aggregation sites have little compunction about booking the wrong room, then don't refund things the hotel would if you dealt with them directly.
Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer
#6Also https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-04-19/9-travel-safet...
> Acquire or make a copy of the fire escape plan on the back of your door. Most of these just slide out
I use this novel device called a "smartphone" to snap a picture
Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer
#7Rather than a doorstop, I usually prefer a super grip lock [0] -- an extremely corny as-seen-on-TV product that you can lash around a door knob that uses simple physics to make the door impossible to open with the key on the other side. Naomi Wu mentioned this and Deviant Ollam has too. The basic premise is that it's less destructive than most "security door stops" and hotels tend to get angry if you destroy their carpet. And of course, traditional door stops don't keep the door closed very well unless you wedge them well.
[0]: https://smile.amazon.com/Super-Grip-Lock-Deadbolt-Accessory/...
Edit: I could be misremembering if Naomi Wu used it or something similar, but I think I'm right. If you know correctly, let me know.
Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer
#8Who are these tips for? I value my privacy and safety, but for tourists or normal business travelers these seem paranoid.
Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer
#9The most interesting advice here is to leave the TV on with a do-not-disturb sign. I think people will be less likely to rob you that way. All the other advice is kind of whatever, like not being on the top floor in case someone is sweeping for you floor-by-floor.
Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer
#10Who are these tips for? I value my privacy and safety, but for tourists or normal business travelers these seem paranoid.
As a normal business traveler I have been in more than one "smoke filling up hallway" situation and found fire exits locked or barricaded to prevent ingress. I think a LOT of this is reasonable.
The "know your area before you step out and don't look like a confused person standing in the middle of the street when you exit the hotel" part is also really good for not being immediately marked as a tourist.