Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer • Hacker News Board

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#181

Post by PopAlongKid » Wed, Sep 21, 2022, 3:06 PM UTC

I've stayed in traveler lodging well over 100 nights (U.S. and Canada) in the last two decades, mostly in motels that I drove to. Motels alleviate a lot of these hotel safety/security problems because they are not usually right in a city center, there is minimal staff, all the rooms usually have direct access from the parking lot (no lobbies, elevators, or hallways required, depending on size of the motel) with high visibility, and you can use your vehicle for backup storage (credit card, cash, external disk drive, extra car key). Many times I have made sure that if either my room/person is robbed, or my car is stolen (but not both) I could still recover and continue my trip.

Of course, many business travelers don't have the luxury of driving where they need to go, but for tourists, it's worth considering. You usually don't even need to make a reservation, you just find a spot around the time you are ready to stop driving for the day.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#182

Post by Tangurena2 » Wed, Sep 21, 2022, 3:08 PM UTC

graderjs wrote: post #23

WelcomeShorty wrote: post #18

It is about the same routine I follow. Specifically the "walk the emergency routes" since muscle memory can help you a lot when under stress. Missing one point: take a couple of business cards from the hotel with you. Whenever you need to get back, it most often makes it easier for people (cab drivers) to get you there without too much discussion and misunderstandings. Other points: - To be sure you have some clean w…

Why do not order room service, what's the risk there in your opinion? I like the stuff about personal photo next to the bed as well as using the in-house services and tipping. That's smart man!

> Why do not order room service, what's the risk there in your opinion?

In my opinion, room services is horribly overpriced. There have been incidents where the delivery person assaults the guest.

When I used to travel on business, I would put a notepad next to the phone (the one by the bed) and write on it what city I am in and what day ("Wednesday"). This helped cut down on confusion.

It did not help when I went to the wrong Springfield though. The area code for Springfield, MO (417) is a single digit different than the area codes for Springfield, IL (217 & 447). Waking up in the wrong state is not the kindest way to discover that your territory now includes Illinois. Oops.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#183

Post by jononomo » Wed, Sep 21, 2022, 3:18 PM UTC

seanw444 wrote: post #179

Scoundreller wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is my worry at long security lines at airports: just a large volume of people without the tools to protect themselves in any way. Much insecurity.

I never fly. I don't trust TSA to keep me safe. If there's somewhere I can't go with my firearm, I won't go. I refuse to step foot in states without constitutional carry, unless I have absolutely no other choice.

I'm with you! In fact, I take it even further. I refuse to step out of my house. You can never be too careful.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#184

Post by smabie » Wed, Sep 21, 2022, 3:21 PM UTC

PopAlongKid wrote: post #181

I've stayed in traveler lodging well over 100 nights (U.S. and Canada) in the last two decades, mostly in motels that I drove to. Motels alleviate a lot of these hotel safety/security problems because they are not usually right in a city center, there is minimal staff, all the rooms usually have direct access from the parking lot (no lobbies, elevators, or hallways required, depending on size of the motel) with high…

Highly suspect motels are significantly more dangerous than hotels. No security / no guard and they are often a hotbed of criminal activity.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#185

Post by omnibrain » Wed, Sep 21, 2022, 3:23 PM UTC

ghaff wrote: post #126

This isn't hotel-specific but my tip is the following: Assume your smartphone gets lost/broken/stolen or your wallet gets lost/stolen (or a credit card gets flagged for fraud). Do you know where you're actually staying? Do you have a copy of your itinerary more generally? Do you have backup credit cards and IDs? I'm not super-fanatical about having printed maps etc. in a familiar city but I try to have backup of ever…

I don't know nowadays, but in 2003 you did not need an ID to fly within the Schengen area.

I went with a group to an event in Greece and somebody had forgotten hid ID at home and only noticed at the airport. No problem the german airline agent checked him in, and he went through security screening without an id. (Boarding pass was enough)

But when he wanted to fly back, the airline agent on the greek side insisted that he needed an ID to check in. So he had to prolong his stay, to get documents from the embassy and book another flight a few days later.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#186

Post by omnibrain » Wed, Sep 21, 2022, 3:27 PM UTC

Scoundreller wrote: post #153

jononomo wrote: post #130

This guy neglects to mention wearing a bullet-proof vest when checking into a hotel, which makes me think he hasn't really thought this through. What if someone were to open fire on you while you're checking in to the hotel?

This is my worry at long security lines at airports: just a large volume of people without the tools to protect themselves in any way. Much insecurity.

The bombings at Brussel Airport in 2016 happend at the check-in lines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Brussels_bombings#Brussel...

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#187

Post by NoSorryCannot » Wed, Sep 21, 2022, 3:35 PM UTC

seanw444 wrote: post #178

dctoedt wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I used to carry an emergency high-value banknote in my back pocket so that in case the worst happened I would at least have some money on me. A friend does that; she refers to it as her "Don't Kill Me" money.

My "don't kill me" money shoots 9mm.

Wow, bad to the ass

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#188

Post by burner123240 » Wed, Sep 21, 2022, 3:37 PM UTC

Burner for obvious reasons.

I used to work for a three letter agency. We had employees that would travel to various developing countries. Due to concerns with competing nation states they'd be issued new laptops that were completely blank save a word processor and web browser (no useful information/ trade secrets on them).

The laptops would be weighed prior to departure and upon return. There were cases were laptops came back heavy. They were heavy because someone got access to the hotel room and soldered equipment directly onto the board.

When traveling, keep your devices with you. You'd be surprised what might interest a foreign government. You don't even have to be directly involved, you could simply be an affiliate of the actual person of interest.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#189

Post by elf25 » Wed, Sep 21, 2022, 3:44 PM UTC

Markoff wrote: post #170

midoridensha wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>It’s easy to say where not to, but then offer a suggestion for a safe place to store stuff like a passport or cash. Simple: you keep those things on your person whenever you're away from your hotel room. Use a "traveler's wallet" which hides under your clothes. You should never be without your passport in a foreign country; it's generally illegal and it's the only way to properly identify you.

Uhm, good luck renting motorbike in Southeast Asia without your passport as deposit and local police is well aware of this.

No post body was provided.

Re: Hotel safety tips from a former intelligence officer

#190

Post by PopAlongKid » Wed, Sep 21, 2022, 3:52 PM UTC

smabie wrote: post #184

PopAlongKid wrote: post #181

I've stayed in traveler lodging well over 100 nights (U.S. and Canada) in the last two decades, mostly in motels that I drove to. Motels alleviate a lot of these hotel safety/security problems because they are not usually right in a city center, there is minimal staff, all the rooms usually have direct access from the parking lot (no lobbies, elevators, or hallways required, depending on size of the motel) with high…

Highly suspect motels are significantly more dangerous than hotels. No security / no guard and they are often a hotbed of criminal activity.

> No security / no guard

Almost every motel I've stayed at had a live-in manager, their quarters were located behind the front office/checkin desk.

Maybe a couple of times, I've had the misfortune to spend the night in a room adjacent/above to one where, as mentioned elsewhere, there are noisy people in the middle of the night (arguing couples, smokers going in and out), but never experienced for example police presence.