Employee Safety: Travel Guides

You are responsible for traveling employees' safety. It's good to tell them what not to do. It's better to teach them how to be alert and anticipate and avoid trouble.

While staying in a hotel, it's also a good idea to ask the front desk not to release information about you while you're there. You can have packages held for you, so don't have them brought to your room. The hotel should have a secure parking lot that you can leave your vehicle in, and you should feel safe walking to that lot at night. Is it well-lit? Is there a 24-hour guard?

To get a good hotel recommendation, Katz suggests calling the local United States embassy when traveling overseas. The Regional Security Officer or a Diplomatic Security Service agent can tell you where to stay and where not to stay. "Call at night," says Sarah Slenker, a senior analyst with iJet, sitting at the back of the class. "The guards at the embassies are chatty at night." Lesson No. 4: Rent the Car with the Low OdometerAt lunchtime, a few members of the class run upstairs to catch an update on Paul Johnson Jr. News media report that the militants are demanding the release of al-Qaida members in three Saudi prisons in exchange for Johnson's freedom. "It's never a good sign when the demands for the victim's release are unreasonable," Katz says. (Johnson's severed head was believed to be found about a month later, by Saudi security forces.)

It's natural for people to be hyperaware of the horrors that garner media attention. After lunch, Katz reminds the group that a CSO's employees traveling overseas are much more likely to be the victims of pickpockets, car accidents and assault than they are to be kidnapped. It's essential to remind them to do little things to keep themselves safe. Things such as checking the odometer when renting a car.

"When you rent a car, you want it to work," says Katz. He suggests choosing one with low mileage over a high-mileage vehicleeven if it isn't the type you prefer. You can generally select cars with lower mileage when renting in other industrialized countries.

You should also remove, or ask the rental company to remove, any stickers or other markings on the car that signal it's a rental. There's no need to identify yourself as a visitor who may be unfamiliar with his surroundings (and an easy target for a thief). Get a car with power locks and windows, and make sure that the air conditioner and the heater work. You'll want to be able to keep your windows up and your car doors locked for safety.