Traveling this Memorial Day? Stay & Play Safe
Posted by vpfsnews on May 20, 2009 at 9:41 AM
A post by Bob Creech,
Sr. Vice President of Safety & Security
As a
country, we love the Memorial Day
holiday for many reasons -- remembering loved ones; picnics and cookouts with
family members and friends; and my personal favorite -- it unofficially marks
the beginning of summer! But many people
find themselves on the road rather than relaxing at home for the holiday. Or, maybe you're preparing to hit the road for that long-awaited summer
vacation.
Whether
you're currently on a trip or preparing to take one, I'm curious to know how
much thought you put into travel safety.
It's something that's typically taken for granted. We always assume that our families, our
vehicles and our valuables will be fine.
There's nothing to worry about, right?
No one ever thinks they'll be a target for vehicle theft while traveling,
and most people don't spend much, if any time, exploring the safety and security
features of the hotels where they plan to stay.
These two
things can really make or break a trip and are worthy of a little thought. Following are a few travel safety tips that
will help ensure you and your family have nothing to gripe about on your trip except
maybe the weather. Happy travels, and happy Memorial Day!
Hotel Safety Tips:
·
Select hotels that have interior room entry, meaning the doors of the rooms open to a
hallway inside the building. Rooms with
exterior entries are prime targets for thieves.
Also, be sure that window locks
are offered on all windows, as this is not an industry standard (shocking, I
know!) Value Place offers these features
in all of our properties, but we take it a step further. Value Place also
offers locked corridors, so no one
can get beyond the lobby without a key.
This is quite unusual in the hotel industry and is a phenomenal guest
security feature!
·
Ask how the hotel registers its
guests. Unlike most hotels who register only the
guest that made the reservation, Value Place's standard is to
register every person who is staying in each room. We want to know our guests! Again, this security feature goes well beyond
the industry standard.
·
Your hotel should have a well-lit
parking lot. Some hotels, including those in even
the nicest of neighborhoods, partner with local law enforcement and have patrol
cars drive through their lots to deter theft.
Value
Place does this; it's just one component of our national SAFE
Communities Partnership Program, which keeps us on the leading edge of
hotel security.
Vehicle & Valuable Safety Tips:
·
Write down your vehicle's VIN,
license plate and insurance number. Most people don't have
these memorized, and you'd need to know them if anything happens to your
car. Write down the phone number of your
insurance representative, too.
·
Record the model and serial numbers
of any valuables
you'll be traveling with, including cameras, portable DVD players, recreational
equipment, cell phones, etc. If your
valuables are stolen, you'll have a record of them, which will greatly help law
enforcement. This will also help you file
a claim with your insurance company.
Also write down phone numbers of
your credit card companies and bank. Report
any lost or stolen cards or a checkbook immediately to prevent unwanted
shopping sprees and identity theft.
· Out of sight, out of mind: You've heard this before, but do you make a habit of taking valuables out of your car or locking them in the trunk? Even things that could be perceived as valuable, like an empty box, for example, should be removed. You know there's nothing inside that box, but a thief doesn't. This is particularly important in parking lots at beaches, theme parks, hotels, shopping centers and other tourist locations. Be sure to park only in well-lit areas, too.
Have a relaxing Memorial Day!
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Posted in: Holiday, Holiday travel, Reasons for Value Place, Tips
