Heightened Security Abroad

Our world has seen several terrorist attacks in previous years that have been well-covered in the news media so, as we planned for our 2017 trip to Italy, we planned to be vigilant about and give extra attention to our personal safety. Specifically, we talked about situational awareness while paying  attention to our surroundings, any abandoned bags/backpacks, people who seem to be “out of place”, and routes available to us in case of a rapid exit. Many of us are situationally aware on a daily basis, but this was one of the first trips where we actively discussed and made plans around those practices while traveling abroad. 

That trip was a huge success. We logged many miles walking our way through Rome, Venice, and Florence. While we were in Rome we felt safe, not because we were hyper-aware, but because there were so many military personnel that we didn’t have the extra worry of dangerous activity without the intervention of law enforcement and active military. Uniformed men were everywhere and fully visible. We saw the same soldiers in the Vatican every day as we walked to the metro stop or St. Peter’s Square. On our final day in Rome, I actually waved and said, “thank you” to one of them and received a nod of acknowledgment in response. 

Were we ever afraid? No, we can honestly say that we were never fearful of any type of an attack. Did we see anything suspicious? Yes, we certainly did. The day we explored the upper levels of the Roman Forum was so hot that we were constantly chugging water and wiping the sweat from our faces. Most of the other visitors were doing the same thing. There was one man who seemed to loiter around groups of people and he was wearing a huge black backpack. We noticed him moving from group to group and actually commented that he was a little creepy. He eventually disappeared and we didn’t give it another thought. What we saw next was right out of a James Bond movie. Two men dressed entirely in black entered that area of the Forum and were clearly looking for something or someone. I joked with our friends that they were probably looking for the man with the black backpack. Ten minutes later, they were escorting that same man out of the Forum, in handcuffs. Our learning from that experience? Pay attention to your gut and your intuition. If your gut is telling you something isn’t right, it might be telling the truth. 

Acts of terror aren’t the only concern while traveling. Natural disasters and accidents, mechanical breakdowns and labor strikes can all impede personal safety as well. Let’s remain safe and alert as we journey around the globe, but don’t let your awareness and preventative planning detract from your adventures and walks.  Remaining situationally aware is yet another tool for of our travels; not an add-on.

Happy Walking!