COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO A
by Susan L.C. Robinson
Your vacation is supposed to be filled
with fun and adventure, and no one anticipates danger. If you were to
ask the majority of people what they consider preparation for
encountering danger on their trip, most would provide answers such as
making a checklist of having a spare, putting a flashlight in the
trunk or making sure all the vehicle’s fluids have been checked or
changed prior to leaving. Once on the road the fun has begun and the
thought of encountering danger just doesn’t have a seat in the car.
However, tourism crime is a reality and every year the number of
attacks
committed against tourist in hotels
increases. Tourists are a perfect target for criminals because by
nature they have their guard down due to the fact they are on vacation
and it is a time to relax; inevitably they will be carrying a
substantial amount of cash; and their daily activities will take them
away from their personal belongings for a several hours at a time.
Vacation ownership resorts offer several
advantages over hotel accommodations. A security staff is a standard
amenity for resorts. The basic vacation hotel may or may not have
security on duty, and often if they do, it is only one guard. Vacation
Ownership is a long-term purchase. Thus, resorts cannot afford to have
an unsatisfied customer because the end result, guest wise and
monetary wise, is much more than just a disgruntled one-time guests
who will never be back. The resort has a reputation to maintain for
years to come. Much more important than an indoor swimming pool or
sauna is the fact that you and your family feel safe during your stay.
Vacation is much more enjoyable if you feel the confidence to let your
children express a little independence or take a leisurely evening
stroll without constantly glancing over your shoulder.
The most common and frequent problem any
lodging establishment faces is misuse or stolen room keys. How often
have you forgotten to leave your room key or drop it by the front desk
before departing for home? This is such a daily occurrence, that often
it is not taken as seriously as it should be. What sometimes might be
perceived as an oversight, may actually be the beginning steps of a
crime. “Dateline News” recently aired an episode on hotel crime,
and one of the main ways criminals gain access to a hotel room is to
steal the key. Proper rules and regulations state that when a key is
missing, it should be considered stolen and the lock replaced.
However, such locks and keys are expensive to replace and hotel
managers have sometimes been known to overlook the problem. Almost
every incident investigated by “Dateline” revealed the lock had
never been changed and even after substantial time had passed , the
same key would still open the door. It is not uncommon for a criminal
to have a set path of prey and keys to various hotels. Just like you
have a work schedule; this individual also follows a schedule from
town to town
collecting his treasures. Police
investigator Steve Lowrey explained to “Dateline” personnel, that
there are actually criminal groups who analyze
hotels for such reasons. These
individuals while generally perceived as bums and vagrants, are quite
the opposite. They are very skilled at their criminal career. They are
not just lock-pickers; they can create fake identifications to match
stolen credit cards or travelers checks, they even use walkie-talkies
or cell phones to communicate during their scheme, and yes, they have
even mastered the skill to decode the modern card locks. New
reprogrammable electronic keys have replaced the standard system and
offer much more safety. Such keys are programmed at check-in to store
the code to open the door until the checkout date. Should the guests
checkout a day early, the card will still open the door until it is
reprogrammed.
Traveling has become a major part of our
lifestyle and Americans by nature have always been fascinated with the
open road. Lodging establishments are automatically thought of as a
home-away-from-home. Just like your home, no one can protect you from
everything even with the most in depth precautions. There are many
reputable, beautiful hotels to host your vacation. However, a vacation
ownership property offers many security advantages because this is one
of the many characteristics they must consider before making their
purchase. There is great personal satisfaction in knowing the place
you have chosen as your vacation destination offers a secure
environment for your family. Though vacations are a family time, no
one likes to spend all day
together like a gaggle of geese. Mom
likes her time to sunbathe and read a magazine, the kids like to
explore and wander away on their own adventures and Dad likes to be
able to spend the day on the golf course without worrying if his
family is safe. This atmosphere is always a benefit of having vacation
ownership for several reasons. First, as mentioned above, a security
staff is a standard characteristic of any timeshare establishment.
That doesn’t mean one little “Barney Fife” at the front desk
area; it includes a full staff seven days a week, twenty-four hours a
day, covering the entire resort area. Because time-share owners stay
longer periods of time than hotel guests who rent for various reasons
and have various lengths of stay, the security staff has the benefit
of being more familiar with guests and recognizing a suspicious
individual. Secondly, what are the reasons that made you consider
purchasing vacation ownership? Chances are they are the very same
reasons of the person in the neighboring villa. Research has shown
that vacation ownership buyers share many characteristics and lead
similar lifestyles. Thus, you have a basic idea of what type of people
surround you during vacation.
The message of this article is not to
imply all hotels are not safe. There are many wonderful hotels in
which to stay during your vacation. The true message is that a bit of
common sense, combined with a precautionary thinking as well as
excellent planning will inevitably lead to a safe, successful
vacation. However, before choosing a lodging facility for vacation,
you obviously would contemplate characteristics such as a good
location, amenities such as a restaurant or game room, which would
make your stay more convenient, or even inquire about interior
corridors for safety purposes. Why not also consider the feeling of
confidence and security owning time-share can offer? Though card locks
and deadbolt locks are important regardless of the choice, isn’t the
comfort of familiar surroundings and benefit of an entire security
staff the little something extra that could insure your vacation’s
success and families safety.
Resource material: Transcripts of
February 15, 2000 episode of “Dateline NBC With Stone Phillips”
titled “Preventing Hotel Crime;”
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