How do you travel safely???

I'm not talking about safe riding... but being safe in your travels. I raise this because of the following thread over on ADVrider. In short, a fellow rider interrupts the theft of his bike, is kidnapped and eventually murdered.

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/friend-missing-rip-larry.1156796/

Many of us travel solo. We stay in cheap motels so we have more $ for gas/tires. But... how do we separate cheap from dangerous? Dangerous as in the crappiest part of town, the crime rates of towns, etc. Tripadvisor and such only tell you so much... and safety is pretty far down the list. Many of us ride without making reservations till late in the day, if at all, and choices get limited.
How do we make smart choices???
And please don't turn this into a 'Glock in the tankbag' thread.... we know that won't fly. I want to know how to avoid getting to that point!

Because I am still going to ride...

Most danger is after dark, which equates with a campsite or motel.

Don't camp remote. Opportunists regularly cruise campgrounds looking for free stuff.

Don't stay in industrial area/low rent motels or the cheapest you can find. Go mid-range at the worse. Ask the manager if you can leave your bike under the entryway cover....play scared of heavy rain or hail damage to your bike, this is where I usually end up. Otherwise, consider parking under external stairwells. When I get a first floor room with an external entrance, I look for an opportunity to bring baby inside after she cools off; move it back out early.

Use a lock and chain along with a loud alarm, mounted out of sight. Cover the bike regardless of where you parked it. If the alarm sounds, don't run out of the room until the cops have been called.

Keep your theft/auto rental insurance clauses.

No guarantees, but I always use a full cover which seems to be a good deterrent so far. I've also switched to Super 8s as they tend to be in better places and they do include breakfast of a sort (fruit, sweet rolls, oatmeal, cereal, orange juice, etc.) which helps 'lower' their overall cost. They also have a 'club' that if you stay enough you earn a free room. I try to ask for a ground level room with an outside entrance if it is available. I guess if the neighborhood looks 'iffy', I'd move on to another place. Saved money don't mean much if you're not around to spend it! ;-)

I once back tracked 30 miles because the motel I was going to stay at was not safe. It was about 45 minutes before sunset. You can not believe all the reviews you read on line, so have more than one spot to stay at. Now I make sure where I am going to stay is safe. I do not want to find another way home other than what I rode in on.
I stayed at a motel once and the owner told us he stayed up all night protecting our bikes. That was the last thing we needed to hear in the morning as we loaded all our gear onto the bikes. Most places will let you park your bike under the front covered entrance, all you need to do is ask. They surely do not want something to happen.

scootac said:

How do we make smart choices???

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You make the best choices you can and accept the fact that some things in this life are beyond your control.

--Mark

scootac said:

I want to know how to avoid getting to that point!

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stop reading things on the Internet that happen so rarely that they're not worth worrying about. That, and avoid staying overnight in high-crime areas.

Best thing you can do is trust your instincts. If the area appears frightening or looks like the 'bad part of town' move on. There are always alternatives. Plan ahead - this does not mean to avoid riding where the wind blows you - it means try to decide ahead of time the areas where you will stop for the day.

One long distance cruising sailor said (in one of his books) that he had been accused of being a boring sailor. He said that was due to planning - he rarely left port if a big storm was forecast, planned his itinerary to avoid potential problems and was a very cautious and conservative sailor. He sailed around the world several times - so you cannot say he did not do risky things or was a wuss.

Appreciate the answers so far...but how do you judge the area or trust your instincts from 200 miles away? Just stay at the most expensive places?
I've been riding for awhile...so I accept the risks of things beyond my control.
As far as stop reading the internet about infrequent events....does that include how to handle a tire blow-out at speed or similiar rarity? I mean why try to be prepared right???

Maybe I should just stick to posting about tires and oil and pie.

I saw that thread on ADVRider too. It sounds like a bike theft gone wrong. The motel in question was a Super 8 right off the freeway. I think it was just a case of wrong place, wrong time. Thankfully, ST's are not as sought after as Harley-Davidson's and the risk of theft is far lower.

I think the take-away was if you see someone with a trailer trying to seal your bike outside your motel room, anymore it's probably best to call 911 and let the police confront them.

It did get me thinking about the times I travel solo. And I know some things are out of my control, but doing simple things like being situationally aware, using a bike cover, avoiding motels in industrial areas and bad areas of town are about all you can do.

Gymbo said:

....
It did get me thinking about the times I travel solo.

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And maybe that was part of my intent in starting this thread also.
A similiar thread was started on ADV if you haven't found it.

scootac said:

And maybe that was part of my intent in starting this thread also.
A similiar thread was started on ADV if you haven't found it.

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Thanks, just saw it.

Like I said, my big takeaway was if you see someone stealing your bike, call 911 and do not confront them yourself.

scootac said:

Appreciate the answers so far...but how do you judge the area or trust your instincts from 200 miles away? Just stay at the most expensive places?
I've been riding for awhile...so I accept the risks of things beyond my control.
As far as stop reading the internet about infrequent events....does that include how to handle a tire blow-out at speed or similiar rarity? I mean why try to be prepared right???

Maybe I should just stick to posting about tires and oil and pie.

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You can't judge an area from 200 miles away. But you can, as noted above, do your own research, be situationally aware, be prepared for forseeable contingencies, and plan ahead. The steps you take will be defined by your own level of caution, paranoia, and tolerance for risk. And, maybe after research, you will decide NOT to visit that specific area that is 200 miles away. There is another similar post about selecting campsites - by participating in this community you are getting a leg up on your answer.

If we could eliminate all risk, many of us would be bored. Riding bikes is a LOT more dangerous than driving a car, but does that stop us? Most of the guys here mitigate some of the danger by ATGATT. Many bikes break down more than cars - so we carry tool kits, mini compressors and gummy worms. I'm just using these as examples of how we cope with uncertainties. They are not the answer for every one of us.

So much for my Super 8 'theory' as most Super 8s are right off the freeway! The 911 call makes the most sense if the theft is in progress. I also generally Google Earth the location to see what's around it as far as fuel, restaurants, and 'distractions' and trying to get a feel for the neighborhood since I like to walk. But as was said, at the end of the day, if your gut does not feel comfortable with the place, riding on is the best choice. The worst one where I stayed ($39.99 a night sign) was when I was getting my room, a women was arguing with the clerk about them tossing her stuff because she hadn't paid her 'hourly' rate. Then when I headed for my room, the head 'lady' of the evening was sitting out in front of her room, ready for business. I got up real early the next morning and got out of Dodge!

On my way across the south west I saw a motel 6 from the interstate so I pulled off, it wasn't long before I noticed I was in a bad looking/feeling area. First thing I noticed was a lot of homeless people walking around most carrying their bed rolls or pushing grocery carts. Just not a good vibe, so I just continued on and found another place.

I always try to park my bike where I can see it with the big chain I wrap around the front wheel on it!

When I look for a motel at the end of a long day I ride around the area a bit to check out the neighborhood. If I see a nuisance bar, people hanging out on street corners, or people with their belongings in shopping carts I continue my search. I favor Motel 6's because they are reasonably priced, but will stay at a nicer hotel (Best Western, Hilton, etc.) if the local Motel 6 is in a bad area.

I usually don't cover my bike, but do bring most of my gear into the hotel room. I am not sure thieves have ST's on the top of their list of bikes to steal. Wouldn't want to cover it and have them think its a Harley.

The only time I felt unsafe while riding was in Haiti. I was touring with a group in the Dominican Republic and we parked our bikes at a border town and walked into Haiti. We paid someone to watch our bikes and paid a "handler" to help us get into Haiti. As we were leaving on our bikes the handler grabbed my arm demanded that I pay him $100. I put the bike in gear and got the heck out of there as fast as I could.

SMSW said:

If we could eliminate all risk, many of us would be bored.

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There's big difference between taking your chances with traffic and being the victim of a crime. Anybody who would prefer to be a crime victim than bored needs a needs a monster JIS to tighten more than a few loose screws.

Some people ride for risk. Not me. The lack of risk does not equate to boredom. I don't ride with anybody who gets bored without risk.

Specific to traveling on a bike the best I can think of and say here is to try to keep to brightly lit non-remote locations. Staying out of high-crime areas is hit or miss. Some are well known others not so much.

As do many of you if possible we park in front of the office of the motel/hotel/Holiday Inn where there's usually someone how can call 5-0 if something untoward is going on. An alarm could be helpful in that case to alert the staff to criminal activity. Nothing is guaranteed.

First and foremost never put your welfare or life or that of others (assuming innocent parties) at risk for material possessions. Call 911. Get vehicle descriptions/number of suspects/direction of flight if possible but stay safe while doing so.

Cops may not be in time but you'll have the opportunity to call your insurance agent and complain about police services on your favorite forums. That's more than enough for a lot of us.

And finally as a wise man make the best choices you can and accept the fact that some things in this life are beyond your control.

TRNewtown said:

I usually don't cover my bike, but do bring most of my gear into the hotel room. I am not sure thieves have ST's on the top of their list of bikes to steal. Wouldn't want to cover it and have them think its a Harley.

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The purpose of the cover is added protection. A thief will likely set off your alarm screwing around with a well attached cover...so a cheap one will do.

Years back, I was headed to a doctor's appointment and saw a Yamaha XS650 pulling onto the shoulder of Hwy 183, here in the DFW area...obviously in some sort of mechanical distress. He was on the opposite side of this divided freeway so I couldn't help. Just two hours later, on the return home leg, I passed the lone bike....minus the tank, seat, mirrors, mufflers and both wheels. This was early afternoon, heavy traffic (3 lanes in both directions) and nowhere to hide criminal activity from plain sight. Apparently someone else appreciated early 1970's classic machinery.

Sometimes, no matter what you do or don't do, a determined thief will not be deterred.

ST Gui said:

There's big difference between taking your chances with traffic and being the victim of a crime. Anybody who would prefer to be a crime victim than bored needs a needs a monster JIS to tighten more than a few loose screws.

Some people ride for risk. Not me. The lack of risk does not equate to boredom. I don't ride with anybody who gets bored without risk.

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I agree completely with most of what you said - except I'd change your 'more than a few' to 'all the loose screwes'. And toss in an adjustable wrench for the nuts, too.

My only point was that a lot of risky behaviors are more exciting, interesting, stimulating, and attention grabbing than safer, non risky behaviors. Skiing, scuba diving, sky diving, skate boarding, etc, can all be done slowly, safely, with little or no risk, but there is no denying the attraction for skiing fast, steep slopes, jumping, or wreck and cave diving. Of course we take steps to minimize risk, but the adrenaline rush is real and, many people do these sports for that feeling. Risk is an attraction, and we all do what we feel is necessary to manage that risk.

The fact of the matter is that many of us would find a risk free activity boring (assuming you could find such an activity). And that is different than behaving dangerously or seeking thrills for thrills' sake. Though I suppose if you are reading a book, you can still drop that tome on your foot, so nothing is risk free.

Andrew Shadow said:

Years ago I use to judge an area by the number of bars I saw on windows and doors of homes and businesses and the amount of private security there was around businesses- the more I saw of each the more I figured I must be in a rough area so I would move on. I find this practice to be less of an indicator now as the North American society has become so security obsessed that both of these as well as gated communities are every where now and skew the impression. As unscientific as it is at the end of the day, barring any specific information, it comes down to a gut feeling. We all have that sensation of our stomach radar going off when we feel something is not to our liking even if we see no specific threat- I listen to it. It may have caused me to pay higher prices for motels in better areas for absolutely no reason more times than I am aware of but I slept well.

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+100%

Uncle Phil said:

................. I also generally Google Earth the location to see what's around it as far as fuel, restaurants, and 'distractions' and trying to get a feel for the neighborhood since I like to walk......... the head 'lady' of the evening was sitting out in front of her room.........

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Good advice re using Google to drop in on the neighborhood. Many hotels take very tight shots of their building or parking lot to misrepresent themselves. Had a similar experience in LA several years ago, neighborhood was not safe and as we were leaving for the airport at 4AM for an early flight we saw a "lady of the evening" in just about the smallest dress I've ever seen getting into a cab.