Not to scare you but...

During fall semester, the students accepted to the study abroad program took a Cultural Survey prep class to help us prepare for our foreign experience. It was taught by Dr. Hinkley, our program head, and was excellent! We listened to Wienerlied (Vienna's own music genre), learned about Vienna's history and her many beautiful sights, and sampled deliziös Viennese treats and chocolate!

However, as part of this course we also had a section on safety and security taught by an ISP instructor. Someone is now officially paranoid.

Rule #1: Be constantly aware. Most pickpocketing is done from behind. Don't be distracted.

I'm going to be robbed. I am one of the most distracted people I know.

Rule #2: Don't leave items unattended.

This one time...my laptop sat out in the HFAC locker room all night. And I go to the WILK Lost-and-Found weekly on average (no joke). I just hope what I unavoidably will leave unattended is not my violin.

Rule #3: Do not draw attention to yourself. Don't look like you are lost. Do not carry a lot of things with you.

Don't look like you're lost?! I will inevitably look lost (I regularly have people in the grocery store ask me if I need help finding things. Multiple times. Per visit.), be targeted as a clueless tourist, and get swindled. Sigh.

And, I compulsively over-pack, even for day trips. You just never know what you maybe might possibly need.

Rule #4: Avoid intoxicated people. Get off the street as quickly as possible during any disturbance. Never take an unofficial taxi. Be aware that European men view American women through the lens of Hollywood.

Soothing.

Rule #5: Beware of ATM and credit card fraud. Do not let your card out of your sight. Beware of ATM machines with strange stickers.

Got it...but will the strange stickers be in German or in English?

Regardless, I'm sure I will have my ID and my credit card stolen. Because this one time, a student left her credit card for 30 seconds at a cash register and by the time she called her credit card company 5 minutes later, someone had made at $10,000 purchase (or something like that ;).

And this other time, a student put her backpack under her chair at a restaurant and when she got up to go it was gone.

And another time, a student lost all of his luggage in the airport.

And yet another time, a student got stranded miles from her apartment in the middle of the night because she took the wrong train.

But of course, 'Despite all these horror stories we just told you, don't worry! You are going to be very safe and have a wonderful time in Europe!'

Right.


Oh, and having every other person ask you "Have you seen Taken?" sure doesn't help either, let me tell you.