Travel Safety for Women in New York City - Yahoo Voices - voices.yahoo.com

Travel safety for women in New York City consists of dos and don'ts. Safety tips for women who are visiting New York encompass safety while exploring the city, staying safe in NYC traffic and when hanging out with the locals.

Why New York Travel Safety Tips for Women Matter

Do not be lured into false confidence by the fact that New York City is in the United States, where law and order (should) reign. While the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building appear safe enough, New York travel to Times Square, the ethnic enclaves and Central Park leave more room for problems.

Staying safe in NYC is not the dangerous undertaking that some media reports have made it out to be; that being said, iGuide warns that being overcharged, having your purse or bag snatched and getting mugged are very real dangers.

New York Travel for Women

Women should wear a money belt, dress comfortably but without ostentation and only keep one credit card in the purse. Lock up the rest of your valuables in the hotel safe. Carry passport or ID card copies rather than originals. Find a way to hold on to your purse, even while you are sitting down at a restaurant. Consider hooking it to the table with a carabiner.

Avoid traveling off the beaten path at dusk or later. Central Park may be a fascinating destination for your trip, but it is also one of the more dangerous locales for women. Rudeness may be an acquired skill for you, but it pays to hone it. Panhandlers are frequently quite talkative and if you allow yourself to become embroiled in a conversation, you may not be able to move on for quite a while or may only do so with your new "best friend" in tow. Just keep walking and ignore the talkers.

New York Travel Safety

Would you accept a ride from an unlicensed, uninsured and unregulated driver? If you allow yourself to accept a ride in a "gypsy cab," you do just that. Women in particular should not accept rides in unmarked cabs without meters. You may get overcharged, find that you will be on the hook for expenses if you are in an accident and you may find that there is even worse in store for you.

Don't Do as the Locals ...

NYC Tourist advises that even though New Yorkers appear to have a death wish when walking in the city and crossing streets, the behavior is actually a combination of calculated risk taking and personal experience. Tourists trying to follow in the footsteps of the locals may find that they are ill equipped to deal with screeching tires and irate drivers. Staying safe in NYC should have you err on the side of caution even while you want to exude a confident street demeanor.

Sources
http://iguide.travel/New_York_City/Safety
http://www.nyctourist.com/nycinfo_safety.htm