Reply: Security while on foot.

Anonymous said...
Ferfal,

If you *have* to go out in the open with something obviously valuable what do you do?

My wife and I are both musicians. I teach and she is currently a graduate student. We both have to walk on the sidewalks during the daylight carrying large cases on our backs that are easily identifiable as musical instruments. We're both generally in very crowded areas of the city while we do this and, while those streets look nice now, judging from your previous posts we will soon start seeing more riffraff showing up on the street that will see us as targets. Do you have any suggestions for us? Should we maybe try to disguise the cases somehow? Or just make sure to always walk in groups? Because it is a city, driving to a private parking space right next to where we have to go is not an option.

We're already armed as well as the law allows us to be (OC spray, personal alarm, no handguns allowed, sadly).

Thanks for all the help so far!
February 7, 2009 1:51 PM

Usually common sense security measures will go a long way, even in high crime places like Argentina

Do you have any suggestions for us? Should we maybe try to disguise the cases somehow? Or just make sure to always walk in groups? Because it is a city, driving to a private parking space right next to where we have to go is not an option.

That is in fact what I do when I have to move around with something large and valuable.
I’ll use some common plastic bag of some cheapo toy store or grocery store bag.
You have to dress relatively well because of work I suppose, but try not to look too nice, if you know what I mean.

I know of a guy that moves around large amounts of money simply by dressing very ordinary and throwing it in a worn Disco bag ( plastic supermarket bag, kind of like kmart or walmart, with the logo on it )

When I go to the bank and need to move serious money, I’ll use a money belt, and wear worn jeans and an old T shirt.
Works like a charm.

Of course going in groups is better. Try picking up someone that is going in your same direction.
Even if you don’t know a person, just walking at the same speed as another pedestrian and staying kind of close is a good idea( try not to look like a weirdo and scare anyone :) )

OC works well unless there’s a gun involved, try not to get any of that stuff on you. A little OC will go a long way and you don’t want to get into contact with it.


FerFAL