"No turn is a wrong turn"
Emergency Plans and Communications / Emergency
Kits
Here we’ve just returned from Germany and Switzerland, I have a notebook full of fun things to write about, and
you see the above “serious” title. Serious? Yes. Important? YES !!!
Our daughter just called me on her trip from Texas, via Atlanta to meet her husband in Venice, Italy. Hubby (of
a little over one year) traveled over a week earlier, and she’s going to meet him for a short vacation. She’s an
experienced business air traveler (mostly domestically) and is traveling alone to Europe. She’s also extremely
tired after two weeks of “hell on wheels” in her new position with her company, and a one-night-at-home-wash-and-pack
turnaround. She also was not excited about her “frequent flyer” ticket milk-run flight to Venice, Italy requiring
stops in Atlanta, Manchester England, Paris, and finally Venice. Traveling on frequent flyer miles means you’re
limited available FF reserved space the airline has on those routes (many of you know the problems) and other limitations.
First she called us from her stop #1, Atlanta… a two hour delay on her flight Atlanta to Manchester, England due
to mechanical problems. The airline promises this will not mess up all the other connections from Manchester, to
Paris, and from Paris to Venice. We’re all adults, so let’s be realistic ..right? Looking at the probabilities
of connections failures, our daughter remembers her family lessons from years past… call us to let us know where
you are, so if you disappear, we’ll know where to start looking! Forget negative thoughts… lets remember common
sense here! Also if her hubby calls later, we’ll know what to tell him.
Also, in her usual responsible manner, she had tried numerous calls to Italy to reach her husband, but with the
time difference, it’s after midnight there and those answering the phone speak only Italian (she speaks English
and French), they hang up the phone without connecting to her husband. Hence, no message to hubby.
Her next call is to us from Manchester, England. She arrived OK and is changing planes to Paris. She’s using credit
cards in a pay phone, which is expensive by comparison, but cheap under the circumstances. Her Paris telephone
call to us came through, but the original Delta ticket agent improperly planned her Paris connection, forcing her
to miss her flight from Paris to Venice. In addition, Paris airport charged her an additional 30 Euro just for
changing planes! And the obnoxious rudeness of so many Paris airport personnel and citizens was astounding to her!
The Delta scheduling snafu forced her to catch a different flight to Venice (unknown to her husband) making her
another 5 or 6 hours later than scheduled. This turns the trip travel time into a 24 hour monster from the originally
too long 18 or 19 hour original schedule of this “milk run.” She hopes the airline gate agents will send a message
to hubby in Venice regarding her situation and flight change. That failing, she’s hoping her husband will call
us when he finds she’s not on the flight originally planned. He does not call us, so we all wait for the call from
our daughter saying she’s arrived in Venice. When our daughter was not on the scheduled flight, her hubby asked
many questions of the airline personnel (he’s a trial attorney, speaks Italian, and knows how to ask questions!)
to no avail. Although John asked numerous times there was concern, tension, and the usual (understandable) airline
refusals to tell John anything about our daughter’s trip changes, new flight reservations, etc. He was very concerned
for hours before she arrived, but he DID stay at the airport awaiting the other flights from Paris. Finally, hubby
John calls…says in jovial tone, “Mr. Hickox, I have your daughter.” With relief, our daughter got on the phone
and between her anger at the airlines, frustration of trying to find hubby in Venice airport, and 30 hours without
sleep exhausted final relief in hubby’s arms, she says, “Dad, I’m OK now. Thanks”
They now are a twosome, alone together somewhere in Austria or Italy, and will hopefully bring pictures on their
return next week.
While all’s well that ends well, I hope you see the potential for problems – some maybe serious – in many places
along the way in the above story. Planned prior communication and alternative plans are paramount!
For decades, I’ve traveled with the motto “If I’m prepared for the worse situation, it won’t happen.” For the most
part, nothing truly negative has happened on my trips. The few times it did, I was prepared for the problem, so
I just “took out my emergency kit, took care of the problem and proceeded normally on my way.” My emergency kit
includes everything from Rx to pills to Band-Aids to emergency telephone numbers and e-mail addresses.
Emergency telephone numbers also come with a PLAN! A plan?? Yup, a PLAN! I’ll make it simple here, and you change
it to fit your needs every time you travel.
Communication suggestions:
Europe has “cyber cafes” where “for a buck” you can rent computers to get on-line and check / send your e-mail.
Warning! Some of these “cyber cafes” post signs saying “No Hotmail!” So I suggest before you leave home, you get
one of these “AOL free for 5 weeks” CD’s and join AOL for the duration of the trip. Then, by giving out your AOL
e-mail address, you and your family, friends, office, etc. can communicate with each other regardless of the time
of day. Also, your e-mail messages are there waiting whether the persons are home or not.
Next, have a person or group you trust agree to be available to receive your “concern type” telephone calls 24
hours a day… at home in U.S. or in your land of visit or where ever you mutually choose. Moms, Dads, brothers or
sisters are perfect contact hubs. Make sure you have more than one telephone number in the event your primary hub
phone has a telephone problem (teenager or dial-up www connection) and you cannot reach them. Go to the secondary
number. Problems while traveling? Don’t assume… contact your connection hub and explain so your “estranged” travel
partner will have some idea of your whereabouts and what to expect if he/she calls the emergency hub number to
check. Remember too that most airlines will send messages “down-line” for their passengers, especially if their
planes are late or have caused missed connections, etc. Some are more trustworthy than others, we now know!
Train travel? Plan an emergency meeting down-line town / terminal / etc in the event one of your group gets off
the train and the train then leaves without him/her. Meeting place, meeting time should be written and planned.
Also verbal and written instructions (especially for minors) to talk with train station personnel if such problems
arise, with notes in their pocket how to contact station managers at the down-line intended station (as well as
emergency hub at home) to communicate with your family / friends regarding your problem / whereabouts.
Car travel in different cars? Common sense… pick a location and sit if separated. Don’t move until you are found.
Meeting places with telephone numbers are great if you have them, so big-name hotels and other easily identifiable
locations make great “emergency backup sites” since the telephone numbers are easy to find via telephone information
or the internet, worldwide.
Don’t forget to include hospitals for all your needs. If you have medical problems or anticipate same, take notes
that will tell you how to say or write “HOSPITAL” in the language of your country. Take originals or photocopies
of your important prescriptions. Remember to look for the big red crosses of emergency help locations, including
ambulances, if you have an emergency or health concern.
When traveling with kids (and even other adult friends), make sure at least two (2) of you “count heads” each time
just before you hop a new train, bus, etc to insure all kids are present. I specify “just before you hop on” as
once you’re on the train, doors close fast and a number count is too late if someone’s missing! Kids also need
to carry on their person an identification name / hub contact number / other personal ID / Passport number in the
event it’s needed to benefit the child’s safety in unexpected circumstances.
When all is said and done, use your COMMON SENSE to THINK THROUGH YOUR TRAVEL ITINERARY, then formulate your own
special emergency back up plan. Only YOU can create the best plan for your needs! Remember to WRITE IT DOWN with
copies for everyone. “If it ain’t writ, it ain’t real!”
Our Emergency Kit is simple (You like it? Make it your own.)
I start with a CLEAR 12” x 12” heavy duty zip lock baggie for the main bag. We then use small sandwich heavy duty
zip locks filled with “like items” (bandages in one, pills in another, etc) and put them all in the big baggie.
You can draw a big red cross on the big bag. We find Baggies make the best over-all travel bags found to date for
this and so many other uses. Why? Because you can see through baggies and locate with ease the item you’re seeking.
We’ve found our emergency Rx kit helps us and others along the way. It’s great and a MUST for us.
In the bag goes SMALL TRAVEL SIZE of each: Band Aids, topical dressings for scrapes, burns, etc., cotton tip swabs,
eye ointment, eye wash, sinus tablets, prescription medicines, copy of Rx prescriptions for emergencies, headache
medicines such as Aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, and Alka Seltzer Cold Plus (kills migraines) as well as regular
Alka Seltzer or other indigestion pills. We, for cutting tape and such, we also include a plastic food knife with
serrated edge (plastic passes through security). Sinus: Appropriate medicines or nasal pills. Take some non-medicated
nasal spray too… it’s priceless! Foot problems? Corn pads or Dr. Scholls foot powder, etc. Extra dental adhesive
cream. Eye Glasses cleaner packets. Now put in any other items you like to carry. LIMIT ONE EMERGENCY BAG with
its enclosed smaller bags. Buy other items as you travel.
Finally, to replace Methiolate, we use Purell (or similar brand) Instant Hand Sanitizer (three mini bottles) which
very effectively cleans open wounds as well as just cleans hands before eating. Greatest stuff since soap! And
alcohol. And antibiotic topical sanitizer for small cuts, etc.
Apotheke, farmacie, chemist are some of the Germanic / French / British etc Europa equivalents of what we think
of as a Pharmacy. HOWEVER, European “Pharmacists” are considered better trained and can diagnose many of your medical
problems and dispense Rx on the spot without a doctor’s visit. Besides, they’re also fun stores just to look around
the shelves and enjoy!
Like my son and daughter constantly remind me, “Dad, we just asked what time it was, and you’ve told us how to
build a clock!” So that’s all for now. Feel free to e-mail your suggestions to share with other travelers.
Travel Wisely. Travel Safely. Travel Healthy.
