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Didn't want to hijack the "Does this sound safe" thread, so thought I would start my own.

As many of you here know, I finished my cargo-van-to-camper-van conversion late last autumn. Have had a couple of nice (and short) trips since when the weather was still dry here on the left coast, and this coming year I plan to hit the road quite a bit.

The thread got me to thinking - what is the worst/scariest experience you have had while traveling? How did you deal with it? What was the best experience?

I think we can all learn from each others adventures, so I would appreciate it if you would all share. I am kind of a mouse, so I need to stoke up my courage! I am a solo traveller, for the most part. No, not solo. Me and my dogs.

AVA: thanks for the welcome back. Are you now moved into your 5er?

Anne

not yet Anne, but very soon, within a couple weeks

I'd be interested in this topic too. I haven't had many bad experiences to speak of but I'm not out there soloing it yet. Most of my camping is with a friend and her dog and we've stayed pretty close to home.

In 9 years I haven't had a scary experience because of being in the rv. Well maybe the blowout. Those aren't fun. Most uncomfortable were rowdy, unsavory youth at a gas station. I left without gas. And that was a place I had down to possibly overnight. Ha. But as I said, I would have left if in my car. Always be aware of and comfortable with your surroundings.

I started driving over the road in 1995. Before that I traveled to Europe a couple of times. 1980 to 1986 I was in the Navy and traveled. That all said, I've never had a major issue. I've had a couple of experiences that made me nervous but I listened to my inner voice (you know, the one that says this ain't right). We did lose a friend in Florida. He went off by himself, took a "short cut" and someone tried to rob him. Instead of giving them the $20 or whatever he had on him, he fought and got stabbed to death. A co-drive went for a walk and cut though the alley behind a Burger King at night and got raped. Being approached in truck stops and rest areas makes me nervous and I look around to see if they are a distraction for some slipping up behind me. Likewise, I won't allow myself to be lead somewhere. The "hey can you come over here and look at this" kind of thing. Had a student leave their shower bag (containing their wallet with a $100 plus in it) unattended for a few minutes. She then got upset when someone lifted her wallet. Found the wallet in a trash can minus the money.

Point is the world is full of risk, but if you use a little common sense and listen to your inner voice you can normally avoid potentially dangerous situations. Don't walk around with ear buds in listening to music. Save the phone call for inside your vehicle/RV so you are not distracted to conditions around you. Basically is you are walking or sitting somewhere in public pay attention to what is happening around you. If something looks odd or out of place, just move on and avoid a possible issue. Also avoid showing money or talking about having money on you or a companion. When you open your wallet avoid doing it so other see how much cash you have. Wear cloths to blend in and wear modest jewelry so you don't draw a thief's attention. Crooks are often opportunist in nature so avoid giving them an opportunity. Avoid locations that remove you from public view like between vehicles, alleys, dead ends, dark corners... you get the idea.


I've met some wonderful people the campgrounds but have also heard people complain about being robbed. I put away my lawn chairs etc... at night and try not to leave temptation.

Even watch a scary movie and when "the girl" starts down the alley and everyone in the theater yells "don't do it", well don't. Unfortunately too many people know better, yet still act as the movie character and go anyways.

I can't think of a single thing after 6 1/2 years, and I am still out here! I am more apprehensive about going to a mall these days.

I have 'moved on' a time or two when I wasn't comfortable. When I get out to pump fuel, the truck gets locked - all doors are locked when driving. I am also 'tucked in' at night usually - very seldom drive at night and make sure I don't have to stop for fuel if I do.

This park has become a KOA in the last year and perhaps that is why I have seen so many single women here since January. Didn't used to see that many. Even a single female bicyclist the other night with her sleeping bag that had a 'tent' over her head - no real tent. That one really gave me pause when thinking about safety.

chalet05 wrote: Even a single female bicyclist the other night with her sleeping bag that had a 'tent' over her head - no real tent. That one really gave me pause when thinking about safety.

I would be really worried about snakes, spiders, scorpions, fire ants, etc, in that situation!
I think I would resort to sleeping on top of a picnic table! (Altho, that wouldn't necessarily stop some of the critters from getting to me )

In two years of traveling full time, I have never had a time when I was really scared, nor has anyone bothered me or approached me in any negative way. Overall, I think campgrounds are very safe places.

I did have two blowouts due to recalled tires and they were pretty scary, but that is not a personal safety scary thing.

I did once leave a campground after one night, and another night I think I was the only human being in a very large Mammoth Cave National Park campground, and I kind of freaked out for a bit. It was off-season and on a Thursday night and it was really really dark. However, once I got myself under control and realized that just because it was dark, it should not necessarily be scary. Also, that was when I first started out.

Since then, I have stayed in several state or COE campgrounds when I was the only or almost the only person and I never felt scared. On the other hand, I do not stay in truck stops, Walmarts, or rest areas, just out of personal preference.

The most scared I ever was while camping happened to me and a friend in Wyoming. We had stopped to camp at one of those Federal Forrest areas and the brush was very overgrown. These are wild areas and the grass is not mowed. It was in the mountains, in bear country (grizzly). We stopped to camp in the afternoon, fixed dinner, and piddled until it got dark. I was very uncomfortable the whole time we were there. I kept telling my friend that there could be bears all around us and we wouldn't be able to see them for all the brush. She wasn't worried at all, but I was. Well, it got dark so we got into the back of the truck (fiberglass shell on the back) to go to sleep. It was really dark out. Like in....really dark. The longer we laid there the more scared we got. We were out in the middle of nowhere in a camper that would not be considered secure against a curious bear. We finally had to get up and leave. We had worked ourselves into a frenzy about having to get out of the back of the truck and run to the front. But we did it. I drove us into town and we slept in a motel parking lot. We were both shaking badly. It really scared the bejeebers out of us. I should have insisted that we leave before it got dark since I was uncomfortable the whole time but my friend wanted to stay so I didn't push the issue. There was one other camper there in a travel trailer across the way from us. I was as much worried about him as I was a bear. Who knew anything about him? I didn't follow my instincts or common sense that day. Now I do.

Unfortunately when I was a young woman I was a police officer, I followed that job by becoming a professional firefighter/medic for several years; those positions have forever colored my view of what constitutes "safe". I don't live in fear but I do have a heightened awareness of my surroundings; as I've told my friends over the intervening years, I long to be oblivious, to not notice every exit, what car has circled the block more than once, where that mans hands are and is he obviously armed. But since I do notice all those things as naturally as breathing, I tend to have an uneventful life.

I have been traveling first in a truck camper then a class C since the 80's. In 2001, Maggie (my little fur baby)and I, had to travel on alone in a class C. We have done thousands of miles been in many situations and always being aware I can't remember a scary time. Except one time in WY, Liz and I stayed in a Nat'l Forest. We picked our site because the big tree at back of site clearly had bear claw marks. Liz, wanted a pic of one close up. Had to make her promise NOT to open door, or trample me to much in my bed to get to back window Her first trip traveling in an RV, and the beginning of her great picture taking . My only worry that night was I wouldn't have been happy to have my rig damaged.

MelissaD, gave excellent pointers, whether driving our countries highways or going to the grocery store we all have to stay aware. This cell phone use will be many a persons downfall, how many times I've been walked into because some idiot was enjoying their phone conversation. That person really had no idea what was going on around them, at least they will have a witness to their robbery or death !!

Just use your good sense and pay attention to those warning vibes we all get when things don't seem right or safe. Enjoy your travels and all the super places our country has out there !!!

CArol

Never been scared while on the road except for one time. I sometimes stay at reststops (NOT any near a big city - those are the most dangerous) and one day I pulled in early - no one else there. Had a nap then dinner - still all by myself. Then a car pulled in with four iffy looking young men. I didn't like the way they were looking at my rig so got in driver's seat and drove off. If there are other RVers or trucks I feel okay at reststops. Never have stayed at a Walmart - too much traffic, etc and God knows who wandering around the lot in the middle of the night. As for being in the middle of nowhere alone in the dark, you have to remember the bad guys are usually around populated areas and if I'm in the dark that means I can see you first.

I have spent many nights in rest areas with and without an RV. The first thing I do is walk my dogs. The last thing I do at night is walk my dogs. There was only one rest area where I decided not to stay. It did not seem to be used much due to its location so I left. I have never stopped at a Wal Mart. I mostly camp at state parks.

Melissa's advice is really good! I do pretty much the same things, and I've never had a bit of trouble camping.

I have had one close encounter while traveling. Years ago, I sometimes traveled with close friends in a band. Sometimes it was hard to wind down at the end of the night, and we'd go for a walk. Once, after one of those 'dancing on the tables' nights, the three of us were wandering through a city park and were robbed at knife point by a group of five young men. No injuries, however -- and that's a good thing, because my guys couldn't play guitar with broken hands. It was a silly thing to do -- we were careless and walked into trouble.

The other time that should have been scary was just funny. I was traveling in Ireland/Northern Ireland the summer of the hunger strikes (for the record, I hate having young men point rifles in my direction, no matter what uniform they wear). Suddenly I was off schedule and needed to get to Glasgow quickly; the best route was a bus to Belfast and the ferry to Scotland. It wasn't until I'd almost reached the city that I realized I'd have to walk from the bus station at one end of town to the train station at the other end to catch the ferry. Bombs in city centers were really frequent that year. Still, people on the bus gave me lots of advice and pointed me toward the city gates. 'OK, it's a really old town; it probably still has the medieval city gates," I thought. Turns out they were very modern security gates, like the ones at an airport. The guards got a real kick out of me and my backpack. Then the strangest thing happened. As I walked through the city center, people kept walking with me. One would walk and talk for a couple of blocks; then that one would turn off and a different person would walk and talk for a bit. I still don't know whether it was just 'hospitality to a stranger' or if I was being safely escorted. Very strange indeed, but I never had any cause to feel nervous, and nothing bad happened.

I think the best thing to to be aware of what's around you and to pay attention to any nervous feeling.

Louise, love your story about the escorts. How neat, for whatever reason they did it.

And I'm not going to talk about many of my late night wanderings back in the day. Like losing my purse on the side of the road in rural WI - going back and the house near there could have been from the Munsters - much more to this story - police involved, etc ... and all turned out well ... especially since I didn't get reported missing and my mother called ... omg, I would have been mortified to put that fear into her.