safety by yourself

[cindycurtis]

Hi Ladies,
As I am happily preparing for my year on the road (my year off work...no teaching!), I am wondering what I need to be concerned about in terms of personal safety- traveling alone (alone, but will have 2 doggy companions).
Any thoughts you'd like to share?
Thanks,
Cindy

[longdog2]

If you don't feel safe in a place, move! Don't open your door at night if you don't know who is out there. Most RV parks, state and national parks, etc., are safe and RVers are friendly.

[Bethers]

There have been several posts about this - and everyone feels differently. All I can say is - be aware of your surroundings. Traveling is no different than traveling around your area now - there are good and bad, etc etc. If you ever feel uncomfortable, go with the feeling and get out of the place/situation.

Personally, I've never felt unsafe at a campground - have at a few gas stations - which would have been the same in a car or an rv. I boondock a lot, so I watch where I am and how I feel when I do it. So far no problems.

[Carolinagal]

Cindy, First, Welcome to the forum, I've been slack in that area and I'm sorry. I hope you will join in often and all questions are welcome, in all of the answers you receive you have a choice as to what and how you will do. We're all different and we all travel in different rigs and our camping or travels vary. I have been traveling alone and I mean many miles from home for over 11 and half yrs., Few times my SIL was with me, but I have racked up probably close to 90,000 miles and in all of that time, I don't remember having any problems at all. Traveling whatever distance a woman always has to be aware of her surroundings. 5 miles from home can be more dangerous then 5oo or more miles away.

One thing I do, I never allow my gas tank to get below half before I am looking for a station, this way you have a choice as to where you stop. I travel in a MH and have always kept the shade drawn over my table unit, so no one can tell from the outside that I am alone. I'm not all that friendly while traveling from one area to the next. I don't mean I'm a grouch, a smile maybe but no real conversations. At your CG stops, you need to use good judgement as to how much you tell.


Just always be aware !!!!! Enjoy your travels,the lovely and different scenery you will encounter along your travels, and the people. Let your woman's instinct warn you when things are not right and no matter what, follow that and leave now.

Chances are you will be safer out on the road and enjoying yourself, then you might be staying in your home and never seeing anything !!!
So get rid of the worry and just practice enjoying but also being totally aware !!!! Don't forget to check our member map and meet some of the women along your travels.

CArol

[Echo]

To tell you the truth only once did I ever get scared and that was driving big truck over the road. I drove truck for 15yrs.

All in all I feel that people are in more jeopardy in their home area than they are out on the road. You feel more comfortable at home and pay less attention to your surroundings. Out on the road you will pay more attention to what is around you and to what is 'going on' around you.

The one place I always pay extra attention and am more aware of what is what, is in rest areas. And it doesn't matter if it's night time or broad daylight either.

Don't be scared, just keep your eyes open and your wits sharp.

[peaches]

Thank-you Carol, I to travel alone and worry a bit,when i head south this winter i hopeing to meet up with you gals,,,,,Sherry minnie and lefty

[teachergal]

Kinda off topic but in your original post you mentioned taking a year off teaching...what do you teach? How did you manage a year off? I'm an elementary school teacher and I have dreamed about taking a year off, but can't seem to make it work! So many of the teachers I work with have taken maternity leaves to have their babies and such and sometimes I just want to take my own leave...no need to have a baby, I just want the maternity leave!

I have taken 1 solo RV trip - I went to Acadia NP in Maine as well as a few other places. I had some RV issues but it was a rental RV and I just called the company. All in all I felt very safe and never worried much about being alone. I didn't really talk to anyone in the campgrounds - I chatted with a few folks on the bus (Acadia has an awesome bus system!) and learned that at least 95% of the people who visit Acadia in the summer are teachers. LOL!

[JudyJB]

Whatever happened to the sabbatical, where you taught six years and could take the seventh off? Many decades ago, teachers did this so they could travel, learn, and write. It sometimes happens in higher ed, but seems to have disappeared in K-12. In any case, I worked a regular job, so I had to wait until I retired to travel--mostly becuase of finances, but at least I am ready to go now.

My kids seem to worry more about me in campgrounds than on the road, which I think is a little backwards. I have an elderly aunt and uncle who want me to take a gun along, which I could never do because I could not shoot someone unless he or she was hurting a grandchild, and they won't be with me.

I do worry a little about being alone hiking or walking, but not really in a campground. I will probably get some pepper spray and a handheld siren, but will probably forget to take it with me when I walk.

I have traveled alone on business, and in the UK, and only once or twice really felt unsafe, and one of those times was because I misinterpreted what was going on around me. (I was driving out late near a large factory and saw a bunch of motorcyclists hanging arond the end of a long drive. Later I figured out they were just drag racing, and I was driving on their racetrack! Other time was late at night trying to find a taxi in London. That WAS scary.)

I think he secret is to always act in control and confident so people do not think you are a target. This means walking briskly and as if you know where you are going, even when you are completely lost.

[cindycurtis]

Thanks y'all. I too have an elderly aunt and uncle who want me to take a gun, and I'm not the least bit comfortable with the idea.

JudyJb and Teachergal, taking a year off is apparently not done so often anymore in the world of teaching. I did take maternity leaves, and once a sabbatical (because, as you said, it was done...teach 6 yrs, take a break, teach...). This time though, I am still about 6 yrs short of retirement and just want the time off to travel. I'll go into debt now (arghh!) and then go back to teaching to pay it all back. Or not. Maybe something new will come along in this year off.

How did I get the leave? (I teach 3rd grade)...I asked. Got a lot of raised eyebrows, but more high-fives. "You're going to do WHAT?! By YOURSELF???" Of course, it's year without pay. Ouch.

That said, I can't wait! 4 weeks and 3 days til school is out, then a couple weeks to get everything organized, and I am off! And I hope to see some of you along the way! (Last night I was checking out something about a GTG in Oregon in Aug or Sept...sounds interesting...I will keep an eye on that!)

[mtngal]

That's So cool fr your year off! Good for you for asking!

Regarding traveling (and hiking, etc) alone ..... A habit I created early on was never to get out of my rig
without a key and my cell phone in a pocket.

[Acadianmom]

Diana, I try to never get out of my motorhome without the key in my pocket too. Even in a campground. I have had someone hit the lock in the side door and have it lock when it was closed. Having to call a locksmith really puts a kink in your plans. My boys managed to lock us out several times so when they were along I would leave the kitchen window unlocked. Had to put one of them through the window sometimes. I don't think that's an option now. I don't think I would fit through any window.
With all the vehicles having automatic locks now you never know when one is going to take a notion to lock.

When I'm on the road I try to call my DH or one of the boys every night and tell them where I am. At least they would have a starting point on where to start looking for me.

Martha

[JudyJB]

My new motorhome has a strange basement compartment that is connected to the underbed compartment. In other words, when you lift the bed up by the hydraulic thingies, there is a terrific huge, carpeted storage area (maybe 18" deep) that I plan to use for extra bedding and things like extra paper products and such. Part of the underbed area is taken up by the furnace, but at least half the width of the bed is this space and it goes all the way under the full length of the bed.

HOWEVER, and this is worrying me a bit, this compartment is also accessible from outside. So a person could use the famous "751" key to open this outside compartment, crawl in, push the bed up, and be inside the vehicle. Course, if I were sleeping in the bed, they might have a rougher time of it, but still it is a worry!!!!

So the first thing I am going to do is replace the lock with one with a combination. I'd get one now and put it on this weekend, but they come in various lengths, so I don't know which one to buy. I will find out when I am at the dealer on Tuesday getting that trim piece fixed and buy one there if they have them. Otherwise, I might have to go to Camping World or someplace similar.

There is a separate compartment under this underbed compartment that is deep on both sides (maybe 20"_ but thinner in the middle (maybe 5-6") but deep enough to store the ladders for the bunks or my folding rocking chairs. (I do like my comfort!) And there is another deep on the outside but thin in the middle compartment farther up front. I also have maybe 3-4 other smaller storage areas underneath--really more space than I can put stuff in because of weight restrictions.

I don't plan on taking anything valuable with me other than my laptop, but I think I might replace a couple of the other outside compartments with better locks, preferably combination locks so I can't lose my key.

Any other suggestions for replacement locks for this situation?? Are the combination locks strong enough??