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Show r , , . I Vacation Security Tips 1 For many Americans , getting ready for I their annual one or two week summer it' recess means making hotel reservations, getting the car tuned up, rearranging the work schedule, and perhaps buying the latest in beach wear. Then the bags are II packed, the doors are locked and the I, vacation begins. AND SO does the burglar's work day. J But careful planning and common sense can keep that vacation you want to remember from turning into a summer 1 1 you would like to forget, according to officials of the Dictograph Security Information Infor-mation Bureau. The bureau is a division of Dictograph Security Systems of Florham Park, N.J., widely regarded as l the world's foremost residential security specialist, with nearly one million burglar f, and fire alarm systems installed nation- h wide and overseas. i BY TAKING a little bit of time to re-H re-H member a few simple security points, ;' Dictograph emphasizes that you can en- , joy a healthy vacation with the peace of T mind you deserve. 4 Here are a few security tips to consider before packing that last suitcase: j . -THE FIRST rule of vacation security 31 begins before you leave your home: j Don't discuss your vacation intinerary in public. That means no sitting around a , bar, restaurant or hair salon and, in great , detail and fervor, discussing vacation ' plans. Many people don't realize that ! there may be others listening who would j j be very interested in hearing these speci-j speci-j p fie vacation plans. Dictograph officials , '' explain that burglars and their accom-j accom-j plices spend time in these public places, Ji , too, and they can often size up new leads J, in precisely this fashion. J -While most of us put ID tags on our J I luggage to ensure their safe arrival, we "t often compromise the safety of our homes by putting our residential addres-j addres-j ' ses on the tags. It is a well-known fact in f crime prevention circles that criminals ) L. and their accomplices at airport baggage I areas can pick up this information and put j it to profitable use. To avoid this prob-I prob-I lem, Dictograph officials recommend that i you simply use a business address on all k wge tags; if your luggage is lost and F found, it will be returned to the office. -WHEN YOU'RE away on vacation, try to give your home a "lived in" look --this --this can prevent some would-be burglars from knowing your home is unoccupied. Ask neighbors to put trash in your garbage gar-bage cans and leave them in front of your home on the usual collection day. Leave a car in the driveway. Not only will this give burglars the impression that you are home, but it can also prevent them from driving up in a van and carting away your large possessions. Also make sure to stop your newspaper and mail delivery while you're gone. And be sure to set your timers to turn lights and other appliances (stereos, televisions, televi-sions, etc.) on and off, preferably in a ramdon pattern. --UNLESS it is absolutely necessary, it is not advisable to bring along jewelry or other valuables on a vacation or weekend week-end trip. Dictograph officials report that criminals can easily steal valuables from locked gloved compartments and trunks, and they can easily enter a hotel or motel room in search of your personal belongings. belong-ings. If you must carry expensive jewelry or large amounts of cash, make arrangements arrange-ments to use the hotel safe whenever possible. pos-sible. And make sure your car doesn't say, "I belong to a tourist!" Keep road maps and tourbooks in the glove compartment not on the dashboard. Don't leave luggage lug-gage visible on the back seat or clothing hanging in the back of the car. Put these items in the trunk when you leave your car unattended. --USE TRAVELER'S checks. As the television ads stress, if they're lost or stolen, your money is easily recovered. If your credit cards are ever lost or stolen, notify the companies which issued the cards immediately even if a stranger has found the cards and claims to be "returning "return-ing them by mail." To aid quick notifica- A tion in the event of a loss or theft, keep a record of all cards and the phone numbers of issuing companies. These precautions, coupled with a common-sense approach to vacation travel, should mean a safe, relaxing stint away from home. And that, note Dictograph Dicto-graph officials, is what summer vacationing vacation-ing is all about. |