Chains & Security

  Always chain up your bags in hotels and on trains – be paranoid. Getting stuff stolen is of course something that happens to other people – until it happens to you. I too thought I was sufficiently conscientious about chaining up my bag and thought I was quite capable of keeping an eye on things: but the thieves are good – very good. In my case, I had just boarded a train in Madras when there was a minor kafuffle concerning a problem with my ticket. It turned out that I was in the wrong carriage. After just a minute’s unintentional distraction, my bag was gone. I had not even had chance to chain it up! Opportunistic thieves linger around the major stations and they will momentarily board trains for which they have no tickets. As a foreigner, it is likely you will be followed, but the thief will not pounce unless an opportunity presents itself. Be suspicious, and don’t let down your guard until your bags are secured

  As for my own cautionary tale, I arrived in Calcutta a day later and informed the British Consulate that I had lost my passport. Luckily, I had not been travelling on that particular document, but it was still incumbent upon me to report the theft. The staff were most understanding and told me that eighty percent (I repeat, eighty percent) of all reported passport thefts were from trains.

  You can use your smaller bags containing your most treasured possessions and valuables as pillows on trains or busses, but do not lean them too near open barred windows. Beneath the lower benches, trains also have little built-in wires with hooks on the end, so you can even manage with just a padlock.  If you do buy a chain, get a good quality steel one from home rather than buy a tinny Indian one purchased from a railway platform, alternatively buy a bike cable. The thicker the cable width, the harder it is to sever but it will also be less bendable and heavier. Cables should be of the multi-wound multi "braided" type. Long lengths (up to 6 feet or 1.8m) come in a coiled form and are easy to carry in your bag. For hardcore “don’t mess with my stuff” protection, try an armoured lock. These gizmos are essentially a cable lock with a succession of articulated barrels through which the cable passes. The cable itself is not discernible through the armour. The barrels have a propensity to rotate if a thief attempts to saw through one, since they can revolve independently of any other barrel "link". In extreme circumstances, these heavy chains or cables can also be used in self-defence.

   When locking zippers, make sure you thread the padlock through the bases of the tabs, and not through the big loops at the end. It can be a little awkward fitting it through, but it's crucial. If you only lock the two grips together, it's then quite straightforward to put a hand or even an arm through. Give this a go and you will see what I mean.

  One interesting new product is a high-tensile, flexible stainless steel mesh sack, which incorporates a series of slash-proof, stainless-steel cables with an adjustable draw wire and padlock loop. This surrounds your pack/bag like a web, and can lock on to any post, piece of furniture, tree etc. Its best point is that a thief can’t simply cut a strap to bypass a lock. On the down side, this product is heavy and fiddly to get on and off. The holes in the mesh are wide enough to stick a hand through, so the thief can simply open the backpack through the mesh and slide valuables through the gaps. A backpacker can only hope that the extra time needed for this operation would discourage a prospective thief.

  Better still, are suitcases and ergonomic backpacks with hard plastic (polycarbonate) casings. These cannot be slashed with razors, they are lightweight but extremely impact resistant – a definite plus if you are taking a laptop. There are reports in Delhi airport of baggage handlers slashing open fabric suitcases with a razor and stealing items. A polycarbonate case or pack will definitely prevent this.

  When using a shoulder bag, use one with an extra long strap that you can put over your head and wear across the body. This will make it difficult for thieves on motorbikes to snatch it off your person.