Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mellinger]

Hi,

If I'm going to India by myself and will be traveling on the busses and trains, what sort of safety issues and precausions should I be notified of? I'm planning on going to Auli by taking the train from Delhi to near Deradhun and then taking a bus from Deradhun to Auli. Have any of you done this route? Is it safe to travel alone?

Thanks,

Mike

[cyrax]

- Keep your hand on your wallet. Always.
- If you are a woman, avoid moving around after dark.
- Avoid going to places where you are alone.
- If you end up getting "tempted", use the rubber
- Also remember that everyone will try to rip you off. There is an MRP (Maximum Retail Price) on most goods. Agree to pay only that. With taxis - you should only agree to pay what the meter indicates.

[the saint]

you'll want to check out the advice I and others have posted in the India thread slightly below yours in this forum.

In addition, I've been to Mussoorie from Delhi several times and you need to go to Dehra Dun for that. Dehra Dun is easy to get to but it's not worth hanging round in. There's an overnight train from Delhi which is fine and gets you there early morning to head out on other transport into the hills. I don't know about getting to Auli from there. It seems a bit of a long way around looking at the map.

You know, there may well be other ways of getting there from Delhi which might be more direct but I have no idea actually. Perhaps from Rishikesh or even Delhi itself.

[ella]

I've been all over India by myself. Use the same common sense you'd use in any big city: keep an eye on your things and don't leave them unattended. Dress neatly but modestly, don't flash money or jewelry, leave clothing and accessories with labels at home. Don't accept food that you didn't buy yourself. Don't look like a clueless tourist, move forward with purpose especially in train stations and cities. Ignore the touts.

Travel light and buy some cheap fabric in any market. Use that to cover your bag and it will look like any poor person's bundle instead of a tourist's pack with expensive goodies inside, that's a beacon to thieves. I also brought the cable from my car cover and used that to lock my bag to the train seat.

[princess]

Yeah, with the food, you have to worry about food poisoning or the food being laced with drugs, so the person can steal your things. I wouldn't eat food from a stranger anywhere...

[Kurtz]

trust next to nobody apart from yourself. Take a padlock for your room as sometimes someone will break into your room. Always carry valuables in a small backpack, be VERY careful in the big cities. Be suss if someone comes up to you asking questions, they may be cool but they may be trying to distract you while someone is nicking your stuff. Try to get a top bunk if overnighting on the train, chain or padlock your bag to something secure. Buy some Indian clothes and try and lose that "just arrived" look as they tend not to try so much on you if you look like you've been around. Don't get talked into "luggage fees" on the bus or taxi but if it's only 10 or so rupees just give it to them so they leave you alone. Enjoy the country, it's the most interesting country I've been to by far.

[luvnpeas]

He'll look like a doofus walking around with his "...hand on his wallet. Always."

These replies make India look like...an American city. India is very safe. There is less violent crime in India than the US. I walked around some pretty slummy areas, and never felt unsafe. I travelled for 5 weeks by train and bus by myself. There is probably more petty theft, particularly against Western (i.e. rich) toursists. Recognize you're going to a country with an average income of about $2/day. So don't leave your Nikon lying on your train seat when you go poop. Also, don't get ridiculously bent out of shape about being ripped off when the amount is equal to $0.50 and the guy trying to "rip you off" probably lives in an "apartment" with a dirt floor. (I mention this because I did it a few times...it's hard to change one's attitudes about money and being "ripped off".)

[chris_J2]

I have read about organised gangs on Indian trains that target backpacks. Take a bicycle chain & lock the backpack to an immovable object on the train eg steel pole.

I've only been to Darjeeling, & had no problems whatsover. Oh, it was a little daunting to see armed guards with machine guns outside the atm booths, but you soon get used to it.

[seoul_nhl]

trains trains trains...watch your bags and wallet. Especially when everyone bum rushes in the trains, its prime time for people who don't have tickets to swoop in grab a bag and get off the train before you know it.

-Also, I've heard of some people getting into trouble in the small alleys at night in Varnasi...might want a small key chain flashlight!

[JZer]

[mnhnhyouh]

I have spent 3 months in India. The most unsafe I felt was when I had to face a pack of dogs at night in Leh. I had, on advice, picked up a big stick before walking off to catch a jeep back down to Manali.

The ripoff stories I came across mostly happend on the way from the airport into the city. Being told by the taxi driver that you cannot go to <insert desired location here>, and being taken instead to <insert scam location here> owned by his cousin.

Best - organise a taxi with a person who is on your flight, and has been to India before who is going to a hotel in the area you want.

Next best - Organise the taxi your self, there is a prepaid counter there, they had two prices, one of the back of the same bit of cardboard Tell the taxi driver you have just talked to your friend who is in the hotel you are going to, and know everything is fine.

Always good to be able to reach over the seat, introduce yourself in Hindi, and ask their name. Then tell them you have little Hindi, but have been to India before.

h

[chris_J2]

Unfortunately, bombings on Indian trains are now a reality you should also consider:

http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?template=samjhautablasts&slug=Police+release+sketch+of+train+bombers&id=21454&callid=0

[luvnpeas]

[chris_J2]

Chronology of major incidents

Oct 1, 2001 - Militants attack Jammu-Kashmir assembly complex, killing about 35.
Dec 13, 2001 - Attack on the parliament complex in New Delhi.
Sep 24, 2002 - Militants attack the Akshardham temple in Gujarat, killing 31.
May 14, 2003 - Militants attack an army camp near Jammu, killing more than 30, including women and children.
Aug 25, 2003 - Simultaneous car bombs kill about 60 in the Mumbai.
Aug 15, 2004 - Bomb explodes in Assam, killing 16 people, mostly school children.
Oct 29, 2005 - Three powerful serial blasts in New Delhi at different places. Ist bomb explodes at 5:38 pm in Paharganj, 2nd at 5:52 pm in a DTC bus in Govindpuri and 3rd at Sarojini Nagar at 5:56 pm. The last blast is the worst. On this day the court was to hand out sentence to seven accused in Red Fort terrorist case. The explosions are widely believed to be as a result of retaliation. The Hindu festival of Deepawali is two days later on November 1 (Tuesday) and the Muslim festival of Eid on November 4 (Friday). The bombs dampen the festive spirit to a great extent. About 70 people died in this incident.
Mar 7, 2006 - At least 21 people killed in three synchronized attacks in Varanasi.
Jul 11, 2006 - At least 200 people killed in a series of 7 train bombing during the evening rush hour near Bombay.
September 8, 2006 - at least 37 people killed and 125 injured in a series of bomb blasts in the vicinity of a mosque in Malegaon, Maharashtra

Indian Railways

India has hundreds of thousands of miles of railway track, and over 14,000 trains criss-cross the country every day. These are tempting targets for many of the groups described above, and attacks on trains, whether direct assaults, bombings or deliberate derailing through sabotage are common. Some are listed below.

Brahmaputra Mail train bombing - 1997
Kurnool train crash - 2002
Rafiganj rail disaster - 2002
Godhra Train Burning - 27th Feb 2002
Jaunpur train bombing - 2005
Bombay Suburb Train Blasts - 7/11/2006
West India - 68 dead on way home to Pakistan 20th Feb 2007

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_in_India

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/20/news/india.php

I've never been to the US, so I can't personally compare, but I have been to India & much of South & East Asia. I'm not trying to scare the OP off going. Traffic accidents kill far more people statistically, than any other single cause, including terrorism. Better to see India than stay at home. Just excercise common sense, read newspapers, & take the usual precautions.

[andrew]

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