A former CIA and FBI agent shares her tips for traveling safely, including choosing hotel rooms.
Tracy Walder, 44, worked as an FBI special agent and CIA officer. Both positions taught him to take extra precautions when serving on assignments, especially overseas. Before beginning any trip, Walder surveys his destination for terrorist threats and uses an app that alerts his contacts of his location in case of an emergency.
She makes sure to place an Apple Air Tag in her luggage and makes her 8-year-old daughter wear a bracelet equipped with a tracking device. When planning her trip, she avoids booking private rentals, which she considers “extremely dangerous and risky.” “You really trust someone you don’t know by staying at their house,” Walder told a US television station. “Also, it’s not really clear who is writing these reviews.”
Once she chooses a hotel, Walder requests to stay in a room between the third and sixth floors. She explained that these rooms are close enough to the main floor for emergency access, but far enough away from intruders who enter through the main floor. “Regarding the level of a floor, there are two aspects: first the entrance. Generally, someone who seeks to cause harm will take the easiest route, which is to enter from the ground floor “ground floor because it’s the most accessible,” Walder said. “As for the exit, if you are too high, for example on the 20th or 21st floor, it will be very difficult to exit quickly.”
Once in his room, Walder always makes sure to lock the door, use the bolt, and place a doorstop for “extra security.” “My husband makes fun of me about it, but even though the likelihood of a break-in happening is low, the hotel staff has a master key to your room,” she said. entrusts.
Walder said she incorporated these safety measures into her travel routine after a classified assignment overseas where she felt unsafe. “Obviously I can’t be very specific because it’s still classified, but basically I was acting as a spy in another country — so I have to assume that country might know my identity and seek to harm me,” she suggested.
“They refused to move me from the first floor on a mission, so I started putting towels under the door.” Walder also makes sure to communicate her itinerary to her family so that they are informed of her movements and can locate her if necessary. “My desire was to offer different security options and encourage people to use what they can control or already own — without having to buy anything,” Walder said in sharing his advice.
