Steve Waterhouse is downright blase about his upcoming trip find to the Philippines, even though he'II be conducting a business deal where a Muslim separatist group kidnapped 40 people from a passenger ship in May. "I look at it this way: There's trouble everywhere," says the president of The Waterhouse Group, a sales training and consulting company in Scarborough, Maine, USA. "We only hear about the bad side. The press covers the one riot that's on one city block in one place."

Of course, Waterhouse-whose business travels take him to Beirut and other cities off the typical tourist path-is correct. His chances of winning the lottery. drowning in a bathtub or falling off a ladder to his death are higher than being hijacked. Statistically, he's more likely to be gunned down in Los Angeles than blown up by a terrorist bomb in the London Underground.

Many seasoned business travelers feel the same way. They land at their destination without travail, hop into a cab to their multi-star hotel, and fly home after a week of uneventful meetings. "Business people zone out when they travel," says Robert Young Pelton, co-author of "Come Back Alive" and host of the TV series "The World's Most Dangerous Places." He's an expert in stirring up trouble among notori-ous warmongers and living through it. He observes that most managers conduct business abroad without a sign of danger, thus fostering a perilous sense of complacency.

In a world where some people, after all, do win the lottery and drown in their bath-tubs, business travelers are among the victims of terrorism every year. The U.S. State Department reported there were 423 inter-national terrorist attacks last year, with 405 people killed and nearly 800 injured.

Since terrorist acts typically are unpredictable, business travelers should always be on guard. Following a few basic guidelines might save your life. Among the most important: keeping a low profile.

"When [executives] are traveling, they're usually wearing nice suits and carrying briefcases," says Pelton. This advertises that they likely work for a large company with deep pockets. So wear the suit only when necessary, leave the gold watch in the hotel safe and keep the briefcase at home.

"Avoid places where Western people are known to congregate," advises Carol Fredrickson, co-founder of Violence Free. The Minneapolis, Minn., USA-based company specializes in teaching survival tactics to business and independent travelers. "If terrorists want to make a statement, they're going hit Planet Hollywood, not the local place," she says. In the rare and unfortunate case that you find yourself under attack, stay calm. Consider Jackie Nink Pflug, an American survivor of one of the deadliest hijackings in history, EgyptAlr flight 648 in 1985. After being shot in the head and thrown from the plane, she played dead on the runway for five hours. "I didn't want to move, because I had seen how they had shot a woman over and over when she tried to run," Pflug says.

"Unfortunately, most people panic, so they start running," says Fredrickson. "If someone starts shooting, lie down. You're harder to shoot if you're lying down. Don't attempt to be a hero. Don't pick up a weapon or attempt to help anyone. Shield yourself behind a solid object."

Fredrickson also recommends sitting with your back to the wall, rather than the window, and away from main doorways. And, of course, stay away from unattended packages and briefcases.

Sometimes, nothing can be done to escape a terrorist attack. But experienced business travelers know that simply being friendly while on the road may offer the best measure of extra security. "Say hi to everyone you meet, and tell them how much you like being in their country," says Pelton. "I used to be tight-lipped, but by chatting with people, I find they actually look out for me."

Monique I. Cuvelier is a freelance writer based on Boston.

Staying out of Trouble:

• Don't wear jewelry bearing symbols that single you out as a member of a religions or national group.
• Vary your routine. Wake up at different times, take alternate routes to work and each lunch at various places.
• Leave the camera at home. In some nations this will raise suspicions that you are a spy. Never take pictures of guards or crowds engaged in political demonstrations.

For more information on Violence Free please contact us!
 

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