Carrying A Purse Makes You A Target

A Travel Tip from Experience

I love to travel. I often read articles with travel tips about how to pack, what to pack, and what to carry. I need to contradict one often suggested tip. Do not carry a well-made purse with a good strong handle to wear across your body. Do not. Here is why.

I was walking down a street in Penang, Malaysia when it happened, but it could have been on any street anywhere. I was carrying the purse that I often used for traveling. It had a good strap and had several sections in the purse with zippers to help keep things safely tucked inside the purse. I had the strap of the bag across my body, so it was secure and my hands were free. I didn’t realize that carrying the purse made me a target, but it did.

Suddenly, a guy on a motorcycle swerved close to where I was walking and grabbed the strap of my purse. It should have broken or easily pulled off my body as he road past carrying off my purse along with my wallet, passport, phone, etc. However, it was a well-made purse and the strap didn’t break. Instead, as he rode past, he got me as well as my purse. I was pulled off my feet and dragged briefly behind his motorcycle. I landed on my right hip and then hit my head on the road. Things are blurry after that.

My husband who had been walking ahead of me heard the commotion and came running back to me. A man in a nearby house came running over to help. The motorcyclist got away — without my purse because it was still strapped across my bruised body. I was quickly bundled into a taxi and taken to a nearby hospital. I was bruised and battered but X-rays showed nothing was broken and a CATScan indicated I didn’t have a concussion. However, I ended up using crutches for several weeks after as my battered leg and hip healed. Most of the rest of my holiday was spent sitting in the hotel room with my feet propped up and finally carrying crutches onto the plane to return to work.

In summary, my most important travel tips are to lock your essentials in a safe or a locked bag in your hotel room or hotel. Only carry what you need and no more, and don’t carry a purse. I use a small wallet that holds a few cards and some money. This is usually tucked in an inner pocket. While traveling, I use a combination of fanny packs and belts tucked under a shirt and I wear shorts or pants with deep pockets. I don’t carry a purse. It makes me a target.

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