Cabin Crew Safety

[Lucie Blackman Trust]

Hi there,

I work for the Lucie Blackman Trust. Lucie was, as most of you will know, cabin crew, before she went to Tokyo where she was date-raped and killed. The Trust was set up in her name to educate people in Personal Safety.

Some cabin crew have approached us with concerns about security in some of the hotels they are put in. We have sourced a portable lock that anyone can fit easily to the inside of a door, locking it securely even if someone has a key. Have a look at http://www.lucieblackmantrust.org/lifelock.shtml and let us know what you think.

I would be very grateful if anyone would like to help us in anyway. If anyone has any safety tips especially for cabin crew, please email me: [email protected] and I will put them on the website for all cabin crew to read. Likewise, if there is anything you think we could do to help crew, please let me know.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Safe flying and best wishes,

Matt

http://www.lucieblackmantrust.org (http://www.lucieblackmantrust.org/)
[email protected]

[EKBird]

Thanks for the info Matt. I would definitely recommend that each and every one of you that have layovers in various hotels around the globe invest in one of those portable locks. In the 8 years that I have been flying, I have been woken up twice where someone has walked into my room. One apologised saying they had obviously been given the wrong room number and key by reception, the other person did a runner, obviously intending to go into my room but not expecting me to be there. I remember checking into a hotel in Oman once and walking in on a couple in bed:rolleyes: . I was given the wrong key and room number. It happens alot and I know of other people that it has happened to aswell. Rather be safe than sorry!

[chandlers dad]

Matt,

We refuse to stay in a hotel that does not have inside corridors leading to the rooms. These days many lower cost hotels have a outside entrance to the rooms and we have had some problems with crew being acosted in this manner, so the rule was implemented.

Usually when the crew stays at a smaller hotel, we request rooms in the same area. Not next door to each other but close. This way at least the pilots can make sure that the ladies get into their rooms ok, then they are on their own.

Its not regarding security but worth mentioning. One of my FA's checked into the hotel with us. We were doing a 2 day RON, staying in one place for a couple of days. We were asked to provide a personal credit card for meals and telephone calls, which we all did. She was tired and forgot to ask for her credit card when the paperwork was completed. Several hours later she wanted to go shopping and realized that her credit card was missing.

She returned to the front desk as she remembered that she had it there. The attendent insisted that she had given it back. Well, it turns out that after calling the bank and stopping all charges on the card that the front desk person had kept the card. Within 45 minutes of checking in, the card number was being used all around town for purchases. This was in Los Angeles. The desk attendent was never charged as nothing could be proven. Well worth keeping an eye on these days.

[GreatCircle]

And another point - some magnetic key cards have decipherable credit information on the strip...unbelievable but true.

Never hand the plastic card back - and destroy it through a shredder.

How do I know ? Hilton guest manager admitted it...good enough for me...

Also make a point of keeping an eye out for each other on layover. The younger ones especially, who think they are invincible need more TLC!

[chandlers dad]

Not sure I would believe much about the "key card encoding" bit...

Look at Snopes on this.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/hotelkey.asp

I personally contacted Hilton and Marriott, where I stay the most and have a written reply from both saying that a separate computer is used for the key cards, and its not connected to the computer with our personal information.

[sinala1]

Sorry GreatCircle but that is patently untrue - the majority of hotel key card encoders are standalone machines (ie not linked to hotel reservation or computer system at all) that the receptionist physically has to punch their password, followed by your room number into :=

[aluminium persuader]

I've seen battery-powered intruder alarms which either clip over the top of the door to hang on the inside or hang on the inside door handle. If the door moves the alarm sounds.

I don't know whether there's one available with a remote control to set & de-activate from outside. On the one hand, it would be nice to have a deterrent for anyone wanting to lie in wait, but on the other hand it would scare the living daylights out of the maid!

ap.

[SuperBoy]

but on the other hand it would scare the living daylights out of the maid!


Not necessarily a bad thing, the maid would think twice before barging into a room with a DND sign on the door. :E:E:E:E

[SkySista]

With the doorknob 'beeper' alarms, you can also buy the 'personal alarm' kind which have a strap and clip which can be used on say, a handbag ... you hold the strap in your hand so if someone snatches your bag suddenly, they find themselves running away carrying the bag AND a bloody loud bleeper -give them quite a shock I would think!! :E

The model I used to have also had an attachment where you hung it on the door handle and placed a pronged end in between the door and the jamb... again, if door is opened the alarm went off... I think I got it from the RAC as part of my car insurance... :}

[flyblue]

Security is very important when staying in hotels, but remember that whatever keeps the bad guys outside your door, does the same with the good ones. I've witnessed before someone being incapacitated in his/her room being rescued. Two examples: a pilot who collapsed in his bathroom after an early wake up and badly hit his head. He was found unconcious after he didn't report for pick up and failed to answer the phone. He barely made it. If rescuers hadn't been able to get in quickly, he would surely have died. Second example, yours truly and meningitis. Although I was home at the time, I never forget that I'd be dead now if I had been home alone, since I didn't even realize I was ill before becoming unconcious.
Finally, as our PPRuNe Towers says "a good hardwood wedge kept in your suit case is both simple and effective".

[FLYING_HOSTIE]

FlyBlue, very good point, and I Know the gentleman your reffering to who hit his head.

There have been a several occasions where crew were targeted in several different ways, but generally its not been intruders to their rooms. As with anytime you're in a un-familiar place wether you stay there regularly or not you have to be very careful. Always check your rooms whilst your suitcase is propping open your door, check behind curtains under beds etc... never go to the toilets on your own in the hotel lobby (I know of an instance when a girl was held at gunpoint in a cubical in LA), and keep an eye on your drinks.

Unfortunatley it is the world we live in today, allways look after yourself and your freinds, even when your at home, and let someone know where your going.
x

[BMED LHR]

FlyBlue, very good point, and I Know the gentleman your reffering to who hit his head.

There have been a several occasions where crew were targeted in several different ways, but generally its not been intruders to their rooms. As with anytime you're in a un-familiar place wether you stay there regularly or not you have to be very careful. Always check your rooms whilst your suitcase is propping open your door, check behind curtains under beds etc... never go to the toilets on your own in the hotel lobby (I know of an instance when a girl was held at gunpoint in a cubical in LA), and keep an eye on your drinks.

Unfortunatley it is the world we live in today, allways look after yourself and your freinds, even when your at home, and let someone know where your going.
x

And Don't forget that girl , Who was :mad: in st.Lucia .(Sorry carn't say the word)
That was awful ..the worst thing ever , Alway's check your room and never be on the ground level . Let's all have safe trips down route .