Visiting And Shopping Inside And Outside The Former Soviet Union.

[latinmajorac]

Sooooooo,

i am going to europe this summer for 2 months on a backpacking trip. i am going with a female friend and i a decidedly paranoid about safety. i was wondering three things

1. are there laws regarding carrying weapons for self defense across borders? (not guns, but a knife or a steel baton)

2. those of you who are/were in the military what are your opinions regarding small personal defense weapons? i know a knife can be as dangerous to an inexperienced user as it is to an enemy, but i am just looking for opinions

3. how safe is europe in general? i have heard good things, but not being able to understand the language and traveling with a rather attractive woman i am rather nervous

the countries i am visiting are

Egypt (not europe but still waaaaay cool)
Greece
Italy
France
Belgium

thanks to anyone who has an opinion or comments, and i apologize for being so far off topic, but this is the one place i know i can get a lot of informed opinions in one spot. thanks again!

[medals73]

Somehow, suppressed paranoia and maximized humanity tend to get you further when traveling than weapons. Knowing some (any) of the relevant languages and not being an a-hole always helps too.

Most civilized countries -- such as the ones you plan to visit -- take a very dim view of over-armed foreigners (or even nationals).

[Tretov]

I can only speak for the nordic countries, but carrying a knife or weapon like the ones you mention would be a crime.

[Christophe]

I can provide protection to "your rather attractive woman" ...
But, if you prefer make the acquisition of a nice missile system (very short range, anti tank, ground to air... all options available), please let me know.

But, maybe the best option is to avoid Europe... so dangerous...



I'm just kidding.

Seriously, really no concern with the European countries you mentioned!! And, please, let your "toys" at home, except if you want to visit one of our nice European jails...

Cheers.

Ch.

[Al-muell]

Even in those "less civilized" countries it's quite safe. Some people consider me a bit crazy when they discover that I am carrying a penknife (a small one) with me. And it's the former Eastern Block after all.
As for carrying a big knife in open - I know a guy who is a member f a "knight brotherhood". once he went to the street in chain armour and with his sword (they had some sort of a show on that day). Well, a group of three policemen asked if they can have a photo with him, while later, another policeman wated to arrest him... Luckily for him it turned out that it's no longer a crime to wear a knife that has a blade longer than 10cm on You.

[Christophe]

I just would like to say 2 golden rules :

1. Respect and apply the local law where you are.

2. No weapon needed, even in the "less civilized" countries...

Ch.

[Nack]

Yup, our European friends don't have much of a sense of humor when it comes to weapons. Leave it in the state up north.

Europe is hella safe. Egypt I don't know anything about. No need to be paranoid. Some general tips though:

1) you will see Canadians everywhere sporting tons of "Canada" gear--hats, patches on their packs, etc. They go out of their way to distinguish themselves from Americans. Don't do the same back and wear all kinds of USA stuff. In general, keep a somewhat low profile. You need not wear all tight black clothing though.

2) be a traveler, not a tourist. Try not to be hammered in a pub and tell everyone how soccer sucks, for example. You will be punched.

3) use common sense in guarding your stuff. E.g., use one of those money belt things, or better yet, have a fleece vest you wear everywhere with the pockets in the chest--noone has ever got to my $ in there. Don't leave your pack unattended, and so on.

The bottom line is that Europe is probably safer than US cities, as if you were to encounter crime in the EU, it will more than likely be of the pickpocket variety, not a "violent" crime. So, you don't need any weapons anyway.

Non-Americans can spot us from a 100 yards. There are tons of clues. You can't avoid it. Just try to fit in and not be a jackass.

[medals73]

In fact, if you are a US citizen, it may be good to pick up some "I am a Canadian, don't hate me" false advertising, patches and so on for the backpack. Though they are no longer quite the Good Guys they used to be, anything can help. Only when you are forced to drag out the passport with the Screaming Eagle will your "cover" be broken (though I have seen some nice maple-leaf passport wallets . . .).

And keep in mind that most people in the world judge US women by their advertizing on US television and movies . . . enough said?? They are all sluts, or so it seems based on these sources.

[latinmajorac]

like i said perhaps i am just a bit paranoid due to the fact that we will be camping most everywhere we go (no hostels even) so being in the wilderness leads me to remember scenes from the wilderness (of america) movie Deliverance :-)


and the implication was definitely NOT there that europeans are uncivilized, but again, it was the fact that we would be staying outside of major city areas made me more worried than if we had hotels and more firm travel dates set up. so perhaps a good money belt and a heightened sense of paranoia are all that i need :-)

thank you for all of your help!

[Kirchgoens]

Take the advice of these guys above or else you run some definite risks of having problems with the guys who are there to protect you. Also, you'll have a very, very annoyed consular officer at the nearest US Embassy if you get thrown in the tank over something that could have been avoided, and they can't get you out of it (contrary to popular belief), but can only try to keep you from being beaten depending on the country you visit. : Trust me on this when I say that I really know what I'm talking about.