photo equipment safe in hotel?

[tamara_white]

I am traveling to the state of Michocan in Mexico in a few weeks. I had planned on taking 2 cameras,

thinking that I would go out during the day and shoot with one while leaving the other in the hotel room,

saving myself from lugging both around at the same time. My husband recently mentioned that I should

not trust the hotels and that there is a good chance my equipment could get stolen from my room while I

am out. Does anyone have any experience with this situation? The two areas, specifically, where I will be

traveling is Patzcuaro and Morelia.

[marc_van_lommel]

I suppose no photo gear is safe in any hotelroom anywhere in the world. Better put it in the hotel safe.

[Ed_Ingold]

You might wrap the bag in a "Pak-Safe" device - a steel mesh bag that can be locked to something solid. The bag can't be snatched quickly and carried away while the room is being cleaned (the usual MO), and resists slashing. When not in use, the Pak-Safe folds up and is stored in a small bag.

[gluteal cleft]

It really depends on the hotel, on the day in question, and on the cleaning crew in question. I spent a couple of years in Mexico, and among a good portion of the people, there is a real attitude of "take what you can wherever you can". It's not that they're criminal or evil so much as they're desperate to just survive. When it's a matter of feeding your children, certain things don't seem quite so bad.

 

That's not to say that they're all bad. Most are good, friendly, honest, hard-working people. I remember one cleaning lady in general, if I went shopping and left the food in the hotel room, she would put the food away for me. If I washed some clothes in the sink and hung them to dry, she'd fold them and put them away. I probably could have left a hundred dollars on the counter and not had it disappear.

 

In some hotels there, it's actually very difficult for the cleaning crew to steal ANYTHING - they are treated almost like they're entering a prison when they show up to work, they get searched entering and leaving, and aren't allowed to take ANYTHING in or out without written permission from the hotel manager. That at least cuts out some of the more casual theft, but not the more organized, professional thieves. Don't forget that the police are usually of little help to people in that situation, and may even be involved on the nefarious side of things. Police in Mexico make VERY little money, and even they can't survive without dealing in matters which Americans would consider immoral to illegal.

 

While you're there, be sure to take a boat ride to the island of Janitzio. It's a little touristy, but it's fun, and should make for some good shots. And if you're into animals, check out the zoo in Morelia. When I was there (which was some time ago), there was relatively little in between you and the animals, I scratched a sleeping tiger on the head through some chain link fence until it took a "warning swipe" at me, and held hands with a chimp between the wires of an electric fence. The "las tarascas" statue could be fun to shoot, as well.

 

If I remember correctly, there's a little shanty town up on the hill (near the stadium?) called "Paradise" or "Eden". If you're into more documentary photography, that would provide some very good opportunities.

 

If you take a bus to the surrounding areas, the national park in Uruapan is very beautiful, and there's a waterfall (La Tzararacua), and a volcano (I can't remember the name). If you're worried about crime, steer clear of Apatzingan and Nueva Italia. Driving into Nueva Italia, there's a reason why the largest building you can see is the mortuary.

[yoni_perlmutter]

Use the hotel safe if there is one. It is always the best bet everywhere.

If there is a theft from the safe and if you have insurance you should be to

able collect the policy indemnity if there is a written police report/complaint

accompanying your claim.

 

If there is no room safe, put the gear into the reception desk safe, or leave it with the bell captain and get a receipt.

 

If none of this is available, find a better hotel.

If a better hotel is not available, bring less equipment.

 

If you are insured ask your agent for a letter explaining what you should do if

your stuff in country X gets stolen. Send an email to the hotel and ask about

the availability of secured storage for your equipment.

 

Take normal, reasonable precautions but don't let this issue become the centerpiece of your holiday.

[Monophoto]

A colleague had his laptop computer stolen from his hotel room - while he was sleeping in the room. (He left the door unlocked - note that I did not say that he was a "bright" colleague.)

 

You are responsible for your equipment, and have to take precautions. I don't worry about hotels, or major hotels in Europe or Asia, but outside those limits I would be concerned.

[stephen_w.]

I had a Hassy taken from my room when we went out for a quick bite in London. The thief left my passport, itself a valuable commodity. A definite inside job. I was in Mexico early last year. I only used my credit card in the hotel, with the card always in sight or in my possession, but they somehow copied the number. After I left, someone charged a Mercedes on my card, really. I and the bank still haven't completely resolved the issue.

[pico]

Pacsafe / Wrapsafe

 

For those interested see: http://www.pac-safe.com/ and check out the whole site to see the

wraps, packs, bags and duffel-bag versions.

[quasifoto]

I would never leave my camera in a hotel room. I used to work for a hotel here in the U.S. - theft does happen and not just by employees of the hotel. We occasionally had problems with break-ins too.

[john_h.1]

Cameras are not the only items that are stolen while traveling. Google is your freind.

[yoni_perlmutter]

I must comment after seeing images of the "Pac-Safe".

 

No self-respecting apprentice thief would need more than half a minute

to cut the line tied to that [incredibly handy] pole they have in the picture.

The bag would then be dropped into a larger bag or case and goodbye charlie.

 

I've done a fair share of backpacking and I've stayed in some pretty dodgey

places and while I know it's worthwhile to "anchor" [tie] your pack to yourself

on busses, trains, other conveyences, or to tables/chairs in cafes and etc. using steel cable, I'm not sure what use this would be if the bag with the

goodies in it were tied up in a hotel room unattended. My take would be no good at all.

 

In-transit equipment would be marginally better protected. Equipment

sitting in a room would benefit far less. The cable might add 30 seconds to the difficulty involved in lifting it.

 

Your insurance company or agent or your local police should be able to

answer you about the efficacy of this steel mesh system.

 

Also, you might have really bad luck and run into an electrical storm while toting this thing.

[Jerry_]

Keeping it simple, take the 'extra' camera body with you. Find a suitable (small) backpack for day walks, wrap the spare body in a Domke wrap, and enjoy your trip.

[Mike Howard]

I travel extensively to Mexico on business. I also take my cameras occasionally. I have had things stolen from hotel safes, hotel rooms, and rental cars. In the hotels, it is almost always the hotel staff. There are never any signs of entering, etc. I usually stay in Camino Real or Hilton Garden Inns, so we're not talking cheapy hotels. I have yet (4 times) been able to actually make a police report. This is in Peubla, Juarez, or Mexico City. The police have always laughed it off. So, my advise, do not leave anything in the hotel room, ever, that is worth anything to you. Actually, I had to chuckle about the "file a police report" part above. Good luck with that, unless you plan to bribe them.

[yoni_perlmutter]

I think 4 times is worthy of a chuckle.

[manuel_franz]

Living in in Latin America (and in a country that is considerably safer than Mexico), I can

tell you that I would NEVER leave my equipment in a hotel room. If there is a safe in the

hotel room, and IF it is safely bolted into the wall, I would feel somewhat okay to leave my

gear for a short period of time. Please note my use of the word "somewhat" - many thefts

are, indeed, inside jobs and you never know who has a key to your room or the safe within

that room. Your best bet is to keep your equipment on you - or at least those items that

are truly valuable.

 

Alternatively, you could also inquire at the hotel itself to see if they have a safe that can

only be accessed by the manager...

[Mike_R1664876643]

I guess I've just been lucky. I've left camera or video equipment in many, many hotels for 30 years now while on vacations, business trips, etc., without ever an incident. All within the U.S. however. Granted, it only takes one time.

[john_h.1]

You are right Yoni that a crafty and determined thief can overcome this and many other security devices. In a unattended hotel rooms in Mexico, the pack's effectiveness is questionable. But a large percentage of thiefs are quick opportunists outside of a hotel and these products can prevent many such attempted thefts while out. Indeed, even the expert thiefs usually want the crime to last a moment and these packs can overcone that.

[aaron l]

Don't leave things in hotels if you care about them. Hotel safes - someone has a backup code/key in case you forget your code. Think about that one. I carry my stuff I can't replace. If I have to leave something, I leave it with the concierge/bell with a receipt and their name. Should something go missing, you know who to go after.

[Rich B NYC]

Speaking of hotel safes...

 

I was in Puerto Rico 2 years ago and my hotel room had two safes. One had a key lock but nobody had the key.

 

The other was one of the new digtal-lock safes. However, it wasn't bolted to anything. When I called the desk to see about having it secured, they sent up a maintainence man who proceeded to secure it to the nightstand....with double-sided tape!

 

This was one of the better hotels in the Condado area and not inexpensive. Needless to say, they won't be seeing my again.

 

Since we were only staying overnight I just carried my equipment and other valuables to dinner. You really have to wonder.

 

Rich

[amol]

Any reason, your taking two cameras? (I assume, it's back-up)

It seems most people agree. Never leave anything valuable in a hotel room. You'd be better off taking one camera (SLR) and carrying a small Point & Shoot as "back-up".

[david_henderson]

A quick reckoning indicates that I've stayed in hotels for an average of 80 nights per year for the last ten years, involving several hundred hotels in about 15 countries. Invariably I travel with two systems and I leave stuff in the room- whilst I'm out for dinner/breakfast, and quite often all day whilst I carry the other system. The alternative is to carry it all with me all the time (silly) or to leave it in a car - which I also do but more reluctantly since I perceive this carries more risk than a hotel room.

 

Personally in all this I have never had an item stolen or damaged in a hotel. I know there's a risk of sorts and I cover that with insurance. If I felt that I was having to think about my security at every moment then the fun of all this travelling would disappear. There are certain parts of the world I'd love to visit but choose not to because it may not be safe for me to walk the streets or simply to live normally. In those cases not going is a better result than going and living in fear rather than looking for photographs.

 

I've stayed in Mexican hotels (including Patzcuaro) for about thirty nights in the last five years without any incident. Patzcuaro is not an outpost of civilisation.

[jeffpolaski]

I've stayed in hotels abroad since 1969. Always with photo equipment. These days, unless I have a safe locking site, I travel with equipment I won't mind being stolen. It's the 21st Century, and things are just plain different.

 

My standard travel camera, especially when I fly, is a Pentax Optio S4i. That's all.<div></div>

[alex_lofquist]

Having stayed in many foreign (often third world) lands, I have really had no problems with thievery. This can not be said for many domestic hotels. (The worst was Atlantic City, where management and police were of no help.) Overseas I usually tipped the staff regularly and maintained a good rapport with them. This paid off many times when they would especially watch my car and get me to places most persons would not have access.

[stephen_w.]

Theft is not restricted to hotels, although the vast majority of "travelers" (read tourists/business travelers) use hotels. I was working in China in '97, staying in a guest house, basically an apartment with cooking facilities. I worked at a Sinopec refinery/petrochemical plant, and wearing rings are dangerous for one's fingers, don't ask. A ring I designed and had made from the gold from my graduation ring and a silver Roman provincial coin I bought from a previous job in Algeria in '93 was stolen out of my room. Absolutely no recourse, of course.

 

Bring things important to you with you or risk loss.

[johnw436]

Previous jobs in my career had me traveling on average 300 days per year. I did that for a number of years. Hotels were my home. As an engineer I had to travel with a lot of very expensive equipment and carrying it with me everywhere I went simply was not an option. It had to stay somewhere and the hotel is a better option than the car unless the item can fit in the trunk unseen. As someone very wisely pointed out, most thefts are crimes of opportunity. A locked suitcase is just as good as any other because if someone feels comfortable enough to cut your luggage then they probably will go to any length. The housekeepers typically won't do something that obvious because it points to them. As for the safe, how much would you wager they change the combo or the lock upon checkout? Use the safe if it makes you feel better...

 

The one thing you MUST come to acknowledge in life is that a lock only keeps an honest man honest. A dedicated thief who wants your stuff WILL GET YOUR STUFF and I don't care what you do to prevent it.

 

Hotel rooms are not the only place your stuff can get stolen. Let's say you take your gear with you everywhere you go. If your gear is obvious then you are a target because you stand out. You have now created the opportunity. In my opinion, if I had to have my stuff stolen I'd much rather it be stolen in secret than have my head caved in for it. At the end of the day the material stolen is just 'stuff' and it's not worth my life to protect it. If something is valuable then it's worth cracking your head to get. Remember that. Anything worth locking up is worth stealing and anything worth stealing is worth whatever it takes to get it in some people's eyes.

 

Weigh the worth of your gear. Insure it if you can't afford the loss. Carry it openly if you want to, but it better be worth getting stabbed over. Since I don't carry a "package" for the President I don't fall into that category.

 

Granted, my post argues the extreme case. Chances are you won't be in an area where you have to consider such things but only you can know that. Just don't get hurt over a camera.