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Guy Travel Tips
Terry Riley · December 7 , 2003

I'm here to help you travel smarter, travel safer, and travel with more confidence through lessons learned from the misadventures of others.

Well, I have adopted seven habits that I've learned from my own misadventures so I thought I'd pass them along to other men. (Actually, I found nine habits, but from popular psycho-kings like Ken Blanchard and Dr. Phil, there seems to be something magic about "7." So here goes.)

Number Seven: Eat less and move more. [Okay. Okay. Right off the bat I slipped in this unashamed plug for my new book. But that's it. No more ads. Promise.]

Number Six: Pee before you board any mechanical conveyance, especially those where you will be confined such as airplanes, trains, buses, trams, elevators, and gondolas.

Number Five: Along the same line, when standing at the urinal, do not let your eyes wander. You could-depending-get beat up, get arrested, or get a date.

Number Four: Check your zipper-twice.

Number Three: Wash your hands often. Not only does this habit follow directly from the above described habits, but it is one of the best ways to prevent catching a cold.

Number Two: Be patient. I begin every trip with the assumption that something will go awry and with plenty to keep me occupied while matters get sorted out.

Number One: Be polite. Not only do most people in the travel business do an admirable job and deserve courtesy, I find that I get a lot more with a "please" and a "thank you" than other travelers get with unpleasant attitudes or nasty remarks.

Dr. Terry Riley is a psychologist and travel security authority based in Santa Cruz, Calif. He is the editor of the Web site Applied Psychology.