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-   -   Keeping Valuables Safe While Swimming (https://www.fodors.com/community/mexico-and-central-america/keeping-valuables-safe-while-swimming-765775/)

hopefulist Feb 7th, 2009 05:50 AM

It might not work for your daughter who is short-timing it, but you can buy extremely waterproof flat dry bags, too, like ziplocks but beefier and more secure. I like having room for a small towel and a dry shirt and the larger bag is lightweight and doesn't present an imposition to me.

suze Feb 7th, 2009 08:22 AM

Cable locking the suitcase to something stationary (headboard or the closet hanger rod or something) and then locking the suitcase, certainly would make it harder and take longer to walk off with something.

I'm guessing most stuff that gets stolen from hotel rooms is just laying out?

Personally I would use the room safe if that is available, or a safe at the front desk. I think that is the safest bet.

Going to the beach and swimming with your original passport in ziplock baggies stuck onto your person... just seems like a really bad idea to me! :-) I'm pretty sure it would be safer in the safe or even in the room, rather than possibly floating off in the ocean!!






jamamac Feb 7th, 2009 12:40 PM

Years ago when I was in Hawaii I saw a woman with a waterproof fag bag. I finally found one at a dive shop. It works well keeping the contents dry but it doesn't hold a lot. Just used it for money.

Stewbear Feb 7th, 2009 01:00 PM

Suze On My first trip to PV The Peso was in the Toilet. about 4,000 to a dollar. I got over a Million pesos & carried them in my swim trunks inside a plastic bag. When I went in the water I was hit by a fairly large wave. As I floated around I saw this bag of Pesos floating by. It was of Course mine. After that I entrust all my valuables to the Office at the Los Cuatro's. Never lost a thing in almost 25 years.

suze Feb 7th, 2009 02:13 PM

stewbear... :-) funny!

SusanSDG Feb 7th, 2009 03:12 PM

If this thread was in the Lounge, tehre'd be 100 posts regarding "a waterproof fag bag". But yes, I do know what you meant.

atravelynn Feb 8th, 2009 08:29 AM

"a waterproof fag bag". certainly caught my eye.

I think the safe is indeed the safest place. But not all accommodations offer a safe. The ziplocks or "a waterproof fag bag" as a fallback position (did I really write that??) can work out too.

succeed Feb 8th, 2009 11:03 AM

Thanks for all your help. I'm going to take a chance with the in-room safe. I'm concerned that if we give her some kind of bag/pouch, it will be lost, grabbed, forgotten, or will draw attention to her.

Yes, I know, the safe key will still have to go around her neck in a holder, but at least that won't give the recipient immediate access to her valuables - they'd still have to find and get to the right room first.

The safe key will have to stay with her at all times - one person had the safe key stolen by the maid when they were in the shower.

And when she is somewhere other than the pool, she can put the safe key in a concealed money belt.

But I've read that the teen parties are very crowded, too easy for pick-pockets - I'd rather she didn't have her valuables actually with her - the safe key is enough.

And with the room doors being left open all the time by the maids, I don't trust leaving much of anything in the suitcase - I read someone's suitcase lock was broken open.

I'll get her a rubber door stop because so many staff barge into the rooms in the evenings with fictitious reasons (there are no bolts on the doors).

It's unbelievable that many of her friends have gone to this place before and claimed it was the best ever. I'll be sure to do a lot of praying too. . .


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