Since the rise of terrorism travel in the USA has been harder than ever. With so many American people travelling interstate and across borders, the security measures have been tightened up exponentially and queues at borders and airports have increased as people move from state to state.
While this is annoying in terms of queueing and delays, this is all for the safety of the people. Crime is becoming more high-tech with the evolution of cloud technology, which is one of the many reasons mobile phones must be switched off in the air.
Crime rates largely affect tourism for some states and the crime statistics also impact the mode of choice. After 9/11, the rate of those using flights for a while decreased, preferring long distance driving and use of the trains instead of a flight. Fear plays a big part in which mode of transport is used and while hijackings are not a common feature, they’re played enough in the media to have people second guess themselves. If you are worried about your own record when travelling, you should look at the airline you are planning on travelling with. Whether or not you can travel with an airline largely depends on where you are headed and you can use websites to check for warrants nationwide to know if you are going to have any issues wherever you go. The smart thing to do is check first and then book a break so you don’t end up losing money and being refused entry to another part of the country.
Not all airlines make a point of checking their passenger information against crime databases for domestic flights. International flights however, are a different matter as flying overseas will usually require holiday visas and your background matters then. The holiday you choose is based on many factors from the food and beach availability to whether it is safe to go there. If you are travelling to a state that has a reputation for robberies or gun violence, or a city like New York City where there is a high crime rate, you are far more likely to rethink your mode of transport and stay in areas where you and your family are safer. People will travel to places where it is safe yet despite the level of crime in Mexico, people still travel there and tourism is on the up. It’s a matter of perception and whether you plan to allow the media stories to sway your opinion.
Usually the negativity surrounding travel to a certain area is more prevalent after an event has happened. Shootings in Florida, hijacked planes and high rates of gun violence often put people off right after the fact. As time passes, people continue to travel as and when they see fit as terrorism thrives on fear. If you give into that fear, it feeds the terrorist agenda. The intelligent thing to do is make informed decisions about your travel based on current facts and figures and not things that have happened in the past. This way, you can travel informed, comfortably and safely no matter how you choose to go.
