October 12 (Additional Information)

         At Mrs. Reed’s suggestion, we checked the U.S. travel advisory for England just to be safe. Thankfully, there are no major warnings about sickness or terror attacks, (17) but we found out many interesting things from the site. One of the most important things is that the emergency number is. Of course we hope we won’t need it but it’s always good to know just in case. Some miscellaneous tips I found were the usual:

-Stay away from demonstrations just in case it gets violent

-Watch out for pickpockets in tight spaces like trains

         A few that I found interesting were that certain medicines legal in the U.S are classed as narcotics in Europe, and that the price for any health care will be 150% of the actual cost. Another thing we need to watch out for are scams, if you are going to England any time soon, this is important for you to know as well. Even aside from the classic scam emails, there are many mundane ways people can scam you that you don’t even think about. We are going to share with you some of the less known ways you can be scammed just in case any one decides to go to Europe.

         You have to watch out for what taxis you ride in because some won’t let you out or will take you somewhere far away unless you pay them. The only taxis that are definitely safe are the certified black cabs and any vans that are from a well known company.

         An extremely scary scam are ATMs. If there is an ATM in a secluded area or in a suspicious space, then don’t use it. People can steal your credit card information with it, so it is best to stay cautious. The best way to avoid this scam is to only use ATMs outside of well known banks or in places with tight security like an airport.

         Now one of the hardest scams to dodge are fake policemen, as scammers will dress up as a policeman and charge you for some obscure violation and demand a fine. It’s always hard to think straight when a potentially dangerous authority is demanding something of you, but just remember that a real cop will never ask for an immediate cash payment. Also, it can never hurt to ask with respect to see the officer's badge.

         That it all we found on scams, but there are undoubtedly many more so just remember to always keep an eye out for anything suspicious. (17) See you guys around, and don’t forget to keep reading on more about the fabulous country of England!