by Frank Sinbeans

Created on: February 14, 2010

In the United States, jail can be a scary proposition; in many other nations around the world, it can be lethal. In some congested systems, the time between arrest for a minor offense and the initial appearance in court can be months spent in disease- and pest-infested, over-crowded, and violent jail cells that would make a sewer rat's home look like the Hilton. The arrest itself can be a brutal experience - excessive force during arrest, and torturous interrogation techniques thereafter, may be SOP. What's more, many of these countries have idyllic surroundings we pay so much to go and experience.

In the open air, they're paradise; in jail, it's hell. It pays to know what the laws are. They're probably much different than those to which you're accustomed, and the more unlike America the culture is, the more unexpected the laws are likely to be. And the police may not be inclined to accept ignorance as an excuse.

Moreover, just as the criminal justice systems of so many of the world's most beautiful nations are substandard, the same can also be said of the guest accommodations, particularly when one ventures away from the touristy areas. (Depending on the areas into which one ventures, the times of year, politics, and other factors, guest accommodations may even prove to be just as dangerous, violent, and even as deadly as a trip through the criminal justice systems of those nations.) And should you get injured, you may find yourself in medical institutions that have not been upgraded since the US President addressed the Union fighters at Gettysburg.

It's almost enough to discourage a would-be world traveler. But that's unnecessary! Millions of travelers cross the borders every year, and most of them come home with memory cards full of photos, and bags stocked with beautiful, yet at times overpriced, souvenirs. The key is, of course, preparation.

Before you go, know what you're getting into. Understand the basic laws that will likely affect your conduct (any decent travel guidebook should lay out common legal foibles of travelers), and familiarize yourself with the likely accommodations, politics, road conditions, diseases and ailments, etc, that you will likely face. And, if after reading up on your intended destination, the thought of all these problems makes you a little queasy, and you decide to adjust your plans, just think of how queasy you would have felt, had you shown up in that locale unprepared!

Being familiar with local laws and conditions before you travel can save you a lot of headaches - and possibly even your head!

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