Is it risky to wear a name tag in public in an unfamiliar city?
- By
- Aparna Patel
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- 26 Jul, 2023
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The issue you are referring to is definitely existing, not only for name tags but anything else that might act as a point of entrance for someone who tries to con you. It works better if the person traveled further away from home or is in a cultural environment that is significantly different from what they are used to.
For instance, it is very common that Japanese people get cheated/tricked or even robbed my people who know Japanese in foreign Countries. Since Japanese people often do not speak foreign language, a person addressing them in Japanese seems more trustworthy than someone addressing them in the local language.
If the person knows what you are doing by spotting your conference tag or even knows your name, people are unfortunately often tricked into unreasonable trust to that person.\
On top of course, as mentioned above, the risk of being robbed on the assumptions an attacker might deduct from the conference you are attending is an additional risk of a name tag.
I really think this would require research into the city/country you will be visiting. I am a Zimbabwean that resides in South Africa. In Zimbabwe if people identify one as a tourist they tend to give them more attention and assistance however here in South Africa that could likely attract thieves. So it really depends on the area one is visiting.
When I’m visiting some city to attend some event or conference, I try to expose the name tag only while I’m in the event’s place. There’s no need to show name tags publicly, right? But I do agree that it all depends on the city you are, as perdian said above.
Well I think it depends on the city you’re visiting.
In a “bad” environment, any sign that you’re a foreigner might give potential pick-pockets or other “bad guys” a hint that you might be a good target. I’ve read in travelguides, that you should try not to keep a map openly visible and try not to look around you too much.
Personally I think a lot of these tips tend to get a little paranoic. Use common sense.
So, back to your question: Wearing a name tag might alert someone that you’re a visitor. Holding a map in your hands might do that as well. I wouldn’t worry too much.
I have had conference organizers remind us not to wear our badges out on the street. (For example in Barcelona, where everyone I knew was robbed or had a robbery story, including someone whose bag was slit in an elevator and laptop removed.) It’s not so much because strangers will know your name (I am reminded of advice not to put children’s names on their backpacks or lunches because then kidnappers will know their names) but more that it screams THIS PERSON IS A TOURIST! ON EXPENSE ACCOUNT! WITH A PHONE AND A LAPTOP! to pickpockets and the like.
Just because you need your badge to get into the event doesn’t mean you need to wear it around your neck on the subway. Tuck it into your coat, or take it off and put it in your pocket. Once you’re at the event with the other attendees, you can wear it again – the bad guys will know the whole pub is full of attendees whether you wear it or not, and it goes back to having networking value with the other attendees.
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
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