Opening Drinks to Avoid Being Drugged

has written 51 comments

Andy,

Ive seen cases where a waiter makes it seem like they just opened a drink by faking it and making a similar drink opening noise on the way towards the customer, but it was already opened beforehand. Not necessarily to drug someone, but to deliver a diluted, reused or watered down drink, hence more profitable. Or water that is supposed to be filtered/bottled etc but isnt.

This tactic could also be used to drug somebody by reducing ones suspicion if your not paying enough attention in a crowded and noisy place.

Solo travelers certainly have to be more on guard, unfortunately.

Eric

All throughout Latin America, waiters make it a point to open the bottle in front of you, not on the way walking over. Apparently false drinks (probably not drugged drinks) have been a common practice in the near past. Since they all pucked up that habit, I see no har in insisting a bottle is openend right in fron of you, not on the way over.

A different matter is people trying to take advantage of you -for instance with the drugged drink tric- or any other way. The best advice Ive come accross is to learn to listen to your instincts, your gut feeling. Then, when in doubt, leave these people behind, and go. Dont be embaressed to do so. Once you learn to trust your instincts, youll hardly ever get in trouble. I know. Ive backpacked over 10 years, and never ran into problems.

Another trick ive seen is bad bottled water in other countries. The trick is they will re-fill an empty bottle with tap water for to make a profit, so any time you buy a 1L bottle of water at a store, give it a squeeze to make sure the seal has not been broken. This is something i have seen in India, in a small town where we were buying water and we had two bad bottles brought to us,both of which leaked at the seal and the waiter said he would go find one that was good, and he did. Just something to keep an eye for, especially where your in hot climates where water is sold in large quantities to tourists.