Women, Travel and Hotel Safety: The Door Stop Alarm

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Women need to keep safety on the mind, especially while  traveling. We’re physically weaker than men and we usually carry a purse. But what about when we’re in the safety of our hotel room? As a frequent traveler, I have lost count over the years how many times someone has walked into my “safe” hotel room, or tried to. The incidents were harmless, usually the person being a housekeeper, maintenance worker, other hotel guests who were accidentally issued a duplicate room key to my room, or the nosy neighbors who decided to open the adjoining room door (it had a broken lock).

However, my heart still pounds when I think back to the first time someone tried to enter my room uninvited.

It was 2am and I was jolted awake -  a man was slamming my hotel room door again and again only to be stopped by the door latch, which can only be locked from the inside. The man was yelling and screaming profanities with each slam of the door. He used such force the bolts securing the lock loosened and striped the bolts in the wall. Yes, the man had a working key, issued by the front desk and he was not thrilled I was in “his” room.

I recently decided to dig for some info about hotel door alarms. I cruised a bunch of sites and finally found a company of interest. Chris at Security Plus Omni Corporation responded to my email and was more than happy to discuss the various options for hotel door alarms. Chris told me some door alarms only work on certain types of doors while other just aren’t reliable. I asked him what he thought was the best option and he pointed me to the Door Stop Alarm from PlanetMace (check out the Safety Mace blog for more safety posts). I was fascinated. With a 9 volt battery, this little six-inch wedge can do everything, except turn on your bath water.

Make sure the Door Stop Alarm is on (switch is on the back) and place the wedge behind your hotel door. If someone tries to open the door, the wedge design, with its rubber bottom, will stop the door from opening, while the motion sensor triggers an alarm. There is even a volume control (low, medium, and high – up to 118db). The Door Stop Alarm should scare away any intruder, alarm anyone else nearby and definitely alert you to someone trying to open the door (quick, grab the lamp as a weapon and call security).  And, yes, it works! I’ve tried it myself. As a woman who travels frequently and often spends nights alone in a hotel room – this is one item I’m keeping in my suitcase from now on.

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April 17, 2009 | Filed Under The Cookie Jar 

Comments

11 Responses to “Women, Travel and Hotel Safety: The Door Stop Alarm”

  1. Will a Door Stop Alarm Make Your Hotel Room Extra Safe? » Hotels - Motels - Travel says:
    April 17, 2009 at

    [...] what can you do? Here’s one suggestion, which comes to us via the blog TravelingMamas: invest in a Door Stop Alarm. Not a bad idea for those of us who [...]

  2. Jodi Mindell says:
    April 17, 2009 at

    I always recommend these devices to families who have a child who sleepwalks! They are great for using on front doors so that parents know when their child is about to head outside.

    Dr. Jodi Mindell
    Author, “Sleeping Through the Night”

    (by the way, I never post but couldn’t resist mentioning this safety tip for parents)

  3. DesertMama says:
    April 17, 2009 at

    Thank you, Dr. Mindell, that is fantastic advice! I remember my brother sleepwalking out of our hotel room in the middle of the night when we were young. It was very scary.

  4. CanCan (Mom Most Traveled) says:
    April 17, 2009 at

    This looks great! I had some one open my door in the dead of night in Thailand…luckily I had the chain lock on or they would have been able to get in!
    I think about it every time I sleep in a hotel, and that was 3 years ago!

  5. Ricky says:
    April 18, 2009 at

    where can we buy that devices and how much? Tks.

  6. Flight Attendant says:
    April 19, 2009 at

    Hey! I have a blog about aviation and tourism. I found you on Blogcatalog and I wonder if we could exchange tips about trips and get linked each other on our blogs. What do you think about it? We could exchange a little banner or just a link.

    I hope to hear from you soon.

    My e-mails: meioaereo@gmail.com
    My website: http://www.meioaereo.com

    Best regards,
    FA Dan

  7. Keith says:
    April 20, 2009 at

    Great idea … and not just for women.

    Puts me in mind of when women were advised to carry a police whistle in their handbag … although these days, I doubt if three quarters of the population (even the police!!) would recognise a police whistle if they heard it.

  8. Patsy Nicholson says:
    May 18, 2009 at

    I sell these door alarms on my website, http://www.securelywrapped.com. Also, other personal, non-lethal self-defense items such as pepper spray, stun guns, child protective devices, etc. Women need more and more to think about their safety and take action BEFORE an ugly incident occurs.

  9. Judy says:
    July 21, 2009 at

    What a great invention! I’ve had my own bad experience and I had no idea that there was a device like this out there. Thanks.

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    September 4, 2009 at

    Oh well, my colleagues have introduced an women’s handbags discount online store. They said that price and quality are very good. Can you give me more suggestions?

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    October 7, 2009 at

    camera home security system wireless…

    Interesting info there….

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