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Women, Travel and Hotel Safety: The Door Stop Alarm

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. Chris at Security Plus Omni Corporation 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 your bath water on.

Simply turn the Door Stop Alarm on 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.

Source: DesertMama