Joshua trees in Joshua Tree National Park, USA.
I was inspired to write this post by the sad story of a a single mother, Erika. who took a trip in the USA and was found later, dead, miles outside a damaged car. Windows damaged. But also a damaged radio?
The comments made some useful suggestions, mainly about not travelling alone, taking water, and one about a compass. Here are my collected suggestions.
1 Have a health and safety plan. Known to UK school trip organizers as Risk Assessment.
For example, a class teacher might not be allowed to take a class of twenty or thirty children to nearby pond or river or field if the regulations require one adult for every thirty children. Another teacher, or two or three, would be needed, or a parent or another helper. You need a second adult in case a child falls and has to be accompanied to hospital. The ratio may vary with age. In some areas you need one adult for ten children for the reception class, but fewer chaperones for older children. Check your local regulations for what is required and what you feel would be a sensible precaution.
2 a Don't go alone.
2bTake another person.
3a Don't take children to remote places unless you are a group.
3bIn a group have a designed person with a minor at all times.
4 Take two cars.
5 Leave behind a map of your direction.
Ask your friends and family before they depart to show you or mark their journey route on a map.
6 Have your water bottle attached to your body so it can't get left behind or roll downhill.
7 Consider a bubble compass attached to your body.
The cheapest compasses are only under five dollars, and I looked for a waterproof compass and found them under ten dollars. I looked for scout compass because I thought they might be simpler to use and read than the ones used by professionals.
8 Learn how to use a compass.
9 Have a map, with directions marked.
10 Have two big car windshield (UK word windscreen) signs for emergencies, one saying help, the other saying who to contact if your car is found abandoned.
11 Looters will break a window. Glass falls inside. Angry looters or vandals might break more windows out of anger or for 'fun'. Cars you left parked when you return may be vandalised and undrivable, glass on seats, footwells, hand rests. Happened to us outside Madrid zoo. We hired another car to take ourselves and our small son back to London. Our car was towed to a Spanish garage and given a temporary unmovable window. The car was sent by ferry to a UK port where we had to collect it. When my husband went to drive it off, he found it had no petrol. (Americans say gas.)
Teach children, adults, rangers, criminals, never break into or damage an empty house or car. Think of other people. Eventually somebody will come looking for their loved one in the house or car. It is distressing to the family, especially if the owner is found dead. Think of yourself; you might become a murder suspect or accused of tampering with evidence.
Finally, you can take a virtual tour of the park.
Useful Websites
https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/safety.htm
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Compass
Bubble compass on amazon and camping shops
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=compasses
https://www.lazada.sg/catalog/?q=waterproof+scout+compass
ROSPA
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
Joshua Tree Park, touring and virtual touring
https://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm
https://www.nps.gov/jotr/learn/photosmultimedia/virtual-experience.htm
Author
Angela Lansbury
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