Does it make you a TARGET? Overland vehicles, passports, license plates and safety

[@Chicknontheroad]

Well said. Attitude is very important, not just when you’re in a foreign country, but everyday.

[@gavinwilliamson3944]

Thanks Dan. Just got your book yesterday. Couple of chapters into it. Started out a little sparse on detail and experiences. But now. I'm imagining steep, narrow and muddy roads in Guinea, with spectacular scenery and friendly people. Ready for a chat and helping each other out. I'm loving it. Border crossings all appear to be about, attitude and small compromise. The power of a cup of tea:)

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Great to hear!

[@Jabber-ig3iw]

A smile, a handshake, and being polite will get you far when travelling. Rule of thumb people are friendly but give anyone attitude and that can change.

[@gloredon]

That same philosophy of treating people well also works well anytime you deal with anyone in a service industry. Acting entitled and demanding will never get you as good of treatment as being kind and friendly will. Great advice Dan.

[@larabbitatouille2173]

If there is one thing I have learned, Is to be polite, calm, and friendly. Those things will take take me far. Kindness is everything

[@firebir11]

Your absolutely right, being from USA I’ve been to many countries and most times your shown respect and kindness and they enjoy interacting with you, as do I with them. Philippines is a favorite.

[@keithmoore5126]

That’s weird that horrible people get treated poorly. Dan you have a very positive and well thought outlook toward overlanding and life in general In my opinion. The videos are great and I look forward to them every week. Reading your book is on my to do list as well. Thank you.

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

I appreciate that!

[@luisguerreiro1806]

Hey, couldn't be more right, being Portuguese every loves how open and welcoming we are. Every time I take my British friends for a off road weekend in Portugal, they love it. There is always exceptions.

[@AstroVanTribe]

This was great - the whole, "people treat you as you treat them" thing is something you can experience in your own home town... It always bows me away how unaware people can be to their own behavior/attitude, completely oblivious that they're creating their own bad time....

[@eduardopaolini5256]

Thanks so much Dan!

[@calsurflance5598]

Enjoyed another video! These are life lessons! Treat others well and they will respond in kind! I’m part way through your first book and love it. Vol2 should be delivered in a day or so. Thank you for taking us along on these adventures!

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Thanks very much for the support!

[@calsurflance5598]

@@TheRoadChoseMe Vol 2 came in the mail today! I also really enjoy your writing style. They are an easy read and the pages turn quickly! Nice job.👍👍 If you have the time watch the movie “Sorcerer” with Roy Scheider. Duce and a half’s in the Bolivian jungle. Awesome movie!

[@glenskoth20]

Yeti sighting on the top right at 2:21.

[@jackbuckleyauto]

How the hell did you see that

[@kel8026]

Yeah, I think that was someone out to TARGET him

[@guidok3762]

Thanks for the great advice, really appreciate all the time you spend making all the video’s 👍🥇✌️

[@TheJourneyAhead]

Another great video :) Securing your license plates is a good point, but in my opinion, not so much because they could be stolen, but more because the plates tend to fall off on bad roads. The commercially available license plate holders are often not up to the stresses of a long overland trip.

[@aasphaltmueller5178]

The "Souven ier" argument does hold, I think - Children and youngsters do have a tendency in some places to "take" things, which are "easy" as toys and souveniers. "Entering" in your luggage/vehicle is than an other level and is clear theft

[@TheJourneyAhead]

@@aasphaltmueller5178 Didn't had any bad experience with children, taking anything from me. In some places this might be true, but the majority of the children are well brought up in that regard. Even the poorest parents teach their children not to steal.

[@defendermodsandtravels]

The colour of your skin will give you away and you can expect attention from beggars, hoods, hookers, you name it. It's just a part of life. Not that it's a major problem, especially if you have a friendly attitude, but be prepared for the attention. I have visited more than 80 countries and know the scene well. Agree with your comments about being treating others as you would like to be treated yourself.

[@Furniture121]

I've been to about half that many countries, but my experience has been broadly similar. People knew by my skin, clothes, and mannerisms that I was not a local, but the only time it ever made me feel unsafe was in Mumbai. We wandered a bit far off the beaten path, it was after dark, and we were half in the bag. We turned around, got back to the tourist area, and had a great night that I barely remember.

[@defendermodsandtravels]

@@Furniture121 The only time I ever have ever had a seriously nasty experience was in Brazil, where I was living at the time, I wandered too close to a favela and got robbed at gunpoint by a kid. I blamed myself for not being more aware of the environment which can change from safe to unsafe in the space of a couple of blocks. One needs to be cautious anywhere but without being paranoid about it.

[@eshxplorn]

Well done, Dan! I've found similarly the essence of your messages on this video as truth in my limited self-drive adventures abroad. Good advice about protection against plate as a potential souvenir. Cheers

[@johnfitzgerald5158]

Got to a local auto store and pick up security bolts for your plates. They look like torx, but have a raised post in the middle of the star that stops a standard torx from fitting.. The kit comes with a specialized torx bit with a corresponding hole. Just throw that in the glove box in case you ever need to take the plate off.

[@kiplambel4052]

I'm a California native, with CA license plates on my rig. I feel more conspicuous Alabama, where my daughter lives, than Driving through Mexico.

[@luisfelipebayardomelgoza4104]

Great video, I was wondering exactly that about your stickers.

[@jcf6597]

Another great video Dan.

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Thanks again!

[@johndiaz7240]

Hello Dan I have been enjoying your new book , I'm not much of a reader but I have a map of Africa on my right and your pictorial book of Africa on my left which helps. We met in Death Valley driving through Titus Canyon and you had your two books. Your book is much more than I expected thanks , I'm up to page 251 take care and be safe.

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Hey John! Great to hear from you and I'm really happy to hear you are enjoying the book! I hope we can cross paths out there again some day - I loved the Death Valley drive and I could see me making it an annual (when the world gets back to some kind of normal!)

[@ryanli7264]

Great video Dan! I hope you can go on to your next journey soon..... after the covid of course:)

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

I'm working on it, and things are looking good for a mid-year kick off

[@adelarsen9776]

Smile, be polite and friendly, smile, open palms, be patient, keep calm, smile, retain good attitude, smile, be patient, calm, relaxed, happy, smile, be respectful, comply, smile, good attitude. REPEAT.

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Nailed it!

[@TUNTALKS]

It sounds like the couple you met had a case of the Mercator Syndrome. Many people underestimate the size of the task of driving the entirety of west Africa.

[@Onward4x4]

It's all in your attitude... :P (And am guessing those folks were from New Zealand?)

[@kel8026]

That was what I was guessing too. :P

[@asaleemeadows]

Did that couple not ever hear "you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar?"

[@cameronwood1994]

It's funny you mention licence plates, because I got pulled over by the police in Kenya because of mine on more than one occasion. The issue is that UK number plates from 1 January 1973 to 31 July 1983 are exactly the same colour, size, format and near-enough identical typeface to Kenyan licence plates issued from 1989. The issue arose, however, because all Kenyan number plates begin with K and run in the sequence KAA 001A to KZZ 999Z. My UK plate is FMR 379W. Seeing this, they wanted to know why my plate began with an F and not a K, and not a number indicating a Government vehicle, and why it was out of sequence with local number plates. Luckily, they were very understanding. That and speeding tickets (all deserved, one was 66 km/h in a 60 km/h zone and the other was 53 km/h in a 50 km/h zone) were about the only bureaucratic hassle that I ever really encountered on my own trip. It turns out having an MPH speedometer and very old UK number plates can be a rather expensive exercise!

[@karenwndegwa7303]

That's Kenyan police for you! Sorry about the hassle though.

[@cameronwood1994]

@@karenwndegwa7303 Hey, I'm used to Kenyan police, I go to Mombasa regularly. I've had worse in Mombasa, so I normally just ask for the Tourist Police and they go away then (top-tip for visiting Kenya)! I should add the speeding fines were in Zambia and Tanzania, not Kenya.

[@philiphannum4211]

This is good to know. Hopefully someday I will be able to leave my town and go somewhere else. South America sounds like a lovely idea. Mexico sounds like a lovely idea as well.

[@amaclach]

Kiwis... We're not all bad :-)

[@ZEROmg13]

.....no one said "all"...........but "most"......lol

[@DannyK1992]

The only license plate that can get you in trouble in certain regions is an Israeli plate That's why Israelis who overland often change the yellow Israel plate with the big IL on the side to a plain white plate And in Jordan Israeli cars are required to receive a temporary Jordanian license plate and from what I saw this is a special treatment only reserved for Israelis But on the other hand I've seen pictures of Israeli plated vehicles in Eastern Europe (Ukraine and Russia mostly) and they had no trouble driving around with a very conspicuous yellow Israeli license plate with the Israeli flag in the "Euroband" on the left corner of the plate

[@donewhiskey]

I've been all over the world. The only time I've been kicked in the head, for being an American, was in America.

[@aasphaltmueller5178]

I'm a 25 years Civil Servant, dealing also with borders, passports and such. One Standing Operation Procedure : you want to boss me around, I'm going to show you who's the boss in my office - in one place, we had some business with Americans, who were often arrogant and I ordered my team to be reciprocal - an arrogant one, all the procedures to a T, a nice one, be nice

[@emixmim]

Tell us more about the Porsche in the DRC. Really curious? New or old?

[@MogsAndDogs]

Great video, thanks for the insight.

[@GATORADDAM]

Treating people well is not just good advice when traveling abroad. It should be practiced more locally as well!

[@jimstringer1733]

Great video Dan and as always right on point! Want to be a target in a foreign country, be a jerk! As that couple found out the hard way and probably to this day don't know why they had such bad experiences. Be nice, don't try to stand out but realize you will be noticed. Oh, and leave the 47 gold necklace chains at home!!!

[@athromt]

Driving through over a dozen countries in Africa as an American, I only ever got love. In fact, I often got extra love _because_ I had an American passport. And, we were kind and friendly at every point in our journey, even with paramilitary soldiers. Just be a human, we're all humans. Americans: don't squander your good will.

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Thanks for the real-world input, that's really great to hear!

[@cameronwood1994]

Were they British Dan? Sadly, in my experience (and yes I am British), a lot of British tourists are rude, demanding and have a superiority complex. Last time I was in Kenya, I remember a group of British "tourists" saying to some locals that "we're here to look after your people". Maybe some of these people think that they still rule their former colonies? It's a discussion that's bound to get me some heat, but that's my experience from someone who's worked extensively in Kenya with charities and safari companies, and has also driven West-to-East across Africa.

[@olavl8827]

He mentioned similar accents, so my guess is the couple were from New Zealand.

[@bates6713]

Hi Dan, I know you sold your TJ in South America at the end of your first big adventure, I'm wondering what that process was like and how you found a buyer/ was there any significant paperwork obstacles to doing this?

[@TheRoadChoseMe]

Yes, massive obstacles. The short story is you can really only sell it to another foreigner, and they use a power of attorney to drive it around. I wrote a lot about it in my first book.

[@gregd4391]

The worst place my brother traveled to was Calgary, 🇨🇦 The people there were extremely hostile to people from the US. This was approximately 15 years ago.

[@dathat555]

If you are on a long-duration trip, such as driving the full Pan American, what do you do about car registration or tags that expire while you are abroad? Thinking of a US plate from a state that requires annual or bi-annual smog checks to maintain the registration. Are expired tags or registration a red flag when entering a country? Is there something one can obtain from the home state DMV to waive smog checks while out of the country?

[@the48thronin97]

You'll have to check your state laws on that, I know Missouri has a provision for renewing your plates when you're outside your state.

[@aasphaltmueller5178]

that's interesting -because it might actually give an intelligent cop a means to ask for a bribe or worse. Making a copy license plate without that sticker would work in countries, that do not know the original plate (there are countries, where a lot of vehicles, especially commercial ones, have the licence number just painted on the bumper)

[@leeloo21231234]

I am not from US, but I met some Americans and also traveled a lot. Some people confuse hating America with hating Americans. While in some parts of the world US foreign politics are not so popular , that does not necessarily mean that you as an American tourist will be treated badly. People are wise enough to make the distinction between US foreign policy and some guy who is visiting and having a nice time, with no fault or influence on what is going on at the foreign policy level. Nobody will not serve you a beer because in the 60 "s CIA botched a coup somewhere in South America, people are not that crazy.....

[@gumbystown]

If there's nothing to worry about then there is nothing to worry about!....... but if you have to remove stickers hide your car in private parking lots ........ sound like there is something to worry about.

[@aasphaltmueller5178]

I do not agree with him on the stickers, though offensives ones should not be there, but you are in places only a short time and can not really judge the danger level. Your car clearly has expensive stuff in it, and there are low lifes anywhere - so better safe than sorry- That said, only place they broke into my car was in front of my house where I work right now. Once had parked my car in a country at war with NATO and left the key in the door - found it next morning, untouched

[@SamCarleton]

So, I guess I should stop saving for a M1 tank for my trip around the world🤪

[@joelletendre1011]

I always say that your vehicle should look tough enough to make it look like you know what you are doing, but not so much that it looks military. As Canadians, we always ensure people know we are not Americans. We have met many people in our travels that place Canadian flags on their bikes and vehicles. I think people in other countries tolerate Americans. Very good point about how you treat people. You get what you give. :)

[@yorkchris10]

Some people didn't know where Canada was. Some people wanted to immigrate to America. Canada would be ,at most , a second choice for a lot of people. I find it nice to be overshadowed and ignored. Canada has lost its values anyways.

[@TDubya811]

No, that hat makes you a target in Canada for elk mating.

[@GATORADDAM]

Now you made me spit my coffee all over myself!! Hahahaha.

[@mrparlanejxtra]

So they don't put you in the big casserole pot then?

[@olavl8827]

Seems to me that unfortunately some Western people suffer from a superiority complex (the term is somewhat loaded nowadays but you could justifiably call it racism). Of course if you look down on the people you meet, think you know better than them, think they are uncivilised, think you can order them around and demand special treatment as if colonialism were still in effect, those people aren't going to take it kindly. I bet you recognise the type. You have to wonder why someone with that mindset would want to travel the world. I suppose in their fantasies they would be treated as superior beings just because they are white & rich & English speaking. Not nice of me of course, but I don't have a lot of sympathy if they do become targets for extortion etc. Let some underpaid soldier or police officer earn a little extra at their expense, I'm not sure I give a shit at all.

[@DestDroid]

So if you act like an American you do get treated like one, got it. :D