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Cautions  &  Precautions

• Don't drink the water in the harbor!
  (Water off the tap is supposed to be ok, but few locals do that. They boil it first.)
  
  
• Stairs in Hong Kong could be hazardous. Most of them have steps not as high as those found in North America. So don't let your mind go into neutral when going down or even up the stairs. I am serious!

• Don't get picked by pickpockets - always keep an eye on your belongings. They even work in teams, sometimes even involving a vehicle to suddenly stop in front of you while someone else does the lifting! I have also known an unsuspecting tourist shopping in a store who set his backpack down to try on some jeans and afterwards his wallet was missing! Remember: their hands are faster than your eyes!

• Watch out for how much the taxi-driver charges you. There are some taxi drivers in sheep's clothing. They either trick the meter, go the long way, or cover up the decimal point of the fare on the meter. The safe thing is to know how much it should cost (the per kilometer charge and luggage charge are all posted inside), and also get a receipt from the driver. If they can't give you a receipt, copy down the licence number and the driver's name (shown on the dashboard). But then just a small percentage of the taxi-drivers are wolves.
  
  
• Don't buy electronic products without marked prices: (This is probably the biggest tourist trap here into which many have fallen.) Many of the shops on Nathan Road in Kowloon selling electronic products don't display the prices on the items. Many tourists have been scammed or cheated. One ploy is to give you an unbelievably good price, then after they have your money, they say they are out of stock, offering you another item but at an outrageous price. Some tourists have said that even calling the police did not help.
  

• Watch out when doing anything with a rickshaw: even taking a picture in, with, at, or even OF a rickshaw will cost you money! So settle on the price with the driver BEFORE you click that camera! There is no fixed price on the ride or a picture, but it is said that a picture costs HK$10 to $HK20 (US$1.25 - US$2.50).
  
  
• Look both ways before crossing a street: if you are from a country where the traffic goes on the right, you will want to pay special attention to this since in Hong Kong when it comes to traffic, left is right and right is wrong! Besides, pedestrians don't necessarily have the right of way - at least many drivers think that.
  
  
• Take along a pack of tissue and a windbreaker: a lot of indoor places and vehicles can be very cold with the air conditioning at full blast (even in winter), so take along a windbreaker. Except for more expensive ones, many restaurants don't provide napkins. Have a pack of tissue handy.

• Getting mistaken for "I.I."s - I.I. is short for illegal immigrants. If you look Asian, be sure to carry your passport with you. It is required by law for everyone to carry either one's Hong Kong ID card or passport. Police officers routinely stop people on the street to check for ID. There is no "probable cause" clause that I know of. As long as you don't look right, you could be stopped and checked.
  
  
• Avoid buying cooked food from hawkers pushing a little cart.