Locked up while abroad

When I was traveling in Thailand, I always found it curious that the easiest books to find in English were written about Westerners imprisoned in Thailand for various offenses (usually drug related). The English-language book stores had book after book after book about Westerners that made a bad choice (or a bad friend) and ended up paying with years of their lives in abominable conditions. I refused to read those books until I was back on American soil – I always thought it would jinx things reading those books abroad.

Now, I watch the addictive National Geographic Channel program Locked Up Abroad which always sends a shiver down my spine, thinking of what could happen with one little (or huge) mistake. Mike Lovett had such an experience which he wrote about on his blog. Lovett is an American who had some bad luck, ended up destroying an ATM, and ended up being held in a Chinese prison for a period of time.

The U.S. State Department has advice for Americans in touchy legal situations abroad that hopefully no Vagabonder will ever have to use.