A few years back, Liam Neeson featured in a superb action thriller motion picture called Taken. Neeson is a one-time undercover CIA agent who is now divorced from his spouse and apart from his teenager girl.
Ever aware of the dangers of the modern world, mother and child gang up on him to encourage him to allow his girl and a student mate to travel to Europe.
He opposes the travel trip but succumbs when he provides his child with 2 things she must do; phone each day and give her actual location.
Then each parent’s nightmare is realised. She is taken and abducted by gangsters for human trafficking.
The rest of the film is pure Hollywood fantasy however it does highlight what lengths a teen can go to fool their parents into letting them go on a foreign trip.
The film overlooks some basics every parent would check. Where are you staying, what amount of cash have you got to take, what must haves are you taking with you, what insurance cover is there?
While Neeson is the protective parent in this film and the mother is perceived as the free enthusiastic ‘let my girl have what she would like ‘, we know in reality folks would like to know each last minute detail of such a visit to a land five thousand miles away.
And then lo and behold, I go to the movies at the weekend and there is a trailer for Taken Two. This time it appears the ex-wife is taken in retaliation for Neeson rescue mission in the 1st flick.
I somehow don’t think kidnapping and human trafficking are covered in most student insurance travel policies but the flicks actually do make you think as a parent. I know it has made me think carefully prior to agreeing to any trips my kids go on.
Paul Godin writes for InsureDirect who provide travel insurance for students and many other specialist travel insurance plans.