I was talking with a realtor friend of mine the other day and I asked her what she does to stay safe while out in the real estate field. She said she tries never to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But she did tell me a story of a time she had an inspection in the city and got to the condo a few minutes early, so she decided to go by a convenience store and get a cup of coffee and a newspaper. The bars on the windows and doors should have told her not to stop but she said she did. The second thing was the guy loitering out front. As she parked and got out to go into the store, the guy came up to her commenting on her nice car. He also proceeded to tell her that he had just gotten out of jail. She said she continued into the store for her coffee and newspaper but was very anxious of the guy loitering out around her car. She left the lid off her coffee as she headed outside to her car, just in case. The guy started toward her and she had that feeling. She yelled at him to STAY AWAY from her, that he needed to find someone else to harrass today and if he so much as came one foot closer to her, he would indeed find himself back in jail before the end of the morning. She used a few choice words and her voice was very loud. And do you know what he did? He backed off. She got in her car and left. The thing is, she was really and truly in the wrong place but by letting this guy know that she wasn’t going to take his —-, he backed off because he knew she would be more trouble than the fight would be worth. He probably left to go find easier prey. The moral of the story is, if at all possible, try not to be in the wrong place, if you are, be assertive, in command, stand tall, look forward, don’t start anything but don’t take anything either. And most of all, get out of there safely. Remember, your Personal Safety is up to You! Glad this turned out okay for my friend.
Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It’s a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it.
It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won’t stick around… after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won’t want that.
And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there…This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can’t reach a phone.
The event I am about to describe is a true story. It happened to me. Hopefully my story will raise the awareness of those who read it and save them from making the same kinds of mistakes that I made – mistakes that could have cost me serious injury or possibly my life, at the hands of a street thug who prefers to prey on other people rather than work to make a living on his own.
One evening a couple of years ago, I agreed to meet for dinner at a nice downtown restaurant with a couple of friends from work. We live in a city of a little over 100,000 people in the upper Midwest. Our city has what I would describe as a moderate-to-high crime rate with certain areas of the city much more dangerous than others. Some of the more dangerous areas surround the downtown area and some of the more unsavory characters make their living working the downtown streets. Read the rest of this entry »
Always lock your car and close the windows, even if you’re only gone a few moments. When possible, lock all merchandise or packages in the trunk of your car. Load your packages before departing, not at the next destination.
Shop with at least one partner. Have your car or house key in your hand as you approach the door. If attacked use those keys as weapons!
Stay alert to your surroundings and the people around you. Look inside your car and around it as you approach.
Be extra careful with purses and wallets. Carry a purse under your arm. Keep wallets in an inside pocket.
Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
Avoid street vendors — many times these hucksters are selling stolen or unlicensed merchandise.
Plan your trips. Instead of one big shopping trip, try several small ones. This will cut down on the amount of money you carry, the packages you’ll be encumbered with, and it will make your shopping less stressful.
Walk everywhere with a sense of purpose - show you are calm, confident and know where you are going.
Park in well-lighted areas that will be well-lighted when you return.
The most important elements of staying safe during holiday shopping are awareness and common sense. Being alert to your surroundings and avoiding precarious situations are vital. There are several safety tips to keep in mind to ensure your well-being during holiday shopping.
The first tip is something you can do before you even venture out on a holiday shopping trip; avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Put some cash in your pocket, or better yet, distribute it between several secure pockets, but never pull out a large sum of cash where others can see it. Doing so will create temptation and you could put yourself in danger. Also, be sure to collect receipts after purchases and don’t leave them in the bag. Many receipts contain account numbers or personal information that can be used for identity theft.
It is also a good idea to dress casually, so that you can move around easily. Women should leave high heels at home during a holiday shopping trip. If you are forced to flee a dangerous situation, it is much easier to run if you’re wearing flat shoes instead of heels. You might also want to leave your purse at home to avoid having it stolen. Try to keep shopping cards, credit cards, checkbook, and the like on your person during holiday shopping. Wear a jacket or coat that has pockets where you can store keys and other items that you generally keep in your purse.
Do your holiday shopping at malls and stores that you are familiar with, or at least avoid unknown areas if you intend to shop alone. Avoid out of the way areas such as long hallways or dark corners even when indoors. Make sure you know the location of the security office in a mall or store before you begin your holiday shopping and bring a cell phone along with you as well, so you can call for help if necessary.
Be alert in parking lots. Try to park as close to lights and entrances as possible, and note where you parked, even if you have to write it down. It is still good to have someone else accompany you if possible, even when visiting shopping centers where you feel comfortable. Holiday shopping can be an enjoyable experience, but unfortunately, holiday sales also tend to lure those that hope to take advantage of other shoppers.
Summary:
1)Have your keys in hand, ready to unlock your vehicle immediately.
2)Have your cell phone in hand and ready to use if necessary.
3)Walk in a circular motion toward your vehicle-do not walk directly to it.
4)While walking to your vehicle, look in, around, and under for anything that looks suspicious.
5)Watch the people around you. If someone is loitering or looks suspicious, head back to the safety of the store and report the incident to local security personnel.
6)Notice the types of vehicles parked next to you. If there is a large van parked on one side, consider entering your vehicle from the opposite side.
7)Notice if someone is sitting in the vehicle parked next to you. If so, consider either returning to the store and asking for a security escort or entering the vehicle from the opposite side.
8)Once inside the vehicle, lock yourself inside immediately.
9)Leave the parking area immediately. Do not loiter.
10)If someone knocks on your window, do not roll it down-or only roll it down a crack.
11)ALWAYS report suspicious activity immediately.
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