I received this list of “Christmas Safety Tips”. But really, these tips are solid all year round.
The original list of tips is in plain text, and my comments follow in italics.
· Always stay alert to your surroundings and the people around you.
Keep your head up, eyes looking around – not looking at your phone.
· Lock your vehicle and close the windows,even if you will return in a few minutes.
There’s mixed data on locking and closing (some say you should, some say it doesn’t matter), but the key remains the same: do not make a tempting target. Do not have things in your car that make it tempting for theft. If you must (e.g. out shopping), locking doors and rolling up windows, keeping packages and “tempting items” out of sight, etc. work to minimize and deter.
· Park in well lighted areas.
Well-populated too. However, don’t be complacent, as stuff happens in crowd in the middle of the day.
· Remember to take your keys with you. Place valuables,(e.g.Mp3players,G.P.S.),and packages in the trunk. If the trunk is full, place the items beneath covered inside the car.
If you can, make trips home to drop off packages.
· If you become separated from your children, teach them to go to a store clerk and ask for help.Try to always have a way of directly contacting people you shop with.
This depends in part on the age of your children as to the actions you take, but fundamentally it comes down to planning and discussing with your children what to do before things happen. While it’s good to discuss well in advance, it’s also good to discuss immediately upon arrival. For example, when you first walk into a store, point out the clerks and how to find and identify them (name tags? uniforms? register stations?). Immediately establish and verify the plan with your child so it is fresh in their mind.
I have found that if the child is too young to remember your contact information, take a small card (business card, index card, etc.) and print your relevant contact information (name, mobile phone number, etc.) on the card such that the child could just give it to the clerk for them to use to contact you. When my kids were really young, I put the card in their shoe or sock, so there was less chance of the card being lost, but the child would know where it was.
· Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.And don’t flash your wallet or money.
Be discrete.
· As a reminder,theft is one of the easiest ways that thieves can steal your identity.
Please remember to review the contents of your wallet or purse before you go shopping.Think about what information you carry in excess.Don’t bring any credit cards with you that you won’t be using.Have all of your personal information written and stored to report documents you lose.
This is a good one. Because if you do lose your wallet, if you are mugged, or whatever, it’s less information to go around.
· If your credit card is lost,stolen, or misused, notify the issuers and credit reporting agencies immediately.
And keep an active eye on your bank statements, eStatements, if the bank and/or credit card has an online account mechanism, watch the account. The recent data breach at Target stores shows that much is possible, even if your information wasn’t directly taken.
· Keep receipts separate from purchases. If your shopping items get stolen, this makes it harder for a thief to cash them in at the store.
· Don’t carry too many packages.It is important not to overload yourself with packages,to have clear sight of your surroundings and a good range of motion.
Distribute the load. Do you have others with you? Let them carry some packages too. Can you request a store employee help you out to your car with your packages?
Wife and I tend to follow a pattern where she carries things and I don’t. I know it looks bad, but it allows me to keep my hands free and unencumbered.
· When returning to your vehicles have keys in-hand.
I don’t like to do this, because it makes my intent evident. However, the point is to have your keys easily accessible and not something that you must rummage around for 5 minutes trying to find. This will cause your head to be down, your eyes to be averted, and be unaware of your surroundings. Just ensure your keys are easily and quickly accessible.
What Predators Look For
· Someone looking friendly, timid, lost, absent-minded, or intoxicated – thus more easily manipulated.
· Someone wearing earphones or distracted with a cell phone – unaware of surroundings.
· Someone unaware their being followed until their isolated.
· Someone parking close to trucks that prevent witnesses from seeing you – predators seek that kind of cover.
· Someone “handcuffed” with both arms loaded with packages or a child.
These are true things, regardless of time of year. The common factor? Unawareness, either by action (e.g. nose glued to a phone screen) or distraction (packages, children). Awareness is your #1 defense, because the sooner you can be aware of potential danger, the sooner you can work to avoid it.
Stuff From Hsoi 
· Lock your vehicle and close the windows,even if you will return in a few minutes.
There’s mixed data on locking and closing (some say you should, some say it doesn’t matter)
I had to think hard about this nugget of advice when my kids started driving; especially my daughter. What I came down on the side of locking the car for a couple of reasons.
a.) deterrence against a casual or opportunistic thief
b.) warning sign — if you locked it and it’s unlocked; move away and call for help.
c.) and most importantly; it makes it harder for someone to hide in the back seat. Not much harder but combined with the precaution of looking in the back seat any ways, hopefully enough to ward off someone looking to do more than rob.
Wife and I tend to follow a pattern where she carries things and I don’t. I know it looks bad, but it allows me to keep my hands free and unencumbered.
I still carry things but follow the still in-grained training (Air Force) of not carrying anything in my right hand.
More importantly, my wife has finally realized why I always hold her hand with my left hand. It isn’t just packages that can encumber your hands; spouses and children also can be something to keep in mind.
· When returning to your vehicles have keys in-hand.
I don’t like to do this, because it makes my intent evident.
I agree. I keep my keys easily accessible and actually use the ‘getting my keys out’ moment to look around and see if anyone is paying more attention than I’m comfortable with. I take that moment to see if anyone is getting into their car at the same time, waiting in a car, etc — trying to tally up who might have a reason to pull out in front or behind me.
Good post with great ideas.
I still come down on the side of locking doors. Many crimes like that are crimes of opportunity, so why give the opportunity? But then, if they want it, they’ll take it… and you could wind up with less damage to your car if you just let them in (instead of them busting a window or prying the door open, both of which have happened to me). So, I’m mixed on it…. but I still lock my doors.
Keys are a good weapon. I carry my truck key ready to insert into the lock. All the other keys are held between subsequent fingers pointing outward. This also adds a little weight to that hand. A swing with that hand will have a surprise for any assailant.
Ever tried to hit something (somewhat unforgiving) with a fist full of keys like that? It’s not pleasant to you in the least bit… and your hand is full of many small bones, easy to break. This is why it’s really not good to punch someone in the jaw with closed fist — you’re more apt to break your hand than their face. This is why stuff like palm strikes work better.
Not saying tools in the hand can’t be useful tho. Consider something like one of the various SureFire “Defender” style flashlights. Or heck, pepper spray.
Yes, I have hit with a handful of keys. Trick: carry only the keys I absolutely need, and set them so they are relatively even in my hand. I never aim for the jaw- jaws are very hard and I can’t reach that high with enough force on most men to be effective anyway. A slash type motion is absolutely much better than a punch, at least on my hand. The keys will still scrape quite nicely. The surprise may give just enough time for escape with minimal damage to oneself. When opening a vehicle with child, groceries, whatever, there’s only so much more you can have in your hands. Keys are needed, so I use them. Nogoodniks rarely will wait while you try to find the pepper spray and aim it at them. It is terribly unlucky if you grab a spray can and the hole happens to be pointed at you. Or it is a dud can. If you are holding a mag light, that leaves you still hunting keys- a vulnerable moment.
If you are headed toward a parked car, your intentions are already evident, so having the keys ready doesn’t give any additional signals. You may be able to get into the car fast enough to get to something more effective for defense.
Small women have fewer actual choices than even average men. That’s why your list is so useful. And my keys.
Sounds good to me!
I agree about locking your car doors. I think it can prevent an intruder from entering your vehicle. I also park close to the store in a well-lit area. Being alert and observant can save your life. I hold my keys like the comment states above -you never know when you will need to be ready to protect yourself.