Think about the places you frequent, and the times of day, evening, or night that you are there. Now think about how much attention you pay to your surroundings while you are there. Admit to yourself that most of the time you are on auto-pilot, or talking on your cell phone, or walking with someone else and engaged in conversation, or carrying a small child, etc. Now think about the kinds of people you have seen, or might see if you were really paying attention, around these places. Also think about the security measures that are in place in these areas: 1. Is there adequate lighting in the parking areas? 2. Are there (enough) security cameras to cover the areas where you will park and be walking? 3. How far away from your final destination will you usually have to park your vehicle? In light of these things, lets keep a few other things in mind... 1. Most confrontations/attacks occur in unlit or dimly lit areas. 2. Most confrontations/attacks occur in somewhat enclosed spaces - parking garages, hallways, elevetors, between two parked vehicles, etc. 3. Most attacks of this nature take place against women. 4. Many of these attacks consist of multiple attackers (2-3 on average). So...a few items to place in the front of your mind each time you go out into the public: 1. Multiple persons sitting down a row of unlit parking in their vehicle, and watching those who are coming and going for long periods of time cannot be a good thing. 2. Try to find parking as close as you can, and if this is just not possible, make sure it is well-lit and -traveled by other (non-nefarious appearing) people like you. 3. Do your best to travel with a friend or family member. There is safety in numbers, and those out to do no good will seldom go after a couple or group. Notice I said seldom. (If you must, time your vehicle exit with that of someone else and walk in close to that person, especially if there are small children with them. You can even make small talk about the cuteness of their children to make it appear as if there is some familiarity between you.) 4. Put your phone in your pocket or your purse and pay attention to eveything around you as you go into and come back out of the place you need to be! That call can wait until youre safely inside the building or safely locked back in your vehicle. 5. Keep in mind that your keys should be in your hand, and its a good idea to place them in such a way that they will do the most damage should someone be stupid enough to grab hold of you. Even a few stout gouges to a forearm or cheek will often disuade a would be attacker. 6. If you DO notice something/someone that sets off those alarm bells before going in, pull out and go somewhere else for a while, and if you notice something while coming back out, then do the sensible thing and go back inside. Pretend to shop around like you forgot something, or go back and ask a couple more questions of the person to whom you were speaking. No harm, no foul. In a last resort case, let someone else know what youve seen, have security check it out, or at the very least have them escort you to your vehicle. Thats all for today. Look for more to come in the future. Be safe! Keep your head on a swivel, and dont just survive, THRIVE!! Doc Harris
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 17:38:02 +0000
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