Mass emailings from friends and associates usually annoy me, but I thought I’d pass along some safety information. And even though these potential “life-saving tips” are always in the back of my mind, I guess I don’t think about them much. They’re more instinctive. If you have some other safety tips, please share them.
Disclaimer: The information gathered below is the opinion of a self-defense instructor, and is not supported by any recognized authority, nor have studies been conducted to prove these claims. Use at your own peril.
The original story from snopes.com can be read here.
-----
Talking on cell phones, searching through your purses, or doing other activities while walking is not good because you are off-guard and can be easily overpowered by a perpertrator. I usually listen to my Ipod on the subway. But no matter what time of day it is, I remove the headphones when I’m walking home or to another place. I need to “hear” what’s behind me.
Be aware while in grocery-store parking lots; office-parking lots or garages; and public restrooms.
If a potential victim puts up any kind of fight at all, some attackers are discouraged.
If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question like, “What time is it?” Or make general small talk: “I can’t believe it is so cold out here. We’re in for a bad winter.” Now you’ve seen their face and could identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.
If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you. Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back taillights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.). DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
I remember a detective on Oprah years ago--J.J. Bittenbinder, something of the like. He said to NEVER go to a second location. If they want to rob you, they will do it there. Taking you to a second location means that they want to do more.
A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage: Be aware. Look around you. Look into your car at the passenger-side floor and in the back seat. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. Also, Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. And better paranoid than worse.
ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE OR NOT, BUT LOOKOUT:
Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her “Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.” The lady then said it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, “We already have a unit on the way. Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.” He told her that they thought a serial killer had a baby’s cry recorded and used it to coax women out of their homes, thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they heard baby’s cries outside their doors when they were home alone at night.
DO NOT open the door for a crying baby. This should be taken seriously because the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on America’s Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled a serial killer in Louisiana.
I’ve also learned that when you need help, don’t yell, “Help!” Yell, “Fire!” The response rate is greater. Isn't that something?
Disclaimer: The information gathered below is the opinion of a self-defense instructor, and is not supported by any recognized authority, nor have studies been conducted to prove these claims. Use at your own peril.
The original story from snopes.com can be read here.
-----
Talking on cell phones, searching through your purses, or doing other activities while walking is not good because you are off-guard and can be easily overpowered by a perpertrator. I usually listen to my Ipod on the subway. But no matter what time of day it is, I remove the headphones when I’m walking home or to another place. I need to “hear” what’s behind me.
Be aware while in grocery-store parking lots; office-parking lots or garages; and public restrooms.
If a potential victim puts up any kind of fight at all, some attackers are discouraged.
If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question like, “What time is it?” Or make general small talk: “I can’t believe it is so cold out here. We’re in for a bad winter.” Now you’ve seen their face and could identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.
If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you. Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back taillights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.). DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
I remember a detective on Oprah years ago--J.J. Bittenbinder, something of the like. He said to NEVER go to a second location. If they want to rob you, they will do it there. Taking you to a second location means that they want to do more.
A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage: Be aware. Look around you. Look into your car at the passenger-side floor and in the back seat. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. Also, Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. And better paranoid than worse.
ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE OR NOT, BUT LOOKOUT:
Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her “Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.” The lady then said it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, “We already have a unit on the way. Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.” He told her that they thought a serial killer had a baby’s cry recorded and used it to coax women out of their homes, thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they heard baby’s cries outside their doors when they were home alone at night.
DO NOT open the door for a crying baby. This should be taken seriously because the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on America’s Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled a serial killer in Louisiana.
I’ve also learned that when you need help, don’t yell, “Help!” Yell, “Fire!” The response rate is greater. Isn't that something?
Last edited by a moderator: