Avoid becoming a victim of crime with these tips

The holiday season is quickly approaching and people are starting to get into the festive mood of baking, eating, and shopping.  Shopping is one of my favorite activities year round but during the holiday season it’s about giving to others and doing for others.  This year it will begin on Thanksgiving Day when the season opens for combat within the isles of the checkout lines in our favorite stores.  If you are one of these brave souls make sure that you stock your car with plenty of water, snacks, and a pillow because you might find yourself sleeping in the parking lot just to get a good parking spot.  You also might need a chair and blanket because the lines tend to begin forming the night before the stores open for the holiday season.  Are you one of these people? Me? Hell no!

If you are, well, even if you are not that person the stores and malls will still be packed most of the beginning of the holiday shopping season all the way through to after the holidays end for those last minute items that are missing from your list or you shop for the after holiday sales preparing early for the next year.  Whatever the case may be we all have one thing in common whether you shop at the beginning of the season, at the end, during busy hours or not.  Our common factor is that we are all consumers carrying money, credit cards, or gift cards and we are amongst thieves just waiting for our vulnerability to be exposed. 

Every year at this time I like to remind people of a few tips for shopping during the busy holiday season.  And, I recommend that you pass this on to everyone you know so they can benefit from this knowledge. Remember knowledge is power!

1. Ladies, this is for you!  Hold onto your purses.  If you put your purse in a cart without your hands securely holding onto the purse strap you are opening yourself to being a victim of one of the most common forms of theft especially if you are outside in the parking lot.  A person in a car can pull up next to your cart, grab your purse, and take off faster than you can say, “oh shit!” 

2. When approaching your car please be sure to take a peek underneath your car as you approach.  Some hoodlums like to hide underneath cars and then cut the unsuspecting victim on the leg as they get into their car.  It will catch you off guard, disable you, and make you vulnerable for car theft along with all of your money. 

3. Always keep your eyes open.  Look around you as you walk to your car.  There are bad guys just waiting outside in the parking lots for the right person to take control of.  Make people think you are aware of your surroundings.  If you look around it will become obvious.

4. Ladies, again, this is for you!  If you have long hair DO NOT wear a ponytail.  It is very easy to control a person by grabbing their ponytail.  Statistics show rapists are especially fond of ponytails because it becomes an easy target for them.  “Grab and Go” is what I call it. 

There are many tips I can offer but these are my top picks that I post every year at this time.  I don’t want to bore you with a book right now so I will end for now.  Happy shopping and be safe out there.

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