It seems that the subject of safety has been on everyone’s mind, lately, especially car safety. I saved an article from Cosmo on the 8 Must-haves for Your Car, thinking that I needed to outfit the car if we were going to do any summertime driving.
\nThis is what they recommended:
\n1. A cell phone and charger that plugs into the car
\n2. A flashlight and spare batteries
\n3. Bottled water and protein bars
\n4. Candles, flares and matches in a waterproof container
\n5. A recent map of the area in which you are traveling
\n6. A blanket
\n7. A first aid kit
\n8. A bag of sand and a shovel, in case you get stuck in the snow
\nOkay….most of these things are pretty easy. I’d need a reminder to swap the protein bars every now and then, so they didn’t turn to sawdust before we needed them.
\nIt seems to me that you can get a folding shovel to carry in your car. Otherwise, I’d be likely to carry one only in the winter.
\nI guess I’ll have to do some research on what should be in a first aid kit. The one I used to carry was pretty ineffectual, so it’s time to get my act together and be prepared. I had a friend who was a driver’s ed instructor, and he came upon an accident and needed serious stuff in his first aid kit. He was prepared, but shaken about the aid he had to give. So I’ll surf and post my findings later.
\nI plan to go looking for a plastic container to hold all these things, except for the phone, the blanket, the sand and the shovel. I already have the phone and a blanket, so I’m part way there!
\nWhile I was considering posting the list of Must-Haves, I received an e-mail with general safety tips for women. It makes sense to post it here.
\nTIPS ON STAYING SAFE…
\nTip from Tae Kwon Do:
\nThe elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you
\nare close enough to use it, do!
\nLearned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans:
\nif a robber asks for your wallet and\/or purse, DO NOT
\nHAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are
\nthat he is more interested in your wallet and\/or purse
\nthan you and he will go for the wallet\/purse. RUN
\nLIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
\nIf you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car:
\nKick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out
\nthe hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t
\nsee you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
\nLast night I attended a personal safety workshop, and
\nit jolted me. It was given by an amazing man, Pat
\nMalone, who has been a bodyguard for famous figures
\nlike Farrah Fawcett and Sylvester Stallone. He works
\nfor the FBI and teaches police officers and Navy SEALS
\nhand-to-hand combat.
\nThis man has seen it all, and knows a lot. He focused
\nhis teachings to us on HOW TO AVOID BEING THE VICTIM
\nOF A VIOLENT CRIME. He gave us some statistics about
\nhow much the occurrences of random violence have
\nescalated over the recent years, and it’s terrible.
\nSomething like 99% of us will be exposed to, or become
\na victim of a violent crime.
\nHere are some of the most important points that I got
\nout of his presentation:
\nThe three reasons women are easy targets for random
\nacts of violence are:
\n1. a. Lack of Awareness: swing your arms, stand straight up.
\n b. Wrong Place, Wrong Time: DON’T walk alone in an
\nalley, or drive in a bad neighborhood at night.
\n2. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after
\nshopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their
\ncheckbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO
\nTHIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is
\nthe perfect opportunity for him to get in on the
\npassenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you
\nwhere to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK
\nTHE DOORS AND LEAVE.
\n3. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot,
\nor parking garage:
\na. Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at
\nthe passenger side floor, and in the back seat.
\nb. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car
\nfrom the passenger
\ndoor. Most serial killers attack their victims by
\npulling them into their
\nvans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
\nc. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your
\nvehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting
\nalone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to
\nwalk back into the mall, or work, and get a
\nguard\/policeman to walk you back out.
\nIT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better
\nparanoid than dead.)
\nALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs.
\n(Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and
\nthe perfect crime spot).
\nIf the predator has a gun and you are not under his
\ncontrol, ALWAYS RUN! (The predator will only hit you
\n(a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it
\nmost likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN! )
\nAs women, we are always trying to be sympathetic:
\nSTOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the
\nserial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man,
\nwho ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting
\nwomen. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often
\nasked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle,
\nwhich is when he abducted his next victim.
\nPat Malone told us the story of his daughter, who
\ncame out of the mall and was walking to her car when
\nshe noticed 2 older ladies in front of her. Then she
\nsaw a police car come towards her with cops who said
\nhello. She also noticed that all 8 handicap spots in
\nthe area were empty. As she neared her car she saw a
\nman a few rows over calling to her for help. He wanted
\nher to close his passenger side door. He was sitting
\nin the back on the driver’s side, and said he was
\nhandicapped. He continued calling, until she turned
\nand headed back to the mall, and then he began cursing
\nat her. In the meantime, she wondered why he didn’t
\nask the 2 older ladies, or the policeman for help, and
\nwhy he was not parked in any of the empty handicap
\nspots. As she got back to the mall, two male friends
\nof hers were exiting, and as she told them the story
\nand turned to point at the car, the man was getting
\nout of the back seat into the front and the car sped
\naway. DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THIS TRAP.
\nI’d like you to forward this to all the women you
\nknow. It may save a life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It seems that the subject of safety has been on everyone’s mind, lately, especially car safety. I saved an article from Cosmo on the 8 Must-haves for Your Car, thinking that I needed to outfit the car if we were … Continue reading