Hi, all -- Walt here -- you've probably seen these tips before, but give them a run-through anyway. Good info. Be Safe
> TIPS ON STAYING SAFE... > > I learned from my children's karate classes that the elbow is the > strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do! > If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail > lights 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. Last night I attended a personal safety workshop, and it jolted > me. It was given by an amazing man, Pat Malone, who has been a body > guard for famous figures like Farrah Fawcett and Sylvester Stallone. He > works for the FBI, and teaches police officers and Navy SEALS > hand-to-hand combat. This man has seen it all, and knows a lot. He > focused his teachings to us on HOW TO AVOID BEING THE VICTIM OF A > VIOLENT CRIME. He gave us some statistics about how much the > occurrences of random violence have escalated over the recent years, > and it's terrible. Something like 99% of us will be exposed to, or > become a victim of a violent crime. > > Here are some of the most important points that I got out of his > presentation: > (1.) The three reasons women are easy targets for random acts of > violence are: > > (a.) Lack of Awareness You MUST know where you are what's going on > around you. > (b.) Body Language Keep your head up, swing your arms, stand straight > up. > (c.) Wrong Place, Wrong Time DON'T walk alone in an alley, or drive in > a bad neighborhood at night. > > > (2.) 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 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. > > (a.) 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. > (b.) 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. > (c.) Look at the car parked on the drivers 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. (Better paranoid than dead.) > > > (3.) ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are > horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot). > > (a.) Do not get on an elevator if there is a weirdo already on there. > (Of course bad men don't always look bad). > (b.) Do not stand back in the corners of the elevator, be near the > front, by the doors, ready to get off or on. > (c.) If you get on the elevator on the 25th floor, and someone > suspicious gets on the 22nd, get off when he gets on. > > > (4) If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS > RUN! > > (a.) Police only make 4 of 10 shots when they are in range of 3-9 feet. > This is due to stress. > (b.) The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times. > And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN! > > > (5.) As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may > get you raped, or killed. > > (a.) Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good looking, well-educated > man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He > walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his > vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim. > (b.) Pat Malone told us the story of his daughter, who came out of the > mall and was walking to her car when she noticed 2 older ladies in > front of her. Then she saw a police car come towards her with cops who > said hello. She also noticed that all 8 handicap spots in the area were > empty. As she neared her car she saw a man a few rows over calling to > her for help. He wanted her to close his passenger side door. He's > sitting in the driver's side, and said he was handicapped. He continued > calling, until she turned and headed back to the mall, and then he > began cursing at her. In the meantime, she wondered why he didn't ask > the 2 older ladies, or the policeman for help, and why he was not > parked in any of the empty handicap spots. As she got back to the mall, > two male friends of hers were exiting, and as she told them the story > and turned to point at the car, a man was getting out of the back seat > into the front, and the car sped away. DON'T GET CAUGHT IN THIS TRAP. > > > (6.). Tips to saving your life, if you have gotten into a violent > situation: > > (a.) REACT IMMEDIATELY If he abducts you in a parking lot, and is > taking you to an abandoned area, DON'T LET HIM GET YOU TO THAT AREA. If > you are driving, react immediately in the situation, and crash your car > while still going 5 mph. If he's driving, find the right time, and > stick your fingers in his eyes. He must watch the road, so choose an > unsuspecting time, and gouge him. It is your ONLY defense. While he is > in shock, GET OUT. (This sounds gross, but the alternative is your > fault if you do not act.) > (b.) RESIST Don't go along with him: run, if you are able: DON'T EVER > GIVE UP! You DO NOT want to get to a crime scene. > > > (7.) Always keep your distance when walking past strangers on the > street or in dark areas. > > > (8.) GET A CELL PHONE. > > (a.) There are packages for $19.95 a month that allow you to program > only 911 into the dialing out program. (This is an alternative for > parents who say it is too expensive for their kids to have a cell > phone.) > > > (9.) BREAK DOWNS: Make every effort to avoid this by ALWAYS keeping > your car in good working order. > > (a.) If your car breaks down: LOCK YOUR DOORS. You better have a cell > phone to call for help. > (b). If you don't have a cell phone: (shame on you) keep a blanket, > warm clothes, a pair of boots, and a flashlight in your car always, for > emergencies. > (c.) If it's noon on a business day, you may want to put your hazards > on and walk to safety. > (d.) If it's 2 a.m, put on your warm clothes, and walk to a lighted > area. You are a perfect target if you are sitting in your car broken > down. Predators search the highways for easy targets like you. > (e.) If you're on a desolate road: walk away from the car (in your warm > clothes) and go to some bushes, or some area AWAY from your vehicles. > It will be cold, and uncomfortable, but you DO NOT want to stay in your > car, and there are no psycho boogeymen waiting in the bushes who knew > you were going to break down there and then. (Additional point added by > Melanie-if you are driving in the winter, best to keep emergency > supplies inside the vehicle, not in the trunk. If you end up in a ditch > and cannot get out of the vehicle, they will not do you any good if > everything is in the trunk. A candle and some waterproof matches and a > tin can to put the candle in. A candle will keep the inside of the car > warm if you are in an area where it is not possible to walk to help. > Also, some packaged food and water is a good idea.) > > > (10.) Physical defenses that we can use against the violent predator: > > (a.) The EYES are the most vulnerable part of the body. Poke him there. > HARD. It may be your, only window of opportunity. (b.) The neck is > also a vulnerable spot, but you MUST know where to grip, AND HAVE THE > STRENGTH to cut off his breath. (c.) The last place is the KNEES. > Everyone's knees are very vulnerable, and a swift kick here will take > anyone down. A cautionary note about these things. If you do not do > these things right the first time, you are in trouble, because it will > only anger the individual, and that anger will be TAKEN OUT ON YOU. I'm > not saying don't attempt them (it may be your only hope), but be > forceful when you do. > > > (11.) If you are walking alone in the dark (which you shouldn't be) and > you find him following/chasing you: > > (a.) Scream "FIRE!", and not "help". People don't want to get involved > when people yell "help", but "fire" draws attention because people are > nosy. > (b.) RUN! > (c.) Find an obstacle, such as a parked car, and run around it, like > Ring Around the Rosie. This may sound silly, but over the years, 5 > women have told Pat Malone that this SAVED THEIR LIVES. > (d.) Your last hope is getting under the car. Once you are under there, > there are tons of things to hold on to, and he will not be able to get > you out and will not come under for you (most likely). Usually they > give up by this point. The catch here is that YOU MUST PRACTICE GETTING > UNDER THE CAR. You must have a plan (he will have one);know if you will > be going on your back, front, from the side or back of the car. It must > be practiced. > > > (12.) Never let yourself or anyone that you know be a "closer" in any > type of business (bar, store, restaurant, gas station). Pat knew > Danielle, who was a girl that just died from being shot point-blank by > some kids while she was closing at the local gas station. He talked > with her the night before she died, and asked whether it ever scared > her to close alone. She said yes, but said "I'll be alright, Pat. I'll > be all right." She wasn't. Our world is not as safe as we pretend that > it is, and living in our fantasy worlds WILL get us in trouble, sooner > or later. Pat Malone said again and again that the women who die EVERY > MINUTE from violent crimes expected to go to bed tonight, and get up > tomorrow. No one expects it, but we must be prepared and aware so that > we HAVE A PLAN. BE PREPARED TO ACT! AND ACT HARD! HAVE A PLAN! I would > encourage you to pass this on to all women, not just your friends and > family, but everybody. We all need to hear it. > > > "Just when you think you've seen it all, someone changes what 'It' is."
