Admin
Site Admin
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Posts: 19
Karma: 0 (0)
|
 Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 2:30 pm Post subject: Be Safe |
 |
|
The first day after the Thanksgiving holiday has been dubbed "Black Friday" because shoppers hit the stores en masse looking for holiday bargains. This is a big day for cash registers to be ringing up record-breaking sales. It's also the start of a shopping season that brings out the best- and the worst- in people. Protect yourself and your family by learning some tips on how to shop offline safely during the Christmas season.
1. Leave Your Cash at Home
Besides cash, thieves steal checks, credit cards, debit cards and even gift cards nowadays. Cash is no longer the only asset they're after, but it's still most sought after because it's the easiest to spend. To avoid being a target of muggers, take only a minimal amount of cash with you when you holiday shop. Instead, take a credit/debit card or two to make your purchases with. Even fast food restaurants take credit cards, so you won't need cash to buy lunch or dinner.
Keep track of your credit/debit cards at all times. Don't stick them in your pocket or just drop them loosely in your purse. If you carry a purse, keep it completely zipped or snapped shut. Also, keep it on your person with the straps firmly placed across your body.
If you carry a wallet, don't place it in your back pocket if you want to shop offline safely during the Christmas season. Instead, keep it in a front, or hidden, inside pocket.
If you do find yourself in need of a few bucks, look for an ATM; they can be found on most every street corner. Just remember, in order to shop offline safely during the Christmas season, use an ATM that's located in a well-lit area. This may sound too cautious, but it's really not: place the hand you're not using over the ATM keypad as you're keying in your PIN (Personal Identification Number). Crooks can use this information, along with just your debit/credit card number, to wipe your debit account out or run your credit cards up.
2. Leave Expensive Jewelry and Other Items Home Too!
Even though you might like to dress up in your shiny gold and silver jewelry with the rocks to look nice, the problem is, it looks nice to thieves too. When you do your offline shopping during the holiday season, play it safe and leave your finer jewelry at home.
3. Keep Your Head Up!
One of the best defenses against being a crime victim during the Christmas season- or at anytime of the year for that matter- is to stay alert whether you're alone or not. Pay attention to your surroundings. Don't let things distract you away from your business at hand. You'll be a less-likely target if you keep your mind on what you're doing. Crooks look for people who are distracted because they're easy to hit on.
You can further enhance your safety by walking with self-confidence. Walk like you mean business and you know exactly where you're going, and thugs and crooks will be less likely to bother you. (I learned this tip when I worked in Law Enforcement.)
4. Lead Them Not Into Temptation
Packages and shopping bags that are left in plain-view on your car seats can easily attract crooks. Even if you keep your car doors and windows locked- which is a great idea for keeping you and your possessions safe- professional crooks can be in your car and out with the loot in just a couple minutes. The solution? Place items you've bought in your locked trunk out of sight. If you have a station wagon or an SUV that has fold down seats, hide boxes and bags underneath them.
5. Use the Buddy System
Have you ever used the "Buddy System" when you go swimming? It simply means you have a companion so you can watch over each other. To shop offline safely during the Christmas season, use the same approach and take at least one adult with you everytime you go out. While you're digging around your purse looking for your car keys, for example, your buddy can keep an eye on your purchases, your vehicle and both of you. Or, you can watch while your buddy is loading the car, or is otherwise distracted.
|
|
