Staying Safe Walking from your Car

I hope that all of you got a lot out of the first two blog from my mother, my self defense guru. Here is another great post on the importance of staying safe and keeping aware while walking to and from your car in parking lots. I hope you enjoy.

How many of us go to Wal-Mart, park the car, get out, walk in and a few minutes later, have no recollection of any of it, especially where we parked? I was waiting for someone one time in a parking lot and I thought it would be interesting to people watch. I watched mostly women to see how they behaved while walking. Most of them had no clue! They walked with head down, no keys in hand, paying no attention to what is happening around them. So those are some of what-not-to-do things. Let’s talk about better alternatives. The first thing I do is park in the same aisle every time. This takes away the confusion when you leave the store. You do this a few times, and automatically you head in the direction of your car. On your way to the car, you should have your keys in your hand. Don’t intertwine the keys between your fingers though. If you do that and hit someone, your hand will hurt more than the bad guy will hurt. Just keep your car key ready to use. That key, by itself, is a good weapon. Pay attention to who is parked around you. If you see someone out of place (in other words, a guy is sitting in the car next to you and he seems to be fidgety, sweating, looking all around him) you might want to go back into the store and wait for him to leave.

More on parking lot security later. Have a safe day!