How to Be Safe Walking to Your Car in a Garage or Parking Lot

To all the women out there......Here is what I do to protect myself when walking to my car by myself in a large parking lot.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Keys
• Bravery
• Awareness of your surroundings

1. First of all, I always park my car close to a light pole in the parking lot. If I am at Walmart, I always park by the cart racks, because if need be, carts can be used as a weapon and can be pretty loud ...... attention getting.
2. Secondly, I always have the ignition key between my pointer finger and my middle finger. If you were to be attacked suddenly, you can use your key to jab your assaulter in the eye.
3. Third, when you are getting close to your vehicle, always pay attention to the vehicles on either side of you and in front of you. If someone is sitting in their car looking suspicious, you still have time to go back in to the store like you forgot something. Or, if need be you can "ACCIDENTALLY" press the panic button on your key chain so if there is anyone else in the parking lot, they will be looking your way. This will most likely deter an assaulter.
4. Once you walk up to your vehicle, before you get in, look in your window to see in the front and back seat if anyone is in there. If not, get in the car and lock the door immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• I received an email about a lady who walked out to her car to notice her tire was flat. She proceeded to get out a jack and start to change it. A nice looking man in a business suit with a briefcase asked if she needed assistance. She accepted. He changed the tire for her and when he finished he put the jack and his briefcase in her trunk. He asked her if she could give him a ride to his car because he had parked all the way on the other side of the parking lot and he was running late. She asked him why he left out of that exit and he said he had ran into an old friend, had lunch and got turned around and walked out the wrong exit. Luckily she was thinking and she told him she would be happy to take him to his car, but she had to go in and make one more purchase that she had forgotten about but he could sit in her car and wait. She said she would hurry. She went back into the mall and got the security guard to walk back out to her car with her. When they got out to the car, the man was gone. When she opened her trunk later on, she found his briefcase. She opened it to see if there was any form of identification and found knives, rope, and duct tape. She also found that her tire was only flat because all of the air was let out. This was a premeditated plan for the guy but because of her quick thinking, she survived. Just because someone is dressed nice or is good looking does not mean they are trustworthy.
• Never let your guard down.