Most of us arrive at a shopping mall and just looking for any parking spot. Some are safer than others.
Thieves, panhandlers, drive-by purse snatchers, car robbers and other such predators can find almost anything they want in the extensive parking lots surrounding the school parking lots, malls and grocery stores.
Many people are unaware of how easy it is to be a victim. The first step to avoid these problems is to take responsibility for your own safety. Sharpen your wits and become even more alert to your surroundings.
Even before you choose a parking spot, check out its security program. Is it well lit? Does it have foot or motorized patrols in the parking lot? What are the stores hours? Will the security force provide an escort to your car if you want one?
Here are some general suggestions that can help you be safer in mall parking lots.
Practice smart parking; park as close as possible and preferably within view of the door from which you will exit, especially at night.
If you are one who stashes your car in a far-off corner of a large parking lot to protect your paint job from possible dings, weigh that against other risks, particularly if you are alone.
If you park in the boonies, you’ll have farther to walk, possibly with your arms full of purchases.
Park in a well-lighted area. Keep in mind that you may arrive in the daylight but emerge after dark. Choose a spot near a lamp.
Leave nothing of value visible in your car. A car phone, a radar detector, GPS unit or the dry cleaning you just picked up before. Is it on display and could invite a broken window? What you don’t take with you, lock up out of sight preferably in a trunk. Hide sunglasses, coins, ipods, etc.
Avoid parking near vehicles in which someone is sitting. Avoid parking near vans or vehicles with blacked-out windows. The sliding doors of vans make it easy for a rear-seat occupant to surprise you as you walk past. Darkened windows conceal occupants.
Walk with your purse held firmly to your side, opposite traffic flow. Don’t let strangers approach you in the parking lot. Keep a car between yourself and others, particularly those approaching with soft-voiced requests. Common ploys are to ask if you know where “social service agencies” are located or to play on your sympathies with a sad tale of a lost wallet and the need for gas money to get home. Report any such people to the mall security office.
Know exactly where your car is. Jot down any grid numbers or location markers then look back at your car as you near the mall or store entrance to get a mind picture of where it is. When you come out, you will want to go quickly and precisely to your car, eliminating any wandering about.
Before you leave the mall, locate your car keys and carry them in your hand, ready to use.
If you return to put purchases in your car and then go back to shop, lock the packages in the trunk and move your car. This can be a pain, particularly during crowded times when spaces are rare. The choice is yours; inconvenience or the possibility of a damaged lock and stolen possessions.
Make a scene. If you think you are being followed, or a suspicious person approaches you, don’t be timid; make a ruckus. Yell, blow a whistle, honk your horn. If you are wrong, so what? You’ve got a story to tell on yourself at dinner. If you are right, you may have avoided being the subject of a more unpleasant story.
Keep in mind that your best protection is your alert attention. Look around. Let your intuition be your guide. If a situation makes you uneasy, avoid it and remember to always lock your car vehicle and set the alarm if you have one.
Courtesy of YNN/Time Warner Cable
Aired: 3/15/2011
Post time: Jun-19-2017