Clever Magazine, Vol. V, #2 " On guard " (www.clevermag.com)

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Tips on Staying Safe from Human Predators

(anonymous email)

Beware!

Some of the reasons we are easy targets for random acts of violence are:

1.) Lack of Awareness - you should always know where you are and what's going on around you.

2.) Body Language - keep your head up, swing your arms, stand straight up.

3.) Wrong Place, Wrong Time- Don’t walk alone in an alley or drive in a bad neighborhood at night.

4.) Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, reading, looking at a map...). 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 the area.

When 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. 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. Look at the car parked on the driver's 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 to walk you back out.

Car-jacking is a recent phenomenon. You're less likely to be a victim if you keep your doors locked, don't pull of the road in unfamiliar places at night, and always, stay on the alert.

Precautions: always buy gas during daylight hours and always try to go to a gas station near your home, if possible. Always use the ATM during daylight hours. Be wary of 7-11s and liquor stores late at night.

ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

When a stranger attacks you: your elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do. If you're really close, use your knee to their crotch.

If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back taillights 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.

If you meet up with a predator with a gun and you are not under his control, always run! 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!

Be wary of being sympathetic to strangers. They might be disguised to catch you off guard.