These tips were provided at a personal safety workshop. It was given by
an amazing man, Pat Malone, who has been a body guard for famous figures
like Farrah Fawcett and Sylvester Stallone. He works for the FBI, and
teaches police officers and Navy SEALS hand to hand combat. This man has
seen it all, and knows a lot. He focused his teachings on HOW TO AVOID
BEING THE VICTIM OF A VIOLENT CRIME.
He gives some statistics about how much the occurrences of random
violence have escalated over the recent years, and it's terrible.
Something like 99% of us will be exposed to or be an actual victim of a
violent crime. Here are some of the most important points that I got out
of his presentation:
The three reasons women are easy targets for random acts of violence
are:
1. Lack of awareness (you MUST know where you are, 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 be walking alone in an alley, or
driving in a bad neighborhood at night)
Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating,
working, etc, and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list,
etc). 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.
A few notes about 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. Check under the car as well.
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 drivers 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/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE
THAN
SORRY.
ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible
places to be alone.)
DO NOT get on an elevator if there is a weirdo already on there. (of
course bad men don't always look bad).
DO NOT stand back in the corners of the elevator, be near the front, by
the doors, ready to get off or on.
If you get on the elevator on the 25th floor, and the Boogie Man gets on
at the 22nd, GET OFF when he gets on.
If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN!
POLICE only make 4 of 10 shots when they are in range of 3-9 feet. This
is due to stress. 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!
As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT, it may get
you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good looking,
well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting
women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into
his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next
victim.
Pat Malone told us the story of his daughter, who came out of the mall
and was walking to her car when she noticed 2 older ladies in front of
her. Then she saw a police car come towards her with 2 cops, and they
said hello. She also noticed that all 8 handicap spots in the area were
empty. As she neared her car she saw a man a few rows over calling to
her, for help. He wanted her to close his passenger side door. He was
sitting in the drivers side, and said he was handicap. He continued
calling, until she turned and headed back to the mall, and then he began
cursing at her. She wondered why he didn't ask the 2 older ladies, or
the policeman for help, and why he was not parked in any of the empty
handicap spots. As she got back to the mall, two male friends of hers
were exiting, and as she told them the story, and turned to point at the
car, a male was getting out of the back seat into the front, and the car
sped away.
DON'T GET CAUGHT IN THIS TRAP!
Tips to saving your life, if you have gotten into a violent situation:
REACT IMMEDIATELY: If he abducts you in a parking lot, and is taking you
to an abandoned area, DON'T LET HIM GET YOU TO THAT AREA. If you are
driving, react immediately in the situation, and crash your car while
still going 5 MPH. If he's driving, find the right time, and stick your
fingers in his eyes. He must watch the road, so choose an unsuspecting
time, and gouge him. It is your ONLY defense. While he is in shock, GET
OUT. (This sounds gross, but the alternative is your fault if you do not
act.
RESIST: don't go along with him: run, if you are able, scream; you DO
NOT want to get to crime scene. DON'T EVER GIVE UP!
ALWAYS keep your distance when walking past strangers on the street or
in dark areas.
GET A CELL PHONE. there are packages for $19.95 a month that allow you
to program only 911 into the dialing out program (this is for parents
who say it is too expensive for their kids to have a cell phone.)
BREAK DOWNS: (avoid this by ALWAYS keeping your car in good working
order).
If your car breaks down: you better have a cell phone to call for help
and lock your doors.
Keep a blanket, and a pair of warm clothes and boots, and a flashlight
in your car always for emergencies.
If you don't have a cell phone: (shame on you). And it's noon on a
business day, you MAY want to put your hazards on and walk to safety.
And it's 2 a.m.: put on your warm clothes, and walk to a lighted area.
You are a perfect target if you are sitting in your car broken down.
Predators search the highways for easy targets like you. And if you're
on a desolate road: walk away from the car (in your warm clothes) and go
to some bushes, or some area AWAY from your vehicle. It will be cold,
and uncomfortable, but you DO NOT want to stay in your car, and there
are no psychic boogiemen waiting in the bushes who knew you were going
to break down.
Physical defenses that we can use against the violent predator:
The EYES are the most vulnerable part of the body. Poke him there, and
you have (possibly) your only window of opportunity.
The neck is also a vulnerable spot, but you MUST know where to grip, AND
HAVE THE STRENGTH to cut off his breath.
The last place is the KNEES. Everyone's knees are very vulnerable, and a
swift kick here will take anyone down.
A cautionary note about these things is that if you do not do these
things right the first time, you are in trouble, because it will only
anger the individual, and that anger will be TAKEN OUT ON YOU. I'm not
saying don't attempt them (it may be your only hope), but be forceful
when you do.
If you are walking alone in the dark (which you shouldn't be) and you
find him following/chasing you, Scream "FIRE!", and not "help". People
don't want to get involved when people yell "help", but "fire" draws
attention because people are nosy.
RUN! Find an obstacle, such as a parked car, and run around it, like
ring around the rosie. This may sound silly, but over the years, 5 women
have told Pat Malone that this SAVED THEIR LIVES.
Your last hope is getting under the car. Once you are under there, there
are tons of things to hold on to, and he will not be able to get you
out, and will not come under for you (most likely). Usually they give up
by this point. The catch here is that YOU MUST PRACTICE GETTING UNDER
THE CAR. You must have a plan (he will have one); know if you will be
going on your back, front, from the side or back of the car. It must be
practiced.
NEVER let yourself or anyone that you know be a "closer" in any type of
business (bar, store, restaurant, gas station). Pat knew Danielle, who
was the girl from Chesterland that just died from being shot point-blank
by some kids while she was closing at the local gas station. He talked
with her the night before she died, and asked whether it ever scared her
to close alone. She said yes, but said "I'll be alright, Pat. I'll be
alright." She wasn't.
I didn't mean to scare you with any of this, but honestly, I hope it
did. It should. Our world is not as safe as we pretend that it is, and
living in our fantasy worlds WILL get us in trouble, sooner or later.
"It won't happen to me" doesn't cut it, and is a bogus expectation
anyway.
Pat Malone said again and again that the women who die EVERY MINUTE from
violent crimes expected to go to bed tonight, and get up tomorrow, and
do it all over again, and again, and again. No one expects it, but we
must be prepared and aware so that we HAVE A PLAN.
This information is good for everyone, not just women. Violence can
strike anyone, anytime. We all need to be prepared.
Effective preventative measures are your best defense! Stun Guns, Tasers,
and Pepper Sprays are extremely efficient methods of getting yourself
out of trouble before it escalates into the unthinkable. Don't be caught
short!