Word to the wise...

This is a useful forward that has circulated the net, off & on, since 2000. Although it has changed somewhat overtime, the personal safety tips remain invaluable. Interestingly enough, my girlfriend sent a similar version to a friend 8 yrs ago, (coincidentally just 1 day after her roommate was sadly mugged/robbed in their NYC Apt bldg). The friend wrote back, indicating the tips were helpful & (timing amazing); it help them evaluate things as they both moved forward. You never know when things can come in handy for others, so no further delay....

Refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation...share with adults (especially women), your children, everyone you know. It never hurts to be careful in this world we live in.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :
The elbow is the strongest point
on your body.
If you are close enough to use it, do!



2. This is from a tourist guide.
If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,
DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM .
Toss it away from you...
Chances are that he is more interested
in your wallet and/or purse than you,
and he will go for the wallet/purse.
RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

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

4. Some people 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
on 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/ immediately LEAVE whenever unpopulated/ unsecure.

If someone
is in the car
with a gun
to your head
DO NOT DRIVE OFF,
Repeat:
DO NOT DRIVE OFF!
Instead gun the engine
and speed into anything, wrecking the car.
Your Air Bag will save you.
If the person is in the back seat
t he y will get the worst of it .
As soon as the car crashes
bail out and run.
It is better than having them find your body
i n a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting
into your car in a parking lot, gas station,
or parking garage:
A.) Be aware:
look around you,
look into your car,
at the passenger side floor ,
and in the back seat

B.) 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.
AND
Have those car keys in your hand. They can be a defensive weapon.
DONT FORGET THE PANIC BUTTON ON YOUR KEY FOB either.
PUSH IT to GENERATE NOISE if you need to.

C.) 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/policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY.

6. ALWAYS take the elevator
instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be aloneand the perfect crime spot.
This is especially true at NIGHT!)
-(YET, I would argue that in the day time and a "safe place" like your work place( if safe)- stair exercise is good)

7. If the predator has 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, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

8. Women are often driven /likely to be sympathetic:
STOP/ Think
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

9. Another Safety Point:
Someone just told me that her friend heard
a crying baby on her porch the night before last,
and she called the police because it was late
and she thought it was weird. The police told her
'Whatever you do, DO NOT
open the door.'
The lady then said that it sounded like the baby
had crawled near a window, and she was worried
that it would crawl to the street and get run over.
The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way,
whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.'
He told her that they think a serial killer
has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax
women out of their homes thinking that someone
dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it,
but have had several calls by women saying that
the y hear baby's cries outside their doors
when they're home alone at night.

10 . Running Water scam!
If you wake up in the middle
of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a
burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your
outside taps full blast so that you will go out to investigate and
then will attack.

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors!
Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door
for a crying baby ----
This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because
the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on
America 's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled
the serial killer in Louisiana

-Also, remember to take your cell phone with you
- Never leave your drink unattended (any kind of drink). Buy a new one each time, when ever necessary. If possible, try to limit drinking around strangers or new acquaintances.

- Very importantly, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone should take 5 minutes to think about these. It may save your life or a love one's life.