Rumors - Right or Wrong #013

You can believe the whole list (which would be wrong), or you can read what Snopes has to say on each and every point. Snopes is written by Barbara Mikkelson (a women!) and her husband, so it's not advice from a cop, fireman, security guard or any other authority, but many of the above are more about common sense. See the first source, above for more.

While I have seen authorities on Discovery Channel shows, Oprah and other talk shows discuss some of the above methods, and realize that even Barbara can be wrong at times (ie: I have seen authorities that DO say to run from a gun as in #7), Barbara points out that the statistics listed are not KNOWN to be a fact.

She also lists (and describes/analyzes) four (4) tips to help you AVOID being a victim of random violent crime.

If this is something you worry about, read the Snopes article. Then look elsewhere for other articles on safety and violent crime (what about non-violent crime?) and read them. (I'd list the sections in Barbara's article here as bullet-points, but too many people would only read them. Read what she has to say about each point!)

Don't EVER simply go
by a many-forwarded email
FOR ANYTHING ...

 ... especially when it comes to your safety, money, your children's' safety, etc.

Use your own common sense. If you don't have any of your own (and many of you who don't KNOW you don't), talk it over with friends and family who DO have it.

If emails like this cause you to worry, use them as a catalyst to do your own research, learn all you can and PLAN for those worrisome situations.

• When I was a factory security guard:
  • I felt that I should try to think like a criminal, to help me spot things that could lose the company money, like:
    • material near an outside door
    • "good stuff" in the trash
    • running water in the bathrooms (no... not a toilet that had just been flushed, unless it happened on two separate rounds or there was supposed to be no one else IN the factory)
    • etc.
  • I also felt I had to "dumb down" and think like the "lowest man man on the totem pole", and watch for things, like:
    • paper in ashtrays (I put out a few minor fires that way)
    • ANY slippery surfaces (workman's comp claims)
    • ANY other "trip hazards" (same thing)
    • ANYTHING that could cause injury and/or illness (like chemicals near each other)
• When I drive, I always try to plan "an out," in case something happens in front of me, and I watch my mirrors and other drivers as if I were in a boat on the lake having to watch for other boats, skiers, swimmers, etc.
  • That "out" may entail driving into the ditch or field off the side of the road/highway, but the damage (and injuries) should be MUCH less than ramming into a stopped, exploding or burning vehicle at speed, or head-on into a car crossing the median.

It only takes consciously doing something 20-30 times before it becomes a habit. (Some will nit-pick about the number, but it's almost always within this range.)

So, what can you do?

1. DON'T BECOME PARANOID to the point that you cannot function. This type of email can justify a reaction like this. If it happens, the "bad guys" have won a victory of sorts, scaring you out of doing things you need to do or that make you happy.
2. BE OBSERVANT - Pay attention to everything that's going on around you. Train yourself to be able to describe cars, people, surroundings. As I said, you do it enough times (for yourself), it becomes a habit. Then, if something does happen, you can give the authorities information they may need.
   1. Keep a pad and pen(cil) in your car. If you see something that doesn't look right, write down license numbers, colors, clothing, makes and models (if you can), etc. We've all seen enough cop shows (real or fiction) we should have a decent idea of what information they will want. The majority of the time, it will mean nothing, but for that ONE time that it DOES...
   2. Use your cell and call 911 if you see something. I've called the cops on a number of "impaired" drivers, and with one, it turned out he was a wanted drug dealer. You may not ever know what happens to the person, but you do feel a sense of accomplishment.
3. Think about scenarios and what you would do in each. Do this every time you come even close to a worrisome situation. After a while, it will become automatic, and when/if the situation arises, you:
   1. will KNOW what you will do
   2. will do it without thinking, since the situation has already been processed so many times in your mind.
4. Be willing to modify your chosen "plan of attack" from #1, as you learn more.
   1. Recently, they put stressed-wire "dividers" in the medians of the interstate near where I live. Now driving off the road into the median is not really an option when I'm driving. Back to the ditch and fields only!
5. If you want, take classes in self-defense and practice with trusted friends or relatives. (Don't do the damage to them that you would do to a REAL attacker - thumbs in the eyes, kick to the balls, etc. - but ...)

And for God's sake, don't believe EVERYTHING you read in an email without checking it out yourself!

Oh ... BTW: #9 was added some time after the first eight (8) came out, and while a safety factor, and you should be able to see and know what you're opening your door for, the story described  is false. While it's in the "nine tips" article in the Snopes story above, it also has its own page on Snopes - see the second (2nd) source link.

Note: There are other links in the Snopes stories. Be sure to read them, too.