Staying Safe during the Holiday Season
There are special considerations for staying safe when out and about for the holiday season. This is a time lots are targeted with all the shopping.
1) Leaving packages in vehicles – I know it’s a pain to lug around all those packages and it’s easy to go dump them in the car. Did you know that thieves sit in parking lots watching for exactly that? Then when you go back into the mall or strip center and there’s no one watching they break into cars and steal your packages. What’s a better strategy? Have a lock box in your trunk for them or go home and offload when you have too much to deal with. AND, when you get home don’t just open the trunk and walk away for anything. People have been followed home and packages were taken from the open vehicle. It’s good to have some extra awareness. Talk to your wives about these issues and come up with a strategy during the upcoming holiday season.
2) Holiday tree loaded with presents – Festive, beautiful holiday trees are a sight to see during the Christmas season. And loaded up with brightly colored packages make the wait nearly unbearable to open it all up. But, it’s just as enticing to thieves if they can see all that sitting right in your front window for all the world to see! If you must put the tree in the window, don’t put the presents out until Christmas eve. Or, better yet, find a new place to put it so you and your family can enjoy the sight all season long. Extra hint: after opening things, don’t throw out all those boxes showing all the fantastic things that are now in your house like a new tv, game system, etc. Break those boxes down and put them in black trash bags. And then put those trash bags out only on trash day.
3) People paying less attention – Remember the scenario above about the open vehicle when you return home? Most people let their guard down when at home. Develop a habit of situational awareness regardless of where you are. People are having fun shopping, the kids are tagging along so they can visit Santa and get a treat, people are shopping with friends or consulting their list about what’s next. It’s all a recipe for not paying attention to anything that’s going on. Purses can get snatched, so can things out of shopping bags if you set them down at a table to go get a coffee.
4) Holiday parties – What do most people do at parties? Put their things down and start mingling. And, that usually means a festive holiday beverage which makes the guard come down even more. Buy your wife a nice little wristlet purse so she doesn’t have to set down her handbag or deal with it on her shoulder all night. It’s a great gift she will appreciate. Give it to her early!
5) Holiday travel – You will likely be visiting people out of your immediate area during the holidays. Plan for extra time to deal with any traffic issues. Look up where you are going ahead of time. And keep your head on a swivel during any gas stops. Gas stations are the modern watering holes and ne’er do wells lie in wait. I have personally been targeted at 2 different gas stations. People incorrectly assumed that because they saw gray hairs I would be an easy target. Don’t leave your car unattended without locking it up. Lock the passenger door all the time as thieves can open the passenger door and snatch a handbag or gift.
In general, pay even more attention to what is happening around you. Teach your families to do the same. Make a game of it. Tell them to describe the last person they dealt with in a store and bonus points if they happened to remember their name. As we kick off the holiday season, I want to wish each of you a wonderful, meaningful, spiritual and enriching holiday season filled with joy, laughter, yummy food and deep connections to those you love.
Stay safe and keep on training!
