exposed to, or
become a victim of a violent crime.
Here are some of the most important points that I got out of his
presentation:
(1.) The three reasons women are easy
targets for random acts of violence are:
(a.) Lack of Awareness: You MUST know where you are & what's going
on around you.
(b.) Body Language Keep your head up, swing your arms, and stand
straight up.
(c.) Wrong Place, Wrong Time DON'T walk alone in an alley, or drive in
a bad neighborhood at night.
(2.) 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.) 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.
(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.
(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. (Better paranoid than dead.)
(3.) ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the
stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect
crime spot).
(a.) Do not get on an elevator if there is a weirdo already on there.
(Of course bad men don't always look bad).
(b.) Do not stand back in the corners of the elevator; be near the
front, by the doors, ready to get off or on.
(c.) If you get on the elevator on the 25th floor, and the Boogie Man
gets on the 22nd, get off when he gets on and wait for another elevator.
(4) If the predator has a gun and
you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN!
(a.) Police make only 4 of 10 shots when they are in range of 3-9 feet.
This is due to stress.
(b.) 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!
(5.) As women, we are always trying to be
sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed.
(a.) 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.
(b.) 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 cops who 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 driver's side, and said he was handicapped. He continued calling,
until she turned and headed back to the mall, and then he began cursing at
her. In the meantime, 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,
the man was in the back seat, and quickly moved back to the front and sped
away. DON'T GET CAUGHT IN THIS TRAP.
(6.). Tips to saving your life,
if you have gotten into a violent situation:
(a.) 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.)
(b.) RESIST. Don't go along with him: run, if you
are able: DON'T EVER GIVE UP! You DO NOT want to get to a crime scene.
(7.) Always keep your distance when
walking past strangers on the street or in dark areas.
(8.) GET A CELL PHONE. (a.) There are packages
for $19.95 a month that allow you to program only 911 into the dialing out
program. (This is an alternative for parents who say it is too expensive
for their kids to have a cell phone.)
(9.) BREAK DOWNS: Make every effort to avoid
this by ALWAYS keeping your car in good working order.
(a.) If your car breaks down and you have a cell phone: LOCK YOUR
DOORS. Then call for help.
(b). If you don't have a cell phone: (shame on you) keep a blanket,
warm clothes, a pair of boots, and a flashlight in your car always, for
emergencies, and...
(c.) If it's noon on a business day in a populated
area, you may want to put your hazards on and walk to safety.
(d.) If it's 2 a.m. near a populated area, put on your warm clothes,
and walk to a lighted area. You are
it's broken
down. Predators search the highways for easy targets like you.
(e.) 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 psycho bogeymen waiting in the bushes who just knew you
were going to break down there and then.
(10.) Physical defenses that we can use
against the violent predator:
(a.) The EYES are the most vulnerable part of the body. Poke him there.
HARD. It may be your only window of opportunity.
(b.) The neck is also a vulnerable spot, but you MUST know where to
grip, AND HAVE THE STRENGTH to cut off his breath.
(c.) 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. 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.
(11.) If you are walking alone in the
dark (which you shouldn't be) and you find him following/chasing you:
(a.) Scream "FIRE!", and not "help". People don't
want to get involved when people yell, "help", but
"fire" draws attention because people are nosy.
(b.) RUN!
(c.) 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.
(d.) 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 unless he comes under after you (which makes it easier for you to
escape or fend him off). 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.
(12.) 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 a girl 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.
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. 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.
No one expects it; we must but be prepared and be aware so that we HAVE
A PLAN. BE PREPARED TO ACT! AND ACT HARD! HAVE A PLAN! I would
encourage you to pass this on to all women, not just your friends and
family, but everybody. We all need to hear it. >> (Author UNK)
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