CHRISTMAS, Fla. – Over the next few days, Central Floridians will be out and about with most of us probably getting in on those Black Friday deals.
John from Christmas asks, “What should I do if I think someone is following me while shopping?”
With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, you should always be aware of your surroundings as we tend to become pretty distracted. If you ever get that feeling or it’s just plainly obvious someone is following you, don’t panic.
If you’re inside of the building, I always recommend immediately starting to proceed to a large crowded area and, if you can, a security counter of some type. Keep in mind we all carry phones on us and you can contact the authorities at any point in time.
If you’re outside of the store and that feeling does arise, try to get back inside and if you can’t, try not to go directly to your vehicle. The suspicious person may now know what you drive and could have access to your vehicle.
When walking around in the parking lot, have your keys in your hand. It will not only allow you to get into your car faster so you’re not fumbling with them outside of it but ultimately you could use those keys as the defensive weapons.
Remember this is just me really trying to bring some commonsense awareness to a time when our families and our friends are more of a priority than our own safety. In order for us to enjoy the holiday season, we have to take care of ourselves.
Being focused and being aware will only allow us to enjoy our holiday season even more.