Safety during Christmas shopping and activities

It’s officially the holiday season, and what a year 2015 has been! As we approach the end of this year, it is important to reflect and consider how far you have come in terms of well-being and safety. To help you with this moment of awareness and reflection, we have some tips that we want to share with you to get through this holiday season safely.

First, let’s talk about shopping safety tactics. Try not to carry a lot of shopping bags in public or in a dark parking lot after you are done shopping as this will make you a target for thieves and criminals. Keep your wallet and bag zipped up and hidden, perhaps inside your coat or pants pocket, to keep your money and ID cards out of harm’s way. When driving with shopping bags in your car, keep them in the hidden trunk and not in the back seat as the back seat bags can be seen from the outside and can make your car a target for thieves.

Drive safely through the malls, as pedestrians and crowds are more common during the busy holiday shopping season. Don’t get distracted or hold your phone while driving, as this will tempt you to text or look down while driving a powerful and potentially dangerous vehicle. Once you get home, be sure to move your shopping bags inside discreetly and without the attention of strangers. This will ensure that the items and gifts you have purchased are not on the radar of potential thieves.

After opening gifts that have been wrapped in beautiful decoration and wrapping paper, it is always a good idea to tear up the cardboard boxes and place them in opaque / black garbage bags. This will help keep trash and curbside items from looking new or affordable to passersby. If a potential criminal passes your house and sees gift boxes on the sidewalk, they may be more inclined to invade your personal space and steal your new possessions. Therefore, the lesson here is not to leave your articles in plain sight, as this could put you in danger. Safety is all about being aware of your surroundings, and we hope that this holiday season, as you enjoy the beauty of the season, you will remember to take care of yourself and your loved ones.