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There is only so much we can do to defend ourselves against those who wish to do us harm, but I have made a habit out of a few things that experts say are good deterrents to being picked out by criminals, most especially in parking lots where women (and men, too) are particularly vulnerable:
1) Always have your keys in hand before you leave the building and head out into the parking lot.
2) Never fumble in a bag or purse or otherwise look distracted when you are walking to your car. Look aware and be aware of the people and cars around you.
3) Never park next to a van with a side door on the driver's side. I will not park next to a van at all if my kids are with me. (And if I come out into the lot and there is a van parked next to me, I will get into my car by the passenger side.)
4) Walk erect, swiftly and with self-confidence.
That's it really. And I don't make a big deal out of them. They are just ingrained habits now. I am not afraid and refuse to live my life in fear of something I won't be able to prevent if it is determined to happen to me. I just take precautions.
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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce
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