Whenever you are outdoors, your safety should always be a priority, as you will never know what kinds of people you will meet as you walk or drive around your city or in other places. One of the most crowded but usually dangerous places that you will ever be in if you have a car is the public parking lot, especially the ones that are not well lit. In times where it is inevitable to use a public parking lot, you will need to know several safety methods to ensure the protection of you and your vehicle. Here are some tips for staying safe in a public parking lot.
Park Your Car in Well-Lit Areas
As much as possible, you should park your car in a well-lit area so that you can easily find it, and suspicious people won’t inspect it since they know that the car is very visible. It is vital to remember that your car should also be parked in a highly visible area, which could be near the road or sidewalks and near exits or entrances.
The areas in the parking lot that are dark or too far away from the road or the exits/entrances are usually where suspicious people are hiding or hunting for their victims. So, it would be best to avoid those areas so that you won’t experience problems.
Bring or Hide Valuable Items
It has been common practice by many car owners to bring valuable items instead of leaving them in the area of the vehicle where they can be visible from the window. If you leave a valuable item visible, there is a high chance that a nefarious person would break into your car and steal that item. As such, it is recommended that you don’t leave important or precious items inside the vehicle once you park it.
But, in situations where you can’t bring some precious items with you, you can just hide them in a few compartments inside the vehicle, like the dashboard cabinet or a secret trunk underneath the passenger seats. Again, don’t leave important items visible in your car, as they often attract robbers no matter where you park.
Secure Your Car
Besides hiding valuable items, you would need to make sure to secure your car before you walk away from it. Once you get out of the car, check that all the windows of the car are rolled up completely so that there wouldn’t be any spaces that suspicious people can slip through. In addition, you would have to make sure that the locks on all of the doors of the car are working properly. You can check the strength of the locks by trying to open the door while it is locked.
Furthermore, you also need to check if you have your key in your wallet, your pocket, or other secure locations on your body. You don’t want to leave it inside the car since you won’t be able to open the door without breaking the windows, which most robbers would do to get your key and drive the car away.
Always Be Aware of Your Surroundings
While you are following the tips we have provided above, it is essential for you to also be aware of your surroundings so that you can keep an eye on suspicious people that may be watching you while securing the car. If there is a suspicious person, be cautious and get inside the car and lock it immediately, and then drive away so that the said person won’t do anything to you and your vehicle.
It is also crucial to be faster when walking out of the car, locking the door, securing the vehicle, and getting inside again, as you will give less time for nefarious people to do anything. Before leaving the establishment or building you visited, always have your keys prepared on your hands so that you can use them immediately to open the vehicle’s doors quicker.
Have Self-Defense Items Ready
When there are situations where you will be confronted by a suspicious person in the public parking lot, it is always best to have self-defense items ready. These items could include pepper spray, self defense keychains (like the tactical pen) that can act as weapons, a stun gun, or a licensed firearm.
Besides those self-defense items, you can also carry objects that can make noises like loud alarms so that you can alert people nearby that you are in danger. These alarms can also startle the suspicious person, who may leave you immediately after hearing the noise. Always be prepared for these events even if you and your loved ones think that it won’t happen, as those events can sometimes occur randomly.
So, those are some basic tips on how to stay safe in a public parking lot. As we have said at the beginning of this article, your safety should always be a priority, so make sure to be both alert and aware to ensure that you and your vehicle are safe from anything dangerous.