Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
This is a long POST but maybe one of the most important ones to be posted here. It's about safety for women, the ones in our lives that we love and care about. I work for the DOD and this was just sent by our security and law enforcement LTC - It's Important - read it all - you may even use some of it... .
LTC Sims, Chief Scty and Law Enf
TIPS ON STAYING SAFE... FOR WOMEN
I learned from my children's karate classes that the
elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are
close enough to use it, do!
If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick
out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the
hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see
you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
Last night I attended a personal safety workshop, and
it jolted me. It was given by an amazing man, Pat
Malone, who has been a body guard for famous figures
like Farrah Fawcett and Sylvester Stallone. He works
for the FBI, and teaches police officers and Navy
SEALS hand-to-hand combat. This man has seen it all,
and knows a lot.
He focused his teachings to us on HOW TO AVOID BEING
THE VICTIM OF A VIOLENT CRIME. He gave us some
statistics about how much the occurrences of random
violence have escalated over the recent years, and
it's terrible. Something like 99% of us will be
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, 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
a perfect target if you are sitting in your car when
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
LTC Sims, Chief Scty and Law Enf
TIPS ON STAYING SAFE... FOR WOMEN
I learned from my children's karate classes that the
elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are
close enough to use it, do!
If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick
out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the
hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see
you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
Last night I attended a personal safety workshop, and
it jolted me. It was given by an amazing man, Pat
Malone, who has been a body guard for famous figures
like Farrah Fawcett and Sylvester Stallone. He works
for the FBI, and teaches police officers and Navy
SEALS hand-to-hand combat. This man has seen it all,
and knows a lot.
He focused his teachings to us on HOW TO AVOID BEING
THE VICTIM OF A VIOLENT CRIME. He gave us some
statistics about how much the occurrences of random
violence have escalated over the recent years, and
it's terrible. Something like 99% of us will be
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, 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
a perfect target if you are sitting in your car when
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
. 
