On Unsolved Mysteries, there have been cases where some simple tips could have prevented a case from happening. Is there any tips that people personally use to help them feel more safe?
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Mine Are:
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1. Keeping the doors locked even during the day. We live in a low budget housing apartment complex and let me say I dont trust a lot of the people that live there.
2. When I go for a walk and its dark out, I always make sure a second party is with me.
3. If someone is knocking at the door, I always ask who it is before I let them in.
4. If I am babysitting for my younger cousins, I go outside with them when they go outside because in my area, there are a lot of sex offenders.

If you are out (in a park, camping area, etc.) don't send a child to a restroom area alone. Kids have been molested and killed with an adult standing outside a door or other such enclosure or barrier.

If you're in a hotel and someone comes to the door claiming to be a maintenance man looking into a leak, don't let him in. Call the front desk. People died by not doing this.

FOR GOD'S SAKE, DON'T USE ATMS! Because of that one Unsolved Mysteries story, on the kid from Medford, Oregon, who was murdered in Los Angeles, I didn't get a PIN for my credit card till THIS YEAR, which I finally did for two reasons. For one, there was an incident last year when I was out of state, someone wouldn't take a check, and I was down to my last $2 and had to drive to a business to cash a check. For two, some gas stations require a PIN number to use your credit card, some only require a ZIP code. But I would NEVER use it at an ATM unless it were life or death!

If you mysteriously lose your purse while out with a guy and he later comes to return it, don't let him in, at least not unless you have the police on the phone before opening the door.

All super tips. Thanks for sharing those.

Here's one from me: Whenever I am out at a store, or anyplace with a parking lot, I always stay aware of what's going on around me when I am walking to and from my car. There have been too many cases of abduction/rape/murder that resulted from someone being pushed into their car from behind. If you look around you as you approach your car and unlock it, you see who is behind you and you are less likely to become a statistic.

I remember a case from months ago about a young lady, a recent high school graduate, who went to Target to buy a birthday gift for her boyfriend. When she returned to her car she was pushed into her vehicle from behind, and the guy drove off with her in her own car. She was later found murdered.

And this happened in broad fricken' daylight.

Be aware of your surroundings.

Always act like you know exactly where you're going, even if you're completely lost. Too many bad things have happened to people who seem confused or disoriented.

Also, if you hear a baby crying in your neighborhood, but you know that your neighbors don't have any small children, call the police. AMW once featured an attack that happened when a woman was lured outside at the sound of a crying baby.

Here is another tip- Be SUPER careful of whom you date online. BAck in 2005 or 2006, Raymond Merrill (construction worker) from California met Regina Rachid from Brazil in a internet chat room. He eventually moved to Brazil with Regina. Raymond's family hadnt heard from him in a while and called the police. They discovered his dead body. Regina and an accomplise held Raymond captive for days and then murdered him and set his body on fire. Then she drained his bank account. The b**ch is in prison. SO BE CAREFUL OF ON-LINE DATING.

Always act like you know exactly where you're going, even if you're completely lost. Too many bad things have happened to people who seem confused or disoriented.

Also, if you hear a baby crying in your neighborhood, but you know that your neighbors don't have any small children, call the police. AMW once featured an attack that happened when a woman was lured outside at the sound of a crying baby.

Actually, they had a segment about urban legends on AMW on Saturday. John Walsh addressed that one personally and said they never had that on.

My advice...don't go to an ATM at night, always be aware of your surroundings, and never, ever pull over during a road rage incident. I saw one case on UM and one on AMW where that led to men being shot to death.

Always act like you know exactly where you're going, even if you're completely lost. Too many bad things have happened to people who seem confused or disoriented.

Hey, I even do THAT in the courtroom! :)

But seriously... I've picked up a few tips from UM over the years. The BIG one is that I've learned to seriously trust my instincts. If something doesn't feel right... it's probably NOT right and you should get yourself out of the situation.

I've also tried to be more aware of my surroundings. I don't go through ATM's at night, although I *do* use ATM machines... however, they are drive-up which require me to only stick my head out of my car. If I need to use an ATM at night, I go to Wal-Mart, buy a pack of gum with my debit card and pull out the extra money there.

...and my doors are also locked at all times. Day or night. Also, I broke up with an abusive boyfriend with whom I lived and the day he vacated and gave me his keys, I changed the deadbolt in the door because I had a feeling he had made a copy of the apartment keys. I later left for the weekend and was told by neighbors that he had showed up and tried to get into my apartment, although all his stuff was out of it. :eek: Although that freaked me out, I was wryly amused at the fact that I had been two steps ahead of him. I think I had just seen too many segments of "love gone wrong" on UM....

When traveling, I also utilize the hell out of my cell phone when I can. If something strange is happening on the road, I'm on the phone with my mom or The Boyfriend letting them know what the folks look like, what they're driving, etc. Color me paranoid, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Montana is an area where cell service is kinda patchy (even on the interstate), but I've found I can also text the information via my cell phone. If I'm in an area where there's no cell service, my phone will automatically send the message as soon as there IS cell service, which has come in handy at times.

My doors are locked at all times and all the windows are closed and locked at night no matter how hot it is. Yeah and friends and family make fun of me for this. If I hear an odd sound or the neighbors dog barking I always check it out. Better to be safe than sorry.

I can't tell if this post is intentionally funny or overly paranoid.

I can't tell if this post is intentionally funny or overly paranoid.


haha I'm with you on that!

Although I must say there is probably a difference between men and women on these kinds of things (I can't tell by peoples' screen names what gender they are...). Women are programmed to be more careful (or paranoid?).;)

There was a thread titled "what you've learned from U.M." or something like that where there were posts similiar to these about being careful.

I guess there's a fine line between careful/cautious and paranoid!

I sense a misogynist whiplashing coming.

Here is another tip- Be SUPER careful of whom you date online. BAck in 2005 or 2006, Raymond Merrill (construction worker) from California met Regina Rachid from Brazil in a internet chat room. He eventually moved to Brazil with Regina. Raymond's family hadnt heard from him in a while and called the police. They discovered his dead body. Regina and an accomplise held Raymond captive for days and then murdered him and set his body on fire. Then she drained his bank account. The b**ch is in prison. SO BE CAREFUL OF ON-LINE DATING.

Oh, I second that. I've heard way too many horror stories!

I just watched the Philip Fraser case and it proved a point my parents have always told me: NEVER pick up a hitchiker.

3. If someone is knocking at the door, I always ask who it is before I let them in.


What if they say it's Uncle Joe?

Oh gorsh, you guys...

The things I do to try to stay safe is when I'm grocery shopping: I stay inside the building and discretely put all my money/debit card stuff back into my purse.

Then, I get my car keys out and yes, in overly paranoid fashion, I hold them in such a way as to be able to use them as a weapon. lol

The first thing to go into the car is my purse, even if it's the trunk. I don't leave my purse sitting in the cart while I load the groceries into the car. And I don't risk locking my purse in the trunk, because I've got my keys on me. (Once I'm putting the groceries in the car, the keys go in one pocket, and I already have the cell phone in the other pocket.)

Then I grab my purse out of the trunk, shut it, put the cart away, go to my car, unlock it, get in, immediately lock it, and go.

I try to be nice and put the shopping carts back at the cart corral place, but if my car is parked too far from one at night, forget it. I'm just leaving the cart by my car and leaving. I won't walk all over the parking lot at night to put the cart away.

Sounds super paranoid, huh? When I was 8, a rapist tried to abduct me from the car in the pharmacy parking lot. So I guess I have a really big parking lot phobia.

More parking lot safety info:

If you ever leave your kids unattended in your car, no matter their age, or time of day, I will personally show up and whoop your ass.

My mom left me sitting in the car for a few minutes while she went in to get her prescriptions and I barely escaped a violent, repeat child rapist.

Some guy had left his two kids in the car while he went into the bank, as my mom was walking back out of the bank to her car, the kids in their car had accidentally kicked the gear shift into neutral and the car was rolling backwards, and straight toward all the traffic in the main road. She was able to jump in and hit the brakes.

Plus we all know the horror stories of abductions and kids dying in overheated cars, etc. There's just never a reason, ever, for people to leave their kids alone in a car.

When coming across ghosts, aliens or mothmen, it's best not to p' them off, it only makes them angrier.

:D

Serriously, though.

1. Before becoming financial or romantically involved with someone, do a BACKGROUND check on them!! I know this sounds excessive, but lots of people are doing this before signing contracts or getting married.

2. Do not be afraid to talk to the police or call 911 if you have a suspicion about someone or something.

When coming across ghosts, aliens or mothmen, it's best not to p' them off, it only makes them angrier.

LOL yeah, I try to follow the good advice of "don't pick up any white glowing hitchikers", too.

Don't let some smooth-talking guy move in with you or marry you if you have been acquainted for a month or less.

Here are some of mine:

1) always have a peek hole in your front door and look through it before you let someone in. Ask the person who they are and if they sound suspicious, don't let them in.
2) lock your car doors whenever you let your car out of your sight, even for a few minutes.
3) keep a spare key to your car on yourself that only you know about.
4) NEVER pick up hitchhikers. You have no idea what you may be getting in to.
5) Shred AND burn any and all expired drivers licenses and credit cards.
6) NEVER trust any fortune tellers. They are nothing but fortune TAKERS. Because if they were fortune tellers, they would be rich from knowing the results of the horse races.
7) Keep a digital camera handy. If the military or police try to take it from you after taking pictures of unusual sites like UFO crash areas, keep the film or memory card hidden on your person.

I guess all the tips I have are no-brainers: never walk alone at night, always lock your doors, be aware of your surroundings. Not to say that people who don't are dumb, but that it is far safer to be careful

Here's another:
Never sit in your car without going anywhere. It may sound silly but you could have your window broken in. At least keep the door locked.
Make sure you know your friends. I never forgot the case of Wendy Long, whose friend "Tommy" was insane and killed her even though he seemed so trustworthy.
If your ex seems possessive, try to do your best to keep away from him/ her.
Beware of the "Pigeon Drop" Scam and others like them.

1. Be suspicious of any package or letter that you receive that you are not expecting. If you have to open it, wear gloves and open it askew from your body.

2. When leaving your kids with your grandparents, do a quick check of the house for any satanic videos laying around. :D