Rest stops are deadly.


Add your own.......

agreed,as well as phone booths after dark.

Here's something I picked up from an Unsolved Mysteries video:

1) Never pick up a hitchhiker, especially a male

2) Never stay or even stop at rest stops

3) Never use a payphone

4) Never use a ATM at night or any that doesn't have a card activated door

5) Never stop when a man waves to you suggesting your car is in trouble

6) Never follow a gunman to a backroom

7) And finally, if you hear UM music playing in the background and you can visualize Robert Stack making a story about you, leave that situation ASAP!



I can agree with all of the above :eek:

Always give a scruffy guy a sandwich.

Ignore all mail with weird block printing.

Never go on a logging road.

Stay away from Spokane, Washington.

Stay away from Spokane, Washington.

More like stay away from Scottsdale, Arizona...criminals take refuge there all the time and some UM criminals featured fled to there.

.....it has taught us that eyewitnesses are not reliable at all.

Also, if someone pulls a gun on you, you are probably better off trying to make a run for it instead of just giving in to their demands because they're planning on killing you anyway.

Never entrust your money or valuables to anyone from Medford, Oregon.

...it has taught us that life before "cell phones" was pretty dangerous.

Also, never underestimate anyone, no matter how unassuming they may be. (Example: Bonnie Wilder)

Although you should never do it but if you decide to commit suicide leave a note in your own handwriting and do it in front of a security camera so your loved ones won't spend the next twenty years searching for a killer and recreating your death.

Verify the background and character of a person you wish to purchase items from or sell items to. Meet in a very public area, at the very least, when committing any transactions!

Don't stand on a front stoop or sit in a car talking late at night.

Verify who sent you a package before you open it.

If you're going to lend something to a neighbor, it's probably best to keep the door chain on and slip it through if you're alone unless you know the person well.

Never trust road maps as a sign that someone asking you for directions is lost.

If you're alone with an individual and absolutely no one is around and they seem to be getting violent during an argument, placate them as much as possible to get out of there safely.

NEVER keep a spare key under the welcome mat, potted plants, etc. And if you do and undergo a breakup or falling out, move the key's location IMMEDIATELY.

Don't walk in a wooded area alone (this one saddens me, as I love wooded areas, but it's plain unsafe).

If you hear a noise in your house and call out, but no one answers, RUN. Get out of the house immediately!

If you're a child or an adult and somebody you think you can trust is asking you inappropriate sexual questions, don't go to their house and don't trust their seemingly kind girlfriend or friends.

Never sleep on the couch of a friend who is going through a violent divorce.

Don't get involved in marital disputes that seem violent, and keep on your guard at all times if you've enraged the violent party. Taking a hammer to work is not enough, tell the police and keep with other people.

If you've been harassed and someone is leering at you, don't bother getting out of the car to go turn off your computer at work. Immediately go home or to the police station.

If your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend isn't taking the breakup well, be very cautious and keep the doors and windows securely locked, whether at home or your new boy/girlfriend's home.

Don't take long roadtrips alone! If you must, bring mace, don't stop at creepy rest stops, and stay on your guard!

Do not hitchhike or pick up a hitcher.

If a stranger tells you your car is smoking and you don't see any damage yourself, don't stop the car and get off at the next populated exit.

Keep your guard up in the laundry room, day or night.

Don't ride ATVs in the backwoods near an angry resident.

Don't board a ship with someone you've just met, even if it seems like a great opportunity.

Call the police immediately if you hear any sort of screaming, especially prolonged cries of agony. I don't care if you don't want to get involved or you're scared, someone could be in dire need!

If you lose your wallet and your newly met date wants it returned to him if found, tell him and the establishment where you lost it that it can only be returned to you and do not divulge your address. If he already knows your address, don't let him in.

Don't work the graveyard shift alone unless you work in a store with the bullet proof glass.

Don't hit the alarm button in front of the robber.

If staying alone in a foreign country, don't be too trusting. Be careful!

If you see a truck aggressively following an individual on a bicycle, don't just watch idly. Call 911!

Approach the man you think may be your long-lost brother and question him, especially if you're in a public area.

If you can't find an address while delivering, go back to the store! It could be a set up for a robbery or kidnapping. Don't enter a customer's home ever.

If a motorcycle gang is traveling through or known to be in the area, stay away and stay with another person. If they pursue you, ride immediately to the police station even if they have chains. If they offer you a ride, decline.

Verify the background and character of a person you wish to purchase items from or sell items to. Meet in a very public area, at the very least, when committing any transactions!

Don't stand on a front stoop or sit in a car talking late at night.

Verify who sent you a package before you open it.

If you're going to lend something to a neighbor, it's probably best to keep the door chain on and slip it through if you're alone unless you know the person well.

Never trust road maps as a sign that someone asking you for directions is lost.

If you're alone with an individual and absolutely no one is around and they seem to be getting violent during an argument, placate them as much as possible to get out of there safely.

NEVER keep a spare key under the welcome mat, potted plants, etc. And if you do and undergo a breakup or falling out, move the key's location IMMEDIATELY.

Don't walk in a wooded area alone (this one saddens me, as I love wooded areas, but it's plain unsafe).

If you hear a noise in your house and call out, but no one answers, RUN. Get out of the house immediately!

If you're a child or an adult and somebody you think you can trust is asking you inappropriate sexual questions, don't go to their house and don't trust their seemingly kind girlfriend or friends.

Never sleep on the couch of a friend who is going through a violent divorce.

Don't get involved in marital disputes that seem violent, and keep on your guard at all times if you've enraged the violent party. Taking a hammer to work is not enough, tell the police and keep with other people.

If you've been harassed and someone is leering at you, don't bother getting out of the car to go turn off your computer at work. Immediately go home or to the police station.

If your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend isn't taking the breakup well, be very cautious and keep the doors and windows securely locked, whether at home or your new boy/girlfriend's home.

Don't take long roadtrips alone! If you must, bring mace, don't stop at creepy rest stops, and stay on your guard!

Do not hitchhike or pick up a hitcher.

If a stranger tells you your car is smoking and you don't see any damage yourself, don't stop the car and get off at the next populated exit.

Keep your guard up in the laundry room, day or night.

Don't ride ATVs in the backwoods near an angry resident.

Don't board a ship with someone you've just met, even if it seems like a great opportunity.

Call the police immediately if you hear any sort of screaming, especially prolonged cries of agony. I don't care if you don't want to get involved or you're scared, someone could be in dire need!

If you lose your wallet and your newly met date wants it returned to him if found, tell him and the establishment where you lost it that it can only be returned to you and do not divulge your address. If he already knows your address, don't let him in.

Don't work the graveyard shift alone unless you work in a store with the bullet proof glass.

Don't hit the alarm button in front of the robber.

If staying alone in a foreign country, don't be too trusting. Be careful!

If you see a truck aggressively following an individual on a bicycle, don't just watch idly. Call 911!

Approach the man you think may be your long-lost brother and question him, especially if you're in a public area.

If you can't find an address while delivering, go back to the store! It could be a set up for a robbery or kidnapping. Don't enter a customer's home ever.

If a motorcycle gang is traveling through or known to be in the area, stay away and stay with another person. If they pursue you, ride immediately to the police station even if they have chains. If they offer you a ride, decline.

Wow, what a load to read. I've spent awhiles trying to figure out which cases they came from too. :)

If the son of your middle-aged redneck boyfriend leaves the water faucet on, do NOT start a huge argument about it.

Wow, what a load to read. I've spent awhiles trying to figure out which cases they came from too. :)
:) It just kept growing as more came to mind. I guess it helps that I was procrastinating from something else.

1990 UM FAN:

7) And finally, if you hear UM music playing in the background and you can visualize Robert Stack making a story about you, leave that situation ASAP!

This is brilliant!!!

Always lock your car and make sure nobody is hiding in your backseat before you enter your car.

That Gretchen Burford segment will always haunt me.

Try and find as much information about someone before you let them move in eg: Hank Queen/Dennis Depue.

If someone is playing a deadly cat and mouse game with you on the highway, drive directly to the police station, do not get out and tell them to get the blankety blank out of there.

Try and find as much information about someone before you let them move in eg: Hank Queen/Dennis Depue.

add "Dave Freeman" to that (Tim Good did not benefit from it)

If a psychic wants me to bring large amounts of money to get a curse off of me, and then throw the money tied to a brick in a river, I should bring Monopoly money.
Never trust anyone in a megadeath t-shirt.
Avoid convenience stores, Atm's, phone booths, and rest stops at night.

Avoid convenience stores, Atm's, phone booths, and rest stops at night.

I had to stop at a rest area in broad daylight today and was freaked-out due to UM:crazy:

If a psychic wants me to bring large amounts of money to get a curse off of me, and then throw the money tied to a brick in a river, I should bring Monopoly money.
Never trust anyone in a megadeath t-shirt.
Avoid convenience stores, Atm's, phone booths, and rest stops at night.

Unless you're looking to kick your smoking habit. Then you probably SHOULD trust somebody in a Megadeth t-shirt.

Also, if you're giving chase and suddenly have to go in the complete opposite direction, put the transmission in reverse CAREFULLY, otherwise it could result in a mystery that drags on for years and years without being solved.

Another big one that I'm surprised nobody else mentioned:

Never accept a government or military explanation of anything, because at least 9 times out of 10, they're the ones that have something to hide.

These are things I've learned from UM, and safety tips in general.

1. Be aware of your surroundings.

2. When it's late and you're tired, go home!

3. Keep your car in running order-checking the tires and the fluids often. If the car breaks down in a secluded area without a cell phone, especially in an unfamiliar area, it could be dangerous.

4. Never leave your drink unattended

5. get a magnetic box and keep an extra key to your car in it.

6. Take self defense classes.

7. Work on personal organisation, make lists, keep everything in a certain place so that you present yourself as a together person and not vulnerable to attack.
This includes, having your keys in your hand before walk to your car or your home, locking the door behind you once you get in, hiding your money in a money belt on your person and not going to ATMs alone at night. Common sense is very important, but you don't have to be paranoid! :)

I forgot one!

...

8. When you're walking or running at night, wear a whistle around your neck!!

Take self-defense classes, particularly for ladies. While assailants often used weapons to overpower victims, other times it was strength. I'm tall, but really tiny and my arms look like sticks. I should really take up this rule!

add "Dave Freeman" to that (Tim Good did not benefit from it)

That's right, also that Korean lady who let that con team (unbeknownst to her) take residence in her house.

Protein shakes and homemade snacks should only be accepted from family, friends and co-workers with extreme caution.

I forgot one!

...

8. When you're walking or running at night, wear a whistle around your neck!!

I'd rather carry a can of mace.

I went to an ATM at 2AM a few nights ago. Granted, it wasn't downtown Los Angeles and I knew it was a pretty safe part of the city I live in, but I tried to mimic the UM theme on the way there to make it scarier (there were some bushes nearby if someone wanted to hide and confront me). I guess I still have some learnin' to do.

Rest stops are deadly.


Add your own.......

If you are in driving in Chicago late one night and you find a woman in a flowing white gown walking on the side of the road.... think twice about offering her a ride...:eek:

Quite frankly, I haven't learned anything at all. I'm 6'2" 275lbs. and to be honest I haven't been scared to walk down the street at night in years, since a teenager maybe. I used to walk home from my friends house at night while cutting across a schoolyard as a teen. I guess I figure I am my own security being that size and a thief will bypass me and find an easier target.

I also gamble when I travel by waiting at the last minute to pump some gas into my truck. In the summer months I fall asleep on my couch with the front door open and unlocked without any fear. Not to mention I have stopped for people who needed help on the side of the road. But NEVER with my wife and son, just if I am alone.

I use an ATM whenever I want too without thinking about it much. I once enraged an older ex-boyfriend of a girl I was seeing just because I was with his former girlfriend. He sat outside in his truck with it idling waiting for me to leave the house and when I did get into my vehicle and drive off he followed me for 10 minutes until I was somehow able to go through a borderline red light that he had to stop for. True story. It turns out I later found out that he was not only extremely livid but he had things in his pick up truck that would have killed me if he went that route. Stuff like an axe, a baseball bat that he had in there for other purposes. If I was Dick Hansen and stopped my car and got out to confront him instead of realizing the situation and knowing what an unstable person can do out of road rage then who knows what could have happened to me. I was just 20. He was 35.

Come to think of it I should really be on the show by now. I never get paranoid. One thing I don't bother doing on trips is stopping at a rest stop. Why bother? There are truck stops that are heavily populated all over the place, restaurants, gas stations, etc. Why risk being in a secluded area for no reason?

1. If a woman runs up to you and tells you blandly "that man has my son," calmly ask her if she poisoned her husband's protein shake.

2. Devil worship was the #1 cause for teenage deaths in the 80's.

3. If you hear someone screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night, CALL THE COPS!

4. UFO's can both make you sick as well as heal you.

5. If you're dating someone and more than one of your family members urges you to end the relationship, you probably should.

6. Truck stops are super-creepy and are a haven for people with amnesia.

1. NEVER accept any opened bottle or glass at a party from anyone.
2. When purchasing a home invest in extensive surveilance equipment.
3. NEVER purchase a used car via an ad in the newspaper or Craigslist.
4. Take self-defense classes and demonstrations on getting out of restraints.
5. When looking at potential homes be sure to ask the realtor about any previous murders/suicides/accidental deaths that occurred on the premises.
6. Do NOT wash your clothes at a laundromat after sundown no matter how dirty your clothes happen to be.
7. Don't go to a do-it-yourself car wash at night alone. It can wait.
8. Make sure your children can recite their full names, contact information, and YOUR name/contact info in the event they become lost.
9. If you're a person of color driving through the South late at night and see a set of headlights in your rear-view mirror KEEP DRIVING.
10. Keep an "dummy wallet" on you at all times (containing a few singles), which you can hand over to muggers or gunmen without incident.
11. Have access to the list of registered sex offenders in your area.

If you haven't been feeling well and start to notice white lines across your fingernails... for god's sake, stop eating food your family prepares!

If a friend suggests you go to a party that an acquaintance of theirs is having, make sure it's not at a duplex and the hostess isn't named Susan.

If you see someone with a mask lurking around your neighbors house, don't close the curtains and ignore it, call the cops because the EAR is back!!!

Add laundry mats and carwashes to list the of off-limit places, like phone booths and truck stops.

If you see someone with a mask lurking around your neighbors house, don't close the curtains and ignore it, call the cops because the EAR is back!!!



On that note, don't go to town meetings about crime in the neighborhood and proclaim loudly that you're going to be ready to stop the perp if he comes into your house. If you do, check to make sure you're not being followed when you leave! :eek:

If someone has been harassing you for over ten years non-stop, when you stage a stakeout, make sure EVERY blind spot is covered.

If someone has been harassing you for over ten years non-stop, when you stage a stakeout, make sure EVERY blind spot is covered.


Your lights are a joke. :lol:

Stay away from Spokane, Washington.

:lol:

Why is that ? :)

Never entrust your money or valuables to anyone from Medford, Oregon.


:lol: This line made my day !

1. NEVER accept any opened bottle or glass at a party from anyone.


:talk:
Yeah especially if the person giving you the drink says "knock yourself out" afterwards ! :lol:

Never join the school staff in Circleville, Ohio.

1. Never answer a modeling add in a newspaper
2. If I'm the first person to open business lock the front door
3. If my home is being terrorized for years MOVE
4. If I'm at a party with people a barley know, don't get intoxicated
5. Don't pick up hitchhikers
6. Keep my child in my sigh 24/7 at national parks
7. If my ex husband starts becoming nice all of a sudden avoid him

:lol:

Why is that ? :)

Just seems like a lot of deaths and missing persons were from that area.

If you haven't been feeling well and start to notice white lines across your fingernails... for god's sake, stop eating food your family prepares!

Good one! :D

Just seems like a lot of deaths and missing persons were from that area.


Pacific Northwesterners don't call Spokane "Spo-Compton" for nothing...:D

Pacific Northwesterners don't call Spokane "Spo-Compton" for nothing...:D

I wish Ice Cube would release a follow up song titled, "Straight Outta Spo-Compton".

It taught me to never go to either an atm or carwash alone late at night. Especially the atm.

UM taught me that all el sickos will pay.

I think really UM has simply made me more cautious in my day to day life. More "aware" so to speak. I think of episodes often when out walking at night, or hiking in the woods with my dogs, etc. and it's made me more cautious. If I get a bad feeling about something or someone, even if there is no visible reason to feel that way, I act on it and get the hell out imediately.

I'm also aware of people to, that remind me of victims on UM. While visiting San Francisco and camping in the Marin Highlands, I ran into a Swedish girl, all alone, hitch hiking the coast. When I ran into her, she thought I was doing the same as her and kind of hinted at us pairing up and traveling together for protection until I explained I was with my husband and couldn't. I'm sure she was OK, but damn if it didn't make me think of the Swedish hitch hikers episode....

Never join the school staff in Circleville, Ohio.

:lol: And don't say yes when one of them asks you out, especially if you're married.

yea - duhh woman who let dennis de-pee u move in! why is it that these male killers (who killed once or many times), bank robbers, or investment fraudsters end up finding a new girlfriend 'right away' whereas many other normal men have a hard time getting married, let a lone a date. lol.


Try and find as much information about someone before you let them move in eg: Hank Queen/Dennis Depue.

but what about if you lock the door after entering your apartment or trailer and there is no other way out and then you realize there is a killer or robber standing amongst the shadows? then you have a hard time getting out and will be easier to die.

These are things I've learned from UM, and safety tips in general.

1. Be aware of your surroundings.

2. When it's late and you're tired, go home!

3. Keep your car in running order-checking the tires and the fluids often. If the car breaks down in a secluded area without a cell phone, especially in an unfamiliar area, it could be dangerous.

4. Never leave your drink unattended

5. get a magnetic box and keep an extra key to your car in it.

6. Take self defense classes.

7. Work on personal organisation, make lists, keep everything in a certain place so that you present yourself as a together person and not vulnerable to attack.
This includes, having your keys in your hand before walk to your car or your home, locking the door behind you once you get in, hiding your money in a money belt on your person and not going to ATMs alone at night. Common sense is very important, but you don't have to be paranoid! :)

but who is going to carry a can or small spray thing of mace when jogging?

I'd rather carry a can of mace.

If you're a serial killer and you murder your wife and a bunch of other people, don't spray their bones all over your backyard with a wood chipper.

Don't let your kitten play outside in places where poisionous goo of unknown origin falls from the sky.

If you burn down a building and you REALLY need to show it to Omar, use photographs instead of a videotape.

If you work for a large, shady government nuclear fuel facility, stay away from the blast furnaces.

If you're flying an Army blimp near the Pacific Ocean, be wary of potential disappearance.

If your 75-year-old widow mother suddenly has a 40 year old boyfriend, be suspicious.

1. never make a financial deal to sell a horse to a complete stranger.

2. and if you are about to pick up a hitchhiker then hesitate - go with the hesitation to save your life versus helping out a weird stranger to make them happy.

3. Stanton case - tell your kids, especially your daughters, to never answer the door when home alone. also never let your kids home alone stupid parents out there! (if you cannot afford to have a babysitter and then your child gets kidnapped its gonna cost you much, much more money for detective fees, media, printing posters, etc). and most imp of all = tell your kids that killers and rapists and kidnappers sometimes dress up as police or firemen or nice fathers.

4. New Hampshire case = that a detective who moves amongst the forest/murder areas to 'get a feel' of the killer's past and future movements will not catch the darn killer! lol.

5. Dick Hanson - more than likely if a single man is in his car behind yours after bar hours he is not looking for the mailbox at that time of night lol.

6. Dr. Fraud - even if a doctor invites you over to 'his' hospital to buy your coins amongst his fellow doctors/coin collectors, make sure you check out that he really works there and is a doctor. also demand that you see his co-workers/potential investors in person.

7. When someone shoots at you while your sitting in your car at least try to duck so they miss your head or chest. then put it in reverse and get out of there (carol, green river rest stop)

8. If you see a light hovering around by a railroad track in the dark you will naturally get scared, but perhaps its one of those red laser pointers with a bigger light or some kid with a flashlight pulling a prank or joking with a friend out there or hunting for animals.

9. Hurley - if an unknown man hits your car on purpose when there is no other heavy traffic, and is out in the middle of nowhere, and no bad weather it is not an accident. do not pull over and trade insurance info dammit.

10. Tovrea AZ murder case - if a man is stalking you and you are a woman more then likely you will get attacked or killed. THUS, you must move away right away, mail your house keys to a professional mover and explain the situation to them. They can move all of your stuff. And if you get behind on mortgage payments and get sued - well getting sued sucks, yet is not worse then dying. Also, if you have a court hearing months later for moving and not paying mortgage do not return to the city for the trial or bring a bodyguard. also, if you can afford to pay your mortgage payments while moving across country to your friends unknown address that will do too.

It taught me to never go to either an atm or carwash alone late at night. Especially the atm.

yea - duhh woman who let dennis de-pee u move in! why is it that these male killers (who killed once or many times), bank robbers, or investment fraudsters end up finding a new girlfriend 'right away' whereas many other normal men have a hard time getting married, let a lone a date. lol.

Yeah its one of those things that are sometimes strange but true :eek: ......sometimes these killer/rapist/predator type men have a subconscious ability to home in on vulnerable women or targets (as some of these predators refer women as)......




:jar:

Nothing good ever happens after 1am

Nothing good ever happens after 1am
I think this is best demonstrated in the Son of Sam segment. :eek:

Verify the background and character of a person you wish to purchase items from or sell items to. Meet in a very public area, at the very least, when committing any transactions!

Don't stand on a front stoop or sit in a car talking late at night.

Verify who sent you a package before you open it.

If you're going to lend something to a neighbor, it's probably best to keep the door chain on and slip it through if you're alone unless you know the person well.

Never trust road maps as a sign that someone asking you for directions is lost.

If you're alone with an individual and absolutely no one is around and they seem to be getting violent during an argument, placate them as much as possible to get out of there safely.

NEVER keep a spare key under the welcome mat, potted plants, etc. And if you do and undergo a breakup or falling out, move the key's location IMMEDIATELY.

Don't walk in a wooded area alone (this one saddens me, as I love wooded areas, but it's plain unsafe).

If you hear a noise in your house and call out, but no one answers, RUN. Get out of the house immediately!

If you're a child or an adult and somebody you think you can trust is asking you inappropriate sexual questions, don't go to their house and don't trust their seemingly kind girlfriend or friends.

Never sleep on the couch of a friend who is going through a violent divorce.

Don't get involved in marital disputes that seem violent, and keep on your guard at all times if you've enraged the violent party. Taking a hammer to work is not enough, tell the police and keep with other people.

If you've been harassed and someone is leering at you, don't bother getting out of the car to go turn off your computer at work. Immediately go home or to the police station.

If your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend isn't taking the breakup well, be very cautious and keep the doors and windows securely locked, whether at home or your new boy/girlfriend's home.

Don't take long roadtrips alone! If you must, bring mace, don't stop at creepy rest stops, and stay on your guard!

Do not hitchhike or pick up a hitcher.

If a stranger tells you your car is smoking and you don't see any damage yourself, don't stop the car and get off at the next populated exit.

Keep your guard up in the laundry room, day or night.

Don't ride ATVs in the backwoods near an angry resident.

Don't board a ship with someone you've just met, even if it seems like a great opportunity.

Call the police immediately if you hear any sort of screaming, especially prolonged cries of agony. I don't care if you don't want to get involved or you're scared, someone could be in dire need!

If you lose your wallet and your newly met date wants it returned to him if found, tell him and the establishment where you lost it that it can only be returned to you and do not divulge your address. If he already knows your address, don't let him in.

Don't work the graveyard shift alone unless you work in a store with the bullet proof glass.

Don't hit the alarm button in front of the robber.

If staying alone in a foreign country, don't be too trusting. Be careful!

If you see a truck aggressively following an individual on a bicycle, don't just watch idly. Call 911!

Approach the man you think may be your long-lost brother and question him, especially if you're in a public area.

If you can't find an address while delivering, go back to the store! It could be a set up for a robbery or kidnapping. Don't enter a customer's home ever.

If a motorcycle gang is traveling through or known to be in the area, stay away and stay with another person. If they pursue you, ride immediately to the police station even if they have chains. If they offer you a ride, decline.

can someone name all the episodes referenced here?

Verify the background and character of a person you wish to purchase items from or sell items to. Meet in a very public area, at the very least, when committing any transactions! Tom Johnson

Don't stand on a front stoop or sit in a car talking late at night. Son of Sam, Zodiac

Verify who sent you a package before you open it. Zip Gun Bomber

If you're going to lend something to a neighbor, it's probably best to keep the door chain on and slip it through if you're alone unless you know the person well. David Gause

Never trust road maps as a sign that someone asking you for directions is lost. Ethel Kidd

If you're alone with an individual and absolutely no one is around and they seem to be getting violent during an argument, placate them as much as possible to get out of there safely. Drawing a blank, will try to remember

NEVER keep a spare key under the welcome mat, potted plants, etc. And if you do and undergo a breakup or falling out, move the key's location IMMEDIATELY. Rick Church

Don't walk in a wooded area alone (this one saddens me, as I love wooded areas, but it's plain unsafe). Bike Path Rapist

If you hear a noise in your house and call out, but no one answers, RUN. Get out of the house immediately! Teenage murder spree

If you're a child or an adult and somebody you think you can trust is asking you inappropriate sexual questions, don't go to their house and don't trust their seemingly kind girlfriend or friends. Reggie DiPalma

Never sleep on the couch of a friend who is going through a violent divorce. Paul Stamper

Don't get involved in marital disputes that seem violent, and keep on your guard at all times if you've enraged the violent party. Taking a hammer to work is not enough, tell the police and keep with other people. Micki Jo West

If you've been harassed and someone is leering at you, don't bother getting out of the car to go turn off your computer at work. Immediately go home or to the police station. Mary Morris

If your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend isn't taking the breakup well, be very cautious and keep the doors and windows securely locked, whether at home or your new boy/girlfriend's home. Alice Viera

Don't take long roadtrips alone! If you must, bring mace, don't stop at creepy rest stops, and stay on your guard! Lisa Marie Kimmel

Do not hitchhike or pick up a hitcher. Charles Holden, Phillip Frazier, Orange Socks murders

If a stranger tells you your car is smoking and you don't see any damage yourself, don't stop the car and get off at the next populated exit. Alicia Showater Reynolds

Keep your guard up in the laundry room, day or night. Doreen Pickard and Susan Laferte

Don't ride ATVs in the backwoods near an angry resident. ATV murders on Signal Mountain

Don't board a ship with someone you've just met, even if it seems like a great opportunity. Lisa Bishop and the Freedon

Call the police immediately if you hear any sort of screaming, especially prolonged cries of agony. I don't care if you don't want to get involved or you're scared, someone could be in dire need! Crystal Spencer

If you lose your wallet and your newly met date wants it returned to him if found, tell him and the establishment where you lost it that it can only be returned to you and do not divulge your address. If he already knows your address, don't let him in. Hilda Rochet

Don't work the graveyard shift alone unless you work in a store with the bullet proof glass. Debra Poe, Trudy Darby, Darlene Messer, Donna Callahan, Cheryl Ann Kinney

Don't hit the alarm button in front of the robber. Frances Buhay

If staying alone in a foreign country, don't be too trusting. Be careful! Claudia Kirschhoch

If you see a truck aggressively following an individual on a bicycle, don't just watch idly. Call 911! Tara Calico

Approach the man you think may be your long-lost brother and question him, especially if you're in a public area. Ken Palmer

If you can't find an address while delivering, go back to the store! It could be a set up for a robbery or kidnapping. Don't enter a customer's home ever. Sherry Eyerly, Morris Davis

If a motorcycle gang is traveling through or known to be in the area, stay away and stay with another person. If they pursue you, ride immediately to the police station even if they have chains. If they offer you a ride, decline.Amy Billig, Gus Hoffman
Here you are Fox Mulder. Am having a really boring day so thought I would type that up for you ;)

Never go hiking in the allagash wilderness!

Don't marry James Donald King.

Don't marry James Donald King.

^ This.

http://www.wxii12.com/image/view/-/21278676/medRes/1/-/maxh/460/maxw/620/-/4q43b7/-/James-Donald-King.jpg

You don't marry him if you want to live.

http://www.wxii12.com/image/view/-/21278676/medRes/1/-/maxh/460/maxw/620/-/4q43b7/-/James-Donald-King.jpg

You don't marry him if you want to live.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Never entrust your money or valuables to anyone from Medford, Oregon.

Agreed at least 3 cases originate from that town.

Be careful opening the basement door at night as it could be engulfed in flames!

Don't take long roadtrips alone! If you must, bring mace, don't stop at creepy rest stops, and stay on your guard! Dexter Stephonek

Do not hitchhike or pick up a hitcher. Swedish Hitchikers

Sad thread. All I see is fear. Post after post, emphasis and reliance on fear.

Sensible precautions and awareness are one thing. But the further you deviate from Franklin Roosevelt's amazingly astute advice, the more detrimental it is to human lives.

You can't "Shoo!" a bear

If I'm ever in a canoe, at night, and I see a strange object in the sky, DON'T SHINE A FLASHLIGHT ON IT.

Also, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, DON'T BUY THESE COINS.

Certain Country & Western bars should be avoided, especially if you're a woman. I'm not saying all of them...there is one in my neighborhood tucked in a shopping center that seems ok. I'm saying avoid the ones with no windows, that can be accessed only by a country road, has a gravel/dirt parking lot full of diesel trucks, a large alleyway that backs up to a wooded area or creek...you know the ones I mean...probably applies to the Mary Ann Perez, Carolyn Killaby, Megan Curl cases, and the possible sighting of Leonard Dirickson. If a C&W bar has no windows, it's because there is a good chance someone will be thrown through windows

Sad thread. All I see is fear. Post after post, emphasis and reliance on fear.

Sensible precautions and awareness are one thing. But the further you deviate from Franklin Roosevelt's amazingly astute advice, the more detrimental it is to human lives.

I think I understand your specific sentiment, but fear is ultimately a useful mechanism once dissected and understood:

https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Fear-Survival-Signals-Violence/dp/0440226198

https://www.amazon.com/Left-Bang-Marine-Combat-Program/dp/1936891301/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Q0FT5K82Q1K4FS7D249P

When it's used to perpetuate evil toward an entire class of people, or wantonly pull the trigger on firearms, or justify awful and inhumane policies, and so forth, then I say yes--that's when fear desperately needs filtration and examination.

If you're sleeping over at an older friend's house and can't sleep, don't go wondering around the beach by yourself. Just watch some TV instead.

If you go away to college and need a job, be aware that being a police informant will be frowned upon by your peers.

Stay away from Spokane, Washington.

I learned that from decades of watching the Q6 Nightly News on NBC! :lol:

Actually, it was a combination of this news broadcast and Unsolved Mysteries (which was not a news broadcast in case you missed the disclaimer) which convinced me I made the right decision in NOT going to Spokane or ANY large community--but looking these cases over again, a staggering amount happened and continue to take place in small towns or isolated rural areas.

...it taught us that a legendary show like this can never exist again in the place on a prime time network TV that it once did due to the age of the smartphone/tablet giving us endless distractions & entertainment options.

I started watching UM at six years old, and it practically scared me into being a little too overly cautious about everything.

Basically what I learned at this young age is that "There isn't a Boogeyman. There are Boogeymen AND Boogey-Women and you are NEVER completely 100% safe, but you need to do the best that you can and must always be vigilant".


The Top Ten Things I Learned From watching UM:

1) Always, Always, ALWAYS Lock your Doors and Windows at night. Heck, I even have my doors locked during the day while I'm at home. Some of my friends get annoyed with this, but screw it. if somebody wants to break in, I'm not going to make it easy for them.

2) Unless you're armed, Never, Never, NEVER open the door if you are alone and don't know who is knocking.

3) Never pick up hitchhikers and never hitchhike yourself. It is a dangerous gamble either way. Don't do it.

4) Always check the back seat of your car to make sure no one is waiting to ambush you. (Gretchen Burford...

5) Walking alone at night is NEVER a good idea. If you have to do it, for whatever reason, be sure to check your surroundings constantly (similar to how you would check review mirrors while driving) to make sure no one can get the drop on you. Also, if you have to walk alone at night, being armed is a good idea too.

6) Never let a broken heart ruin your life. So many of these cases revolved around jilted lovers and failed relationships. I know heart break is terrible, and lord knows I've suffered plenty in my teenage and adult life, but it is never the end of the world. Before you resort to, ya know, MURDER (Richard Church, the hell?), go see a therapist, talk to friends, and go out and find something that makes you happy.

7) In a mysterious disappearance or murder, it is almost always the most likely suspects (Noe family, looking at you). Not an absolute, but if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, there is a real good chance it killed somebody and tried to get away with it.

8) People will do horrible things without any discernable motivation. With some of the serial killer profiles, and just senseless acts of violence (the black truck shooter), there are some people that just want to hurt for the sake of it and you can never fully trust the nameless people around you in public because you never know where a crazy person is and where he/she will strike, so ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings and keep your guard up.

9) Killers don't care about age. As kids, we kind of feel a certain level of invincibility, but again, watching this show at an early age, I not only learned that some people don't care that I'm a kid (Bowling Alley Massacre) but some of them will target me because of it (all the child molesters on the show). So again, my young age was not a shield at all, and I learned pretty early to get rid of that notion.

10) Rest Stops, ATMs, convenience stores....all death traps if you're not careful. I'm not saying don't use them, but definitely be careful, and DEFINITELY don't go to these things at night.

If you like keeping your own money stay away from Medford, Oregon.

Protein shakes and homemade snacks should only be accepted from family, friends and co-workers with extreme caution.

Unless your mother is Marie Hilley.

Some of the stuff I knew already, but it makes you realize just how remote a random kidnapping actually is. Whether it is the 1970s or 1980s, even then, the odds of a Michaela Garecht-style kidnapping almost never happened and with cell phones and such today never do now either (the bigger risk with kids is online predators rather than playing at a playground). Most of the time a kid being kidnapped is by someone they know, or a family member.

There is no need to stop at a rest stop alone. Not back then, not today. In the New Hampshire serial killer segment the pregnant woman stopping at what looked like a secluded rest stop. Why do this? I'm a man so I think differently, but I'd always advise against my wife to do this, and you don't have to either. There has to be a gas station or a truck stop close by.

Guns in the hands of bad people are thwarted by guns in the hands of good people. And the latter is generally a good thing. It would have eliminated 75% of the cases here alone. Just ask Edward Bell who tried to break into that woman's home from Texas who had a gun.

Oh and lastly, eye witness accounts are not reliable. So many are wrong.

Just ask Edward Bell who tried to break into that woman's home from Texas who had a gun.

Oh and lastly, eye witness accounts are not reliable. So many are wrong.

We only have the eyewitness account to determine if that actually was Edward Bell who broke into the woman's home.

If someone goes missing. Find the nearest body of water along their route or where they were last seen and search it thoroughly.

This one isn't just UM, but.. A fair number of cases all around, this winds up being the answer.

A more meta lesson from Unsolved Mysteries is the importance of home taping to preserving television history.

Since the original broadcast Unsolved Mysteries has never been made available again in its unaltered form, and almost certainly never will be. As such, the preservation of the series is highly dependent on broadcast recordings of the time.

Another lesson learned from this is the importance of doing good quality transfer work with old broadcast recordings, most of the ones I see are sub-par and some are truly atrocious.

We only have the eyewitness account to determine if that actually was Edward Bell who broke into the woman's home.

That's true, it was just the woman's eyewitness testimony. My guess is his face was implanted in her brain. It may not have been him, it all depends on how long he was out of the country at that time.

That being said it was definitely a bad guy and he got scared off by a gun. I can't imagine just how many less cases we have if this happens. That entire segment is free advertising for the "right to bear arms" mindset.

If you get bored with your wife just disappear and turn up months later saying you were mugged and have amnesia. You will have an amicable divorce.

There is no need to stop at a rest stop alone. Not back then, not today. In the New Hampshire serial killer segment the pregnant woman stopping at what looked like a secluded rest stop. Why do this? I'm a man so I think differently, but I'd always advise against my wife to do this, and you don't have to either. There has to be a gas station or a truck stop close by.

Jane didn’t stop at a rest stop. She was driving home from a fair and pulled into the parking lot of a market and partial strip mall to get a Pepsi from a vending machine. It was a hot, muggy night and she was thirsty.

It’s easy to go back now (knowing what we know) and say don’t put yourself in this situation. But the sad reality is, most instances boil down to fluke timing, something none of us can prepare for. Jane passed that parking lot multiple times every day before and after her attack. She’s in a town she’s always felt safe in, it wasn’t that late, the stop was on her way home and she stopped out of convenience and familiarity.

Obviously you should be aware of your surroundings and not put yourself in dangerous situations. But there’s a gray area when you’re doing something you do all the time and feel safe and then actually come into trouble. The same could be said for Karri Lynn Nixon. She walked two blocks from her house in the early evening to a market (something she had done hundreds of times before) crossed paths with several people along the way and then was abducted at gun point just 500 feet from her front door. In this situation, something that is safe 99.9% of the time is not safe that final .1% of the time. And that night, Karri fell into that .1%. To prepare or avoid something like that would require magic powers.

Jane didn’t stop at a rest stop. She was driving home from a fair and pulled into the parking lot of a market and partial strip mall to get a Pepsi from a vending machine. It was a hot, muggy night and she was thirsty.

It’s easy to go back now (knowing what we know) and say don’t put yourself in this situation. But the sad reality is, most instances boil down to fluke timing, something none of us can prepare for. Jane passed that parking lot multiple times every day before and after her attack. She’s in a town she’s always felt safe in, it wasn’t that late, the stop was on her way home and she stopped out of convenience and familiarity.

Obviously you should be aware of your surroundings and not put yourself in dangerous situations. But there’s a gray area when you’re doing something you do all the time and feel safe and then actually come into trouble. The same could be said for Karri Lynn Nixon. She walked two blocks from her house in the early evening to a market (something she had done hundreds of times before) crossed paths with several people along the way and then was abducted at gun point just 500 feet from her front door. In this situation, something that is safe 99.9% of the time is not safe that final .1% of the time. And that night, Karri fell into that .1%. To prepare or avoid something like that would require magic powers.

I could be wrong, but that market that she pulled into would have been deserted at that time of night correct? So in a way it is like pulling into a dark rest stop. I get it, you feel safe, you aren't thinking someone will rape you or try to at least. That is the sad part about our society, because you should feel safe doing that at all times of the night, females too.

Pelham Bay, Bronx New York at 3am in the morning was the place to hang out/walk your dog & be seen in the late seventies!

Jane didn’t stop at a rest stop. She was driving home from a fair and pulled into the parking lot of a market and partial strip mall to get a Pepsi from a vending machine. It was a hot, muggy night and she was thirsty.

It’s easy to go back now (knowing what we know) and say don’t put yourself in this situation. But the sad reality is, most instances boil down to fluke timing, something none of us can prepare for. Jane passed that parking lot multiple times every day before and after her attack. She’s in a town she’s always felt safe in, it wasn’t that late, the stop was on her way home and she stopped out of convenience and familiarity.

Obviously you should be aware of your surroundings and not put yourself in dangerous situations. But there’s a gray area when you’re doing something you do all the time and feel safe and then actually come into trouble. The same could be said for Karri Lynn Nixon. She walked two blocks from her house in the early evening to a market (something she had done hundreds of times before) crossed paths with several people along the way and then was abducted at gun point just 500 feet from her front door. In this situation, something that is safe 99.9% of the time is not safe that final .1% of the time. And that night, Karri fell into that .1%. To prepare or avoid something like that would require magic powers.
true! UM is a show that caused me to have abnormal fear. yes all of the violence that we see is possible to happen to anyone, but very unlikely as you pointed out the .1%.

for the people like Karri Lynn Nixon or Don Henry/Kevin Ives, the latter two were armed by the way, I don't think that they could have done anything different to change their outcome. they were all doing things that they normally did and felt ok. Like one of the parents said in the segment, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

If someone approaches you in a parking lot needing a ride and you've already overheard him asking several other people, all of whom turned him down without even having to think about it, you should also turn him down. Of course, this is the same as hitchhiking. Just don't do it, period.

If someone approaches you in a parking lot needing a ride and you've already overheard him asking several other people, all of whom turned him down without even having to think about it, you should also turn him down. Of course, this is the same as hitchhiking. Just don't do it, period.

especially at a hamburger place in a small town.

If you are a rest stop caretaker and you come upon a guy who is somehow at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere with two cars, and there is nobody else around, get his license plate number and alert the state troopers

Try and find as much information about someone before you let them move in eg: Hank Queen/Dennis Depue.

Add "Alice" aka Elaine Parent to that list.

Also: never trust any potential roommate that doesn't want to give you their phone number.

Jane didn’t stop at a rest stop. She was driving home from a fair and pulled into the parking lot of a market and partial strip mall to get a Pepsi from a vending machine. It was a hot, muggy night and she was thirsty.

It’s easy to go back now (knowing what we know) and say don’t put yourself in this situation. But the sad reality is, most instances boil down to fluke timing, something none of us can prepare for. Jane passed that parking lot multiple times every day before and after her attack. She’s in a town she’s always felt safe in, it wasn’t that late, the stop was on her way home and she stopped out of convenience and familiarity.

Obviously you should be aware of your surroundings and not put yourself in dangerous situations. But there’s a gray area when you’re doing something you do all the time and feel safe and then actually come into trouble. The same could be said for Karri Lynn Nixon. She walked two blocks from her house in the early evening to a market (something she had done hundreds of times before) crossed paths with several people along the way and then was abducted at gun point just 500 feet from her front door. In this situation, something that is safe 99.9% of the time is not safe that final .1% of the time. And that night, Karri fell into that .1%. To prepare or avoid something like that would require magic powers.

Something I learned from UM: bad people exist and will hurt people regardless of how careful they are. Keep the focus where it belongs: on the bad people. They alone are responsible for these crimes.

UM taught me that no matter how much I love a show, I should always fact check the narrrative of a TV program. I can't even count how many times Unsiolved Mysteries altered facts about cases they featured, in order to make it more appealing to viewers, and hence, get better ratings.

I can understand the logic, but if it will impede the case being solved, that would be unforgivable.I know of too many times UM did this...whether it be Anthonette Cayedito, Tara Calico, or Phillip Fraser's killer.

Forgive me, but I am a stickler for the facts. If a program compromises their integrity to make a show more appealing to the audience, then I take issue with that.

In the early years I took everything UM aired as fact. But now that I’m older and have rewatched more than once, I can see how they definitely skewed information to suit their agenda.

Watching the Doreen Picard and Susan Laferte case. Sickening. Both victims posted ads in the paper.

Combined with the Beverly McGowan case, the Laferte/Picard case has taught me to be very careful when posting a classified ad, including online. If you are doing that, and you are meeting people who answer your ad, ALWAYS have somebody with you when you meet the people. And for God's sake, keep your doors locked otherwise.