Personal Protection Hint #1: How to Avoid Getting Carjacked

I was sitting around in my office trying to think of a cool, witty, and informational blog post when a friend sent me one of the forwarded text messages that is clearly an Urban Myth. It went like this:


Police officers working with the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) (A wonderful program by the way) have issued this warning. If you are driving after dark and you see an oncoming car with no headlights on, DO NOT FLASH YOUR LIGHTS AT THEM!!. This is a common “Bloods” gang member initiation game.

Supposedly, the new gang member must w/o their headlights on and the first car to flash their headlights at them is now his “target” (what if its a cop?) (double points?). He is then supposed to turn around & chase the car, then shoot and kill every person in the vehicle in order to complete the initiation requirements. Police departments around the country are being warned…

I could go on at this point, but I might vomit if I hear any more BS like this…

OK folks, in case you didn’t detect my sarcastic undertones, this is complete and utter BS. Just in case my professional instincts fail me on this one, I checked the DARE website and they made no mention of this international gangbanger conspiracy to kill innocent people every Fri and Sat night. Lets apply my experienced intelligence analysis skills to this one shall we?

First, if gangbangers were out killing innocent drivers every weekend just for something to do, there might have been some mention of this from the media; especially DARE since that was the supposed source. Funny, but I can’t seem to find anything.

Second, gangbangers are dangerous people no doubt, due to their lifestyle choice. However, they don’t go out of their way to run the streets killing anyone that happens to flash their headlights at them. That accomplishes only two things folks…it brings lots of police attention (bad for business) and locks many of them up in jail. Also, if the problem were such a nationwide epidemic then the FBI would be involved (even more police attention). Also not likely.

This stuff is very dramatic and fits best in Hollywood. In fact, as I write this my friend and Marine Corps combat veteran, Adam Mouch, reminded me of a Kevin Bacon movie named Death Sentence with a similar plot.

In the end folks, this stuff may happen and it may have happened (because anything is possible), but it is highly unlikely that you will experience it in your lifetime. Unless of course, you have gang affiliations and you really anger someone (that comes back to lifestyle choice).

Things brings me to the original intent of this posting: How to avoid getting carjacked.

  1. Keep your doors locked at all times, and preferably your windows up. Especially if you find yourself in an unfamiliar or dangerous area. This will, if nothing else, make it more difficult for someone to carjack you and should buy you some time. Time for what you may ask?
  2. If someone comes up to your door that you don’t know and you feel threatened…drive away!!! Hit the damn gas and get out of there, preferably in a safe manner and without causing a crash or harming someone other than your attacker. People often forget that when they are in their cars they are surrounded by 2 tons of steel, plastic, and glass. That’s as good as any body armor you could want. Not to mention it can be a great weapon (if necessary) and its pretty bullet resistant.
  3. If someone if following you, trying to pull you over (not a police officer), or you have driven away because you felt threatened, drive immediately to what security specialists refer to as “Safe Haven”. Safe Haven can be a police station, fire station (many are located next to police stations), hospital, or an area with a lot of people in a pinch. Honk the horn the whole way, make a terrible noise (yell and scream) and otherwise attract as much attention as possible. The people who you think are trying to do you harm will very likely give up when they see the attention you are attracting. Preferably police attention.

Criminal who kill people do not like to be seen doing it (leads back to that whole bad for business/jail time issue).

Well folks, I’m sure Adam would like to get going at this point, so that’s your Personal Protection Hint #1. Brought to you by Precision Risk Management Group, LLC.

Stay safe out there!!

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