A woman was shopping at the Tuttle Mall in Columbus. She came
out to her car and saw she had a flat. She got her jack, spare
out of the trunk. A man in a business suit came up and started
to help her. When the tire had been replaced, he asked for a
ride to his car on the opposite side of the Mall. Feeling
uncomfortable about doing this, she stalled for a while, but
he kept pressing her. She finally asked why he was on this side
of the Mall if his car was on the other. He claimed he had been
talking to friends. Still uncomfortable, she told him that she
had just remembered something she had forgotten to pick up at
the mall. She left him and went back inside the mall. She
reported the incident to the mall security and they went out
to her car. The man was nowhere in sight. Opening her trunk,
she discovered a brief case the man had set inside her trunk
while helping her with the tire. Inside were rope and a butcher
knife. And, when she took the tire to be fixed, the mechanic
informed her that there was nothing wrong with her tire, that
it was flat because the air had been let out of it.
Good Parking Lot Safety Rules:
#1: Never let a stranger in your car.
#2: If you feel uncomfortable, trust your instincts and get
out. Many victims say that they knew something was not right
but didn't listen to their own inner voice. Trust yourself
first!
#3: If you are going into a parking lot, make sure your keys
are already in your hand so you don't have to fumble for
them at your car.
#4: If you are going to be there after dark, park under a
parking lot light.
#5: Make sure you remember where you park your car. I know
this sounds stupid but if you are wandering you could be more
vulnerable.
#6: Don't catch a ride to your car with anyone you don't know.
#7: If your car breaks down or you need assistance, get help
from the mall security. Most malls have vehicles that drive
around to help you, use them not a stranger.
#8: Lock your car doors when you go in. People have been
victims of someone hiding in the back seat. If they are already
in your car when you get in and drive away, you could be in
serious danger.
