This is getting ridiculous. First there is the shooting at a Colorado Church and now there is the shooting at a Nevada School Bus stop. Before that there was the shooting at the Nebraska shopping mall. Clearly, people need to be on guard at all times, even in church.
So pay attention people! If you read the article highlighted above, the only reason the death toll in Colorado was so low is because of an alert security guard. You and you alone are responsible for your own security.
The Colorado shootings have highlighted a growing trend: Churches need security too. This has been well known to the Jewish community for years. In fact, the Anti-Defamation League has published a Security Manual designed for synagogues but applicable to almost any house of worship. If you are concerned about the security of your church, temple, or mosque, you should download this manual. It is filled with lots of useful information for you to consider and apply as you see fit.
I’m not quite sure what brought it to mind a while ago I saw a man with several big rings on both hands. He was wearing a thumb ring, a pinky ring and a ring on his middle finger on his left hand. His right hand had rings on the index finger and ring finger. These were very large rings. I noticed he was also wearing silver bracelets. Why am I talking about this? Because these rings were the equivalent of brass knuckles on his hands. So if you see someone wearing several big rings, watch their hands–their hands are now weapons.
On a similar note, ladies, you can use your rings as weapons too you know. If nothing else, they will scratch an attacker’s face. It used to be that the scratches would heal. But now what you are really doing is taking a DNA sample for future match.
Just a couple of interesting thoughts for the day.
I got the following post (redacted) last week & it’s worth talking about for a minute. “As I recently entered [a restaurant] an angry uniform-wearing employee was exiting. He almost slammed the door in my face, then kept walking. I [complained to the manager]. As I was eating, the employee returned [and was told about my complaint so he] turned to look at me and began yelling for me to meet him outside. I refused. The other employees told him to go home and escorted him outside, but twice he returned and lunged at me, with the other workers holding him back. When I left I told the manager he wanted to fight me, but she refused to call the police. I walked outside to leave, and the guy was waiting for me. He got in my face, started yelling, then began throwing punches and karate kicks. Other employees pulled him off me, but he attacked again. At one point he was punching me in the ribs and holding one arm, while another employee was holding my other arm.”
First off, the police should have been called immediately! No excuses for not calling them. If you have a problem at your firm, don’t hesitate for a second to call for help. That’s what the police are for.
Second, what happened to the cell phone of the person who wrote me? He should have used it asap. If you are in this type of situation (and these days it happens all the time), USE YOUR CELL PHONE. Don’t have one? Get one!
Third, what silly person goes outside when you *know* that there is someone out there waiting to fight you? Use your common sense!
Fourth, the employees should NEVER, EVER, grab the person being hit. As I have posted before, you get between the combatants, you don’t grab one of them. I know it’s dangerous but the alternatives are worse as this story shows.
I was just reading about another of the various credit card or bank scams that are going around like a flu virus. But they all have 1 thing in common: they try to get you to give them information over the phone. Don’t do it! But it can be hard to resist. So try this: tell them that you will call them back. But DO NOT ask for a telephone number. Please do not ask for a telephone number. No, no no!!
Be responsible and careful instead. You call the customer service number on your credit card or for your bank. That way you know who you are talking to and have some confidence that your information will not be misused.
Funny thing, too: you never, ever get the person you were just talking to. It’s always a scam. So, don’t talk to them-call them back!
Well, after yesterday’s shooting I went back and found a pretty good article Slate reissued yest6rday. It sets out some things you can do if you happen to get caught in a shooting. I don’t agree with a couple of it’s comments–mainly that heavy furniture will offer protection. Having seen the penetrating power of 357 magnums and other handguns, as well as the power of deer rifles and other firearms, I don’t believe that heavy furniture offers much (if any) help. Still, I suppose it’s better than nothing.
The article’s comments about how hard it is to hit a running person at 40 feet is correct, with one caveat: don’t run straight away from the shooter. Because then you look like you are standing still. Run at an angle or zig zag.
Anyway, I hope you never need to know this stuff but, if you do need it, I sure hope you remember it.
We all are becoming more sensitive to Identity Theft. One day I’ll blog about the physical security issues linked to identity theft but most of us are more worried about theft of credit and those consequences. We’re so sensitive, in fact, that we don’t like giving out our Social Security Numbers. We’re told not to give them out. Well, here’s the story of one person’s attempt to get telephone service without giving out his SSN.
I couldn’t say it better.
I was reading about today’s shooting at a mall on CNN and had a thought: These days modern bullets can and will go right through glass, dry wall, cabinetry and even car doors. Worse yet, they can hurt or kill you even after they do that. in TVland, of course, car doors, dry wall and cabinetry all provide perfect cover and armour when people are shooting at you. In reality, fuggedaboudet. So, what should you do? I urge people to drop to the ground and roll up against someplace where you won’t be seen and where you are protected.
If you can place a brick or cement wall between you and the shooter, that’s best of all. Failing that, put a car engine between you and the shooter. Failing that, hide behind a car wheel. Don’t get up and run straight away from the shooter. If you must run, zigzag. But if you are unarmed, find someplace safe to hide.
In my last post I talked about hiding from a shooter. In this one, I would like to remind people that the police will respond and, when they do, they will be very jittery. They will know shots were fired. They never know how many people fired the shots until afterward. So, when the police approach, stay calm, don’t scream and shout, don’t jump out at them, move slowly and let them know you are there before you come out of hiding and show your hands at all times. After all, you don’t want to get shot by mistake do you?
Here in the DC suburbs there have been a rash of car accidents with young drivers–teens mainly. According to the Washington Post story there have been 13 young people killed in the past few weeks. Our governments are thinking about how to fix the problem and may be considering tightening the teenage driving laws. But one thing struck me: wear your durn seatbelts. Apparently a lot of the kids killed in these collisions were not wearing their seat belts.
Fer Pete’s Sake: wear the things–they can save your life!!
