A few days ago, I was driving my friend to her car from a surprise birthday party. In the dark of night, I pulled up and parked next to her car. Before she could get out of the car, I decided to confront her with a social issue. Three minutes into me drowning on, we turned to see that the dome light in her car turned was on.
A man opened the rear passenger-side door and got out of the car. We fell silent and I giggled nervously and inquired about her booty-call. Without turning to look at me, she said, “I think he just robbed my car.” I will never forget his face as he watched us. He walked backwards, facing us, to an alley a few yards away.
We panicked and I drove us to a circle K. Needless to say, there was at least one cop there at midnight. He followed me back to my friend’s car like it was an investigatory situation. I don’t even remember parts of the night, I was so scared.
But the popo explained that if he were robbing her car, he would have been in the drivers seat and certainly not in the back. Not to mention the fact that her car was empty and he didn’t do any damage to or steal anything. It hadn’t occurred to me that he had been waiting for her to get into the car; I thought he was trying to rob her.
While going on his rant, he gave us two very crucial tips. The first tip was obvious. Walk in pairs or groups at night. These occurrences are far less seldom than most realize. Believe me, I thought it was unnecessary till that night, but she may have been in a very dangerous situation had she walked to her car alone.
Second tip was to keep your doors locked. She didn’t lock hers. You wouldn’t think there would be a reason to lock your doors other than to protect material items. Fail. There could be a predator hiding in the backseat.
The part that intrigued me was the cop’s advice to lock your doors even when you’re driving. I hadn’t thought about that, but what happens when you stop at a light and aren’t paying attention because you’re trying to grab a napkin for the coffee you spilled on your lap? Potentially, not good things.
The thing is, why even take the risk? Why not spend the total of ten seconds locking the doors to your car and chill with a friend while you’re walking around at night? It isn’t a challenge and it can save your life. You wouldn’t believe it unless it happened to you and I would rather it didn’t. Please be safe. The last tip we got from the popo was to CALL 911 if you are uncomfortable in any situation.