5 Essential Parking Lot Safety and Security Tips

Whether it's a parking lot at your local mall, the grocery store or even at the airport, it's always important you make sure that when you're parking in a space and when you're leaving it that you are as safe as possible. So, in the effort to make sure that you feel secure at all times, in the day as well as in the night, we have provided you with a list of five essential parking lot safety tips that you should apply below:

Look for a lot that has on-site security. If you're headed to a place that has a relatively large lot, one thing that it's probably going to have is on-site security. That's good to know because on-site security tends to patrol the area throughout the day and especially at night. If you're not sure if the store or airport has one, you can always call ahead to see if they do and/or inquire about any other measures that they take to ensure their customers' security.

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Park near a light. If you plan on going someplace at night, it's always a good idea to park near a light. The reason why we say this is because when it's dark outside, you can never be sure that someone is not lurking between a pair of cars or behind some bushes. However, if you happen to park near a light, you'll be able to see shadows moving about, signaling you that you should call someone for help. This brings us to the next point.

Make sure your cell phone is reachable. Thankfully, one thing that can definitely make you feel more secure in a parking lot is your cell phone. So, as you're heading towards your car, make sure that it's in your hand or pocket. Also, because time is of the essence when someone is trying to break into your car or assault you, put 911 on your speed dial. Just in case.

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Keep your keys in hand. Something else that you should put into your hand is your keys. We say this because if you have them in your purse or you dropped them down inside of one of your bags, you could end up spending a significant amount of valuable time searching for them. And, just in those few moments, someone could end up taking advantage of you while you're not looking. That's why you should have your car key in your palm as you're approaching your vehicle (plus, it can also serve as an impromptu weapon should someone try and attack you).

Use an escort. If you were to ask a parking company like OneStop Parking for some parking advice, one thing that they might tell you is that if you feel uneasy about walking to your car alone, you should consider taking an escort with you. If you're at a store, there is usually security guards there who will be more than happy to make sure that you get to your car safely. All you have to do is ask. For information on how to defend yourself in the case of an attempted burglary or attack, visit Off the Grid and put "defending yourself from an attacker" in the search field.