What Leads to Muggings? How You Can Avoid Dangerous Interactions
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If you live in a crowded area and you’re worried about being mugged, you’re not alone. Many people in bigger cities fear being targeted by a violent criminal in an act of theft. If you’re looking to avoid these scenarios, we have a few tips to help you keep your wallet or purse.
When you’re walking through a populated area, keep a buddy with you. Even if you’re just walking and chatting and having a good time, you’re less likely to be targeted by criminals. Muggers prefer to target people who are isolated, as it’s easier to scare someone into handing over their wallet when there’s nobody around to help.
If you’re in a group, however, a mugger is much less likely to confront you. For one thing, numbers advantages mean that someone could fire off a call to the police while the mugger is distracted by someone else. For another, there’s always the threat that you could overpower them with superior numbers.
If you stay in crowded areas, you’re much less likely to be targeted by a criminal. When an area is brightly lit and there are plenty of people around, you know you’re in an area that’s safe from a violent confrontation. The only threat in a crowd is that a sneak tries to slip your wallet out of your pocket!
In crowded scenarios, just move your wallet to your front pocket and keep your hand on it. If you carry a purse, just put your hand in your purse and keep a grip on your billfold. This way, you’ll be safe from both sneaks and muggers.
If you need to pass through a dark area with no crowds and you don’t have a buddy, don’t panic. You can try to dissuade muggers by talking loudly on the phone. Call someone (or just pretend to call someone) and have a normal conversation. Muggers tend to avoid people who are alert and talking on the phone because they could shout for the person on the line to call the police.
Similarly, don’t be afraid to call the police for a hand if you think you might be getting followed or stalked by a would-be mugger. They’ll be able to send a patrol car to scout the area and hopefully scare off any criminals who would think about attacking you. Just use your best judgment and try to be careful out there.