Staying Safe while RVing
12-17-2015
Author: Blog Editor in RV Tips & Education
By Stephanie A. Mayberry
Fear is a choice.
I might have a healthy respect for that rattlesnake or that man leering at me from a dark alley, but I refuse to live in fear.
With that said, I take the necessary, common sense precautions to prevent becoming a statistic for the local police department. There are bad people out there who like to commit crimes. You are a target. That’s just the way life is.
You do not have to be a victim though. These RV safety tips will help you develop a clear, solid plan for safety that is fueled by common sense and practicality, not fear and panic.
Pay Attention
This is probably the biggest crime deterrent - next to locking your doors anyway. Pay attention. When you are walking across a parking lot or on the street, keep your head out of your phone! Trust me, you will not miss some important life event by putting that phone in your pocket or purse for a while.
When you are walking with your head stuck in your phone you become a target in several ways: 1) You aren’t looking where you are going and you could walk right into someone, or a car, or fall, 2) Criminals love people who aren’t paying attention to their surroundings, it makes them much easier to rob, car jack, whatever, and 3) You will never see them coming so you will be completely unprepared.
Studies show that criminals are not as likely to go after people who are paying attention to their surroundings, who walk straight with their head up, people who look like they are alert and ready for anything. So do yourself a favor and put your phone away when you are walking on the street or across parking lots – or anytime you are in public. That text will wait. Facebook will wait. The cure to cancer is not on that screen and no one is waiting to text you that they are giving you a million dollars. It’s just a phone and your life is much more important.
Avoid the High Crime Areas
Now, how do you know that? Well, you can contact the local police departments when you arrive at a city and ask. There is also this crime map tool by the real estate company Trulia. You just enter the city and state, click the little search button and you will get an interactive map that give you color coded crime risk areas.
You can click on the + sign on the right side to zoom in, and you can “grab” the map to move it around. There are small black circles with white numbers scattered across the map. Place your cursor on the circle and it will tell you the crimes that have recently occurred there. Scroll down that and you will see local crimes listed with the date, whether they were arrested or not, and a description of the crime. The example I linked to is for Charleston, SC and I can tell you it is pretty accurate.
Lock Up
You’d be surprised at the people who don’t lock up when they leave or when they go to bed. Sure, most campgrounds are pretty safe, but I say lock up for two big reasons. Number one, people are unpredictable. Someone can wander in, look at your RV and decide they like what they see, then BAM. You’re a statistic.
Two, when you are consistent and do it even when you could let it slide you develop a habit. That way you know that you will lock up every time and you aren’t as likely to forget. Pull down the shade too when you leave. Don’t give anyone visual access to your RV. I managed a program for the federal government a few years ago, I was building the process for handling lost, stolen, or destroyed federal property. What I learned was most crimes are crimes of opportunity.
For instance, one woman had her purse and federal issued phone sitting on her kitchen table. Her door was open but the screen door was locked. She went in the back for just a few minutes and when she returned someone had cut her screen door and stolen her purse – and government issued phone. Don’t give them any reason to want to get in your RV. Of course, there is always the chance they might, but that chance is reduced when they can’t see the goodies stored inside.
Blend In
Leave the Bling Locked Away
Trust Your Gut
You pull in to a parking lot to catch a few zzz’s before getting back on the road – but something doesn’t seem quite right. I am not saying let fear drive you, because that instinct that says “you’re not safe here” is not fear. Often you will pick up on vibes in an area that you may not consciously be aware of. If it feels wrong, listen to that and move on. That is the beauty of having a house with wheels, you can make them turn and get you on down the road if you feel like you are in an unsafe area.
So, what are your RV safety tips? How do you avoid crime when you get to a new area?
Fear is a choice.
I might have a healthy respect for that rattlesnake or that man leering at me from a dark alley, but I refuse to live in fear.
With that said, I take the necessary, common sense precautions to prevent becoming a statistic for the local police department. There are bad people out there who like to commit crimes. You are a target. That’s just the way life is.
You do not have to be a victim though. These RV safety tips will help you develop a clear, solid plan for safety that is fueled by common sense and practicality, not fear and panic.
Pay Attention
This is probably the biggest crime deterrent - next to locking your doors anyway. Pay attention. When you are walking across a parking lot or on the street, keep your head out of your phone! Trust me, you will not miss some important life event by putting that phone in your pocket or purse for a while.
When you are walking with your head stuck in your phone you become a target in several ways: 1) You aren’t looking where you are going and you could walk right into someone, or a car, or fall, 2) Criminals love people who aren’t paying attention to their surroundings, it makes them much easier to rob, car jack, whatever, and 3) You will never see them coming so you will be completely unprepared.
Studies show that criminals are not as likely to go after people who are paying attention to their surroundings, who walk straight with their head up, people who look like they are alert and ready for anything. So do yourself a favor and put your phone away when you are walking on the street or across parking lots – or anytime you are in public. That text will wait. Facebook will wait. The cure to cancer is not on that screen and no one is waiting to text you that they are giving you a million dollars. It’s just a phone and your life is much more important.
Avoid the High Crime Areas
Now, how do you know that? Well, you can contact the local police departments when you arrive at a city and ask. There is also this crime map tool by the real estate company Trulia. You just enter the city and state, click the little search button and you will get an interactive map that give you color coded crime risk areas.
You can click on the + sign on the right side to zoom in, and you can “grab” the map to move it around. There are small black circles with white numbers scattered across the map. Place your cursor on the circle and it will tell you the crimes that have recently occurred there. Scroll down that and you will see local crimes listed with the date, whether they were arrested or not, and a description of the crime. The example I linked to is for Charleston, SC and I can tell you it is pretty accurate.
Lock Up
You’d be surprised at the people who don’t lock up when they leave or when they go to bed. Sure, most campgrounds are pretty safe, but I say lock up for two big reasons. Number one, people are unpredictable. Someone can wander in, look at your RV and decide they like what they see, then BAM. You’re a statistic.
Two, when you are consistent and do it even when you could let it slide you develop a habit. That way you know that you will lock up every time and you aren’t as likely to forget. Pull down the shade too when you leave. Don’t give anyone visual access to your RV. I managed a program for the federal government a few years ago, I was building the process for handling lost, stolen, or destroyed federal property. What I learned was most crimes are crimes of opportunity.
For instance, one woman had her purse and federal issued phone sitting on her kitchen table. Her door was open but the screen door was locked. She went in the back for just a few minutes and when she returned someone had cut her screen door and stolen her purse – and government issued phone. Don’t give them any reason to want to get in your RV. Of course, there is always the chance they might, but that chance is reduced when they can’t see the goodies stored inside.
Blend In
Leave the Bling Locked Away
Trust Your Gut
You pull in to a parking lot to catch a few zzz’s before getting back on the road – but something doesn’t seem quite right. I am not saying let fear drive you, because that instinct that says “you’re not safe here” is not fear. Often you will pick up on vibes in an area that you may not consciously be aware of. If it feels wrong, listen to that and move on. That is the beauty of having a house with wheels, you can make them turn and get you on down the road if you feel like you are in an unsafe area.
So, what are your RV safety tips? How do you avoid crime when you get to a new area?
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