May 17, 2022 Watch out for Danger
When my and husband and I travel in our RV, we always take precautions against unwanted visitors both human and animal. While most professional RV sites are safe you never know who is in the campground with you. Walmart parking lots can offer refuge from the road when needed, there have been cases of women kidnapped in a store parking lot and then taken away and never to be seen again. Many of these perpetrators are eventually caught due to the store’s camera system, but not soon enough for the victims.
Roadside rest stops which are not guarded and boon docking can present particular self-protection challenges. When boon-docking you have to prepare for potential problems from dangerous animals as well.
Statistically, most sex criminals are males.Women on the road travelling alone or with other women can be potential targets for criminals. All of us have seen the news stories of women disappearing while camping or hiking sometimes never to be found. There was a renowned case at a state park in Massachusetts where we were staying at the time. A women went for a bike ride by herself and was never seen again. Only 30 years later was the killer found…So, some prudence is recommended for all of us, and clearly for women on the road.
Be Prudent
Here are some common sense self-protection strategies.
Become situationally aware :
I have worked for many years with the military. One of the first things they taught me was the importance of being situationally aware. Most people get out of their cars or Rs’s with little orientation towards situational awareness. But a little of this could save your life. STOP? Learn to pause and look closely at things around you. Learn to be keenly observant when you first step out of your camper.Does something look amiss? Do you notice anyone loitering or lurking? Are there other people around you who could render help? Is there an escape route if you need to get someplace fast, like a shop or store? No need to be paranoid, but a little situational awareness in new surroundings is a learned skill that can come in handy. Also be aware of where you parked the best routes to get back to it.
We have stopped in rest sites either in the evening or at dusk because we had to get out to use the facilities or let the dogs out. We always check out our surroundings carefully for anything that doesn’t look right. Perhaps it’s an old beat-up car, or just some people seemingly loitering. We have gotten back in our camper more than once when we see anything that doesn’t look right.
I was once in a cab in the middle east. The driver pulled into the parking lot, made an excuse that he had to get some cigarettes, jumped out of the caband left me alone in the back seats. I practiced my situational awareness skills and things didn’t look right or feel right. Several young men seemed to be milling around looking at the cab while pretending not to. I immediately jumped out of the cab and went into a crowded marketplace about a block away where I could keep an eye on the cab. After about 15 minutes those men drifted away and then the driver came back. Only then did I get in the cab and told him there would be no more stops.
The driver knew that I worked for the military as this was a cab that they sent for me. It was also at a time when kidnapping of American military people was at a high. Perhaps I was paranoid, but I also might not be writing this had I not put my situational awareness skills into practice.
Park near Truckers :
We like truckers. We have even had some truckers stop to help us on the road. In general, they are a very professional and polite. Even in unguarded rest stops, we are ok if there are even two trucks in the parking lot. Truckers are generally just a yell for help away.
Put a battery powered ring type doorbell and outside camera on your RV :
We just bought a google Blink system for our RV because it is cheaper that the ring system but is adequate for our needs. These can be stuck on with Velcro or drilled in. If you hear a disturbance, no need to get out of your vehicle first to see what going on outside. Motor homes and travel trailers are not easy to break into if they are double locked, plus to do so takes time and makes noise. Even bears give up as they find out how arduous this task can be. Having these devices allows you to keep you curtains closed while still getting some situational bearings. Potential intruders may not now who is in the camper unless they have been watching it.
Introduce yourself to nearby campers :
Even though we prefer not to be right next like to other campers in q campground, when possible, we do introduce our selves to the nearest neighbors. Thus if you have an emergency or want someone to keep an extra eye out for you as a woman (women) on the road alone. Campers are great people and usually more that willing to do this.
Arm yourself :
Despite all the above cautions, there is no substitute for knowing that at some point in time you may be alone, with no help around, and will have to defend yourself. The likelihood is small, but it only takes one time.
We always take two handguns with us: a Kimber Magnum 357 six shot short barrel revolver and a Sig Sauer p-365 9 mm automatic. I recommend the Sig for women who want to carry a gun given they have a ccw (conceal carry) permit. It is compact, easily carried in a purse, it has a safety so you can safely carry with a round in the chamber, it has a light trigger pull, and is very accurate even at a distance. The Kimber is a much heavier gun and harder to use accurately unless you are at close range, but it is a bear killer should that unlikely encounter ever happen.
I have a carry permit from Florida which is also good in numerous other states. (Be sure to check a CCW map for state reciprocity). When we hike the woods, especially where we might encounter dangerous animals, including snakes, bears, even moose, I take the Magnum. It can stop a bear and a charging moose. I am not a hunter, so I would hate to kill any animal. Hopefully, a warning shot would do the trick. But if it comes down to him or me, I choose “me”.
Even if you don’t have a carry permit, we recommend having a handgun in your RV, just in case. Most states consider an RV a home and you are therefore legally permitted to protect yourself using deadly force in case of a home invasion. We bolt a small sentry safe in our closet in which to lock the guns. We don’t recommend a gun in your RV if you don’t have a safe. You are legally required to protect others from misuse of your gun if it leads to injury or death. And please, please take a gun course if you have not already. I am actually less inclined to use a gun after taking the NRA course than I would have been before. As my trainer said, “You can never take a bullet back”. They have some of the best trainers around so even if you aren’t a fan, they can point you to very qualified instructors.
These suggestions are also relevant for anyone RVing as we seem to be getting crazier, violence prone people in our society, with increasing disregard for the law. But the advice above is particularly salient for women on the road.
