Important Holiday Shopping Safety Tips

So, I was out shopping yesterday. My phone rang that happened to be my sister who lives in another state.

In addition to her wishing me "Happy holidays" she was also having issues with her computer (clicking hard drive - ouch!). As I happened to be in a parking lot, I pulled into a row of empty spots in the back and proceeded to give her some tech support.

About five minutes later, a police car pulls up into the parking area two spots in front of me. Now, if I was that police officer and saw someone talking on the phone in the back large lot and parked across parking spaces as opposed to pulled into a one, my curiosity would probably peak enough to, at least, stop by and say hello.

And so it was.

A few minutes passed when the policeman me got out of his shiny new vehicle the slowly approached my car.

"Oh great, here he comes." I say to myself.

I roll down my window and he proceeds to hand me a piece of paper. A nice big, orange colored piece of paper that says "Traffic Violations Bureau".

Before my heart completely sinks, I noticed that he apparently handed me the notice wrong side up. Because on the opposite side, in big bold letters it says,

"This Is Not A Citation. This is a courtesy reminder to secure all valuables in the trunk of your vehicle while it's unattended to reduce your chances of being the victim of a vehicle break-in."

So the flyer handed me was actually a "Safe Parking Reminder".

Here's the rest of the flyer. I pass it along to you because the safety tips are worth repeating and remembering.

Metro Nashville Police Department would like to encourage you to "Park Smart".

Please keep in mind the following tips to assist in preventing thefts.

Never leave the keys in your vehicle while it is unattended even only if it is for a brief time.
Never leave your car unattended while it is running.
Always lock your doors and keep windows rolled up when parked.
Do not leave items of value value visible inside your car. Place them in your trunk can see them conceal them from view, or take them with you.
Park in busy, well lit areas whenever possible.
Beware of suspicious activity as you enter the parking lot and avoid potential dangers.
Keep copies of your vehicle registration in case of emergencies.

The Metro Nashville police permit hopes you have a safe and enjoyable day.

I thought this flyer was a pretty cool idea. The police being a little bit pro-active during a busy holiday season where a lot of people tend to get ripped off by thieves while shopping for their holiday gifts.

Speaking of which, you get back at it as I have a few more gifts to shop for myself.

Be safe and keep your car locked up tight.