More on staying safe
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
If you accidentally dial 911, stay on the line and explain it was a mistake rather than hanging up.
Hanging up may cause police to be sent to check on the situation or tie up valuable time as operators attempt to call you back twice per policy.
- One person reported hanging up right away and nobody ever called or investigated.
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Do not merge in front of a semi-truck until you can see its full windshield or cab in your rearview mirror, allowing the driver time to react.
Semi-trucks require a lot of distance to stop.
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Position fire extinguishers in various parts of the home, including the kitchen, laundry area, garage, and bedroom, so that each floor has at least one unit.
A blaze could block access to an extinguisher if only one location is covered.
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Be aware that grey, silver, white, or blue cars are harder to see in bad weather.
These colors blend with rain, snow, or gray roads, making them nearly invisible beyond short distances.
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Turn on your headlights when it is raining or snowing, even during the day.
Rain and snow cause glare and fogging, making it hard to see; lights help other drivers see you.
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Focus on arriving safely over arriving on time; do not speed or drive aggressively to make up lost time.
Aggressive driving rarely saves significant time but carries high risk; it is better to be late than dead.
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Leave a slip with your contact details in your wallet so people who find it can reach you.
IDs often have outdated addresses. One person recovered their wallet because the finder saw their number on a ticket inside and could contact them easily.
- It may increase the risk of identity theft if the wallet is stolen rather than found.
- Some doubt that finders will make the effort to return it.
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Wear your backpack on your chest or hold it in front of you when riding crowded public transit to prevent pickpocketing.
It makes it more secure against pickpockets, prevents knocking others over, and allows you to see the bag itself.
- It may look goofy.
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Trust your gut instinct if you suspect someone is scamming you.
Your gut often detects traps before your mind does.
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Shield the keypad with your hand or body while typing your PIN. This makes it harder for onlookers or hidden cameras to see the digits.
Hidden cameras have been used for years to capture PINs from a distance.
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If a job asks for payment before you start, stop right away.
Paying to earn income is a poor strategy and signals a potential scam.
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If an unknown caller asks a yes/no question like 'Can you hear me?', do not answer with 'Yes'; use a different affirmative phrase instead.
Scammers may record your voice saying 'Yes' to claim it as verbal consent for services or charges.
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Avoid or run from street fights and altercations to prevent injury, death, or legal jeopardy.
Street fights offer no benefit; even winning can lead to jail, while losing can result in death from falls, stabbings, or bullets. Running increases the likelihood of avoiding injury.
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When dropping someone off at their car, wait until you see their vehicle start before leaving.
This ensures they can drive away and aren't stranded due to a dead battery or locked keys.
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Keep a fire extinguisher near the kitchen stove to handle grease fires rapidly.
Grease fires spread fast, and kitchens are common starting points for fires.
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Register your bicycle with a national registry or local authorities to create a record of ownership.
Police may use the information to track stolen products, and it provides proof if you find the bike later.
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Take photos of serial numbers on valuable electronics and email them to yourself or store them in a cloud account to keep an offsite record.
To ensure records remain accessible if the house burns down or is compromised.
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Fill food storage containers or bottles with water and freeze them before a storm; if power is lost, move the frozen blocks to the fridge to keep food cold longer.
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If you locate a lost wallet, deliver it to the bank branch named on the cards so they can reach the owner.
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Look up and memorize the local emergency number for your destination before traveling, as standard numbers like 911 do not work everywhere.
It can be life-saving to know which number to call in an emergency.
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Immediately cancel or freeze your cards if you suspect they are lost or stolen.
Reporting the card fast enough can help recover any money spent and make tracking easier.
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Always verify that your car is locked, even when parked in your own driveway or garage.
Thieves have been known to walk around neighborhoods checking for unlocked cars.
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Treat the 40-60 gallons of water in a tank-style heater as a backup supply during emergencies.
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Fully charge all electronic devices and portable power banks before a storm arrives in case of power loss.
Storms can cut electricity, leaving devices with low battery.
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Use credit cards rather than debit cards for transactions.
Consumer protections are stronger, and if the card is misused, the company's money is at risk rather than draining your actual bank account.
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Whenever you enter an unfamiliar venue, building, or transportation, immediately note the location of emergency exits and how to reach or activate them.
During evacuations, people instinctively head toward the point of entry, which is often overcrowded and blocked; emergency exits are designed to be visible.
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Store a reasonably large blanket in your vehicle for warmth during breakdowns, covering valuables, or insulating takeout meals.
It provides heat if stranded in cold weather, shields belongings, and maintains food temperature.
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Place your foot through a backpack strap while seated to deter theft.
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Assume that if you have to ask whether something is a scam, it almost certainly is.
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Do not trust caller ID names, as scammers frequently spoof them to look like known contacts or banks.
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Ask questions about deceased relatives or non-existent family members to detect fake callers.
Scammers will likely claim the deceased person is fine or acknowledge the non-existent relative.
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Do not share personal details with unexpected callers, regardless of any claimed affiliation with businesses you have used.
Scammers collect information to build scam sheets, and companies regularly sell or have hacked data.
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Disable location metadata in camera settings before photographing indoors.
Sharing geotagged images can expose your precise residence and even the specific side of the building where your room is located.
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Listen to the dispatcher's questions and answer only what is asked, rather than providing unsolicited details or narratives.
Dispatchers have a script and need to process information based on it; answering specifically makes the call faster.
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Understand that specific extinguisher types are needed for different fire categories.
Applying the incorrect type may cause the fire to spread if handled improperly.
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Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed during a power outage to preserve food temperature.
Opening the doors decreases the internal temperature and reduces how long food stays cold.
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Give mechanics or valets only the specific car key, removing it from your main key ring first.
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Remove EXIF data from images by re-saving them via tools like Imgur, MS Paint, or dedicated metadata removers before posting online.
To maintain privacy by clearing metadata that could identify you or your location.
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Keep scammers on the line by pretending to perform mundane tasks to waste their time.
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Ask neighbors to routinely collect mail, packages, and flyers from your doorstep.
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Recognize that keeping registration and insurance cards in the glove box may reveal your address regardless of GPS settings.
Thieves can access your home address through these documents even if they do not use the vehicle's navigation system.
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Avoid using common or easily guessed PIN combinations such as sequential numbers, repeated digits, or dates.
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Do not click links in emails or texts from financial institutions; instead, open a browser and navigate directly to the official website.
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Keep original boxes for devices to preserve printed serial numbers and information.
Boxes contain necessary details for police reports and can help resale value.
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Press your face close to the glass and shield outside light with your hands to check for visibility through it.
If it is a two-way mirror, blocking excess light should reveal objects on the opposite side.
- You may look silly doing this.
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Keep a safe distance from U-Haul trucks and rental campers.
Drivers often lack experience with large vehicles, and the vehicles may be poorly maintained.
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- Presume drivers of U-Hauls and rental trucks lack experience with large vehicles; allow them ample room and avoid their blind spots.3
Use low beams instead of high beams when driving in fog, mist, snow, or heavy rain.
High beams reflect light back at you, reducing visibility and blinding oncoming traffic.
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Play a spotting game with children in the car where they earn extra points for identifying motorcycles to train them to look for these vehicles.
This conditions them to see motorcycles right away and prepares them to be more watchful.
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Check the interior of your oven before preheating or switching it on to verify nothing unsuitable is stored there.
Items such as hot peppers left inside can release fumes that cause severe physical reactions.
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Watch which lanes semi-trucks enter when traffic jams up ahead to identify clear paths.
Trucks often radio each other to share information about blocked lanes.
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Be aware that in some areas, using a turn signal may provoke other drivers to block your move or speed up to prevent merging.
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Do not rely on the finger-gap test to identify two-way mirrors, as front-silvered mirrors also show no gap.
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Follow the sequence: check mirrors, signal your intention, wait, then maneuver.
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