Staying Safe During The Holidays

Co – Contributor: Taylor S.

Staying safe during the holidays

We all know thanksgiving and black friday are coming up. Christmas and new years are right behind them. We all know that quite a few accidents happen around the holidays. People drinking or driving quickly trying to get parties, family gatherings, or even sales on black friday. People get robbed or get into fights over the last product on the shelf that everyone wants. People set up scam sites on the internet to scam people out of their money. People start acting crazy around the holidays. So, how can you stay safe around the holidays? 

Anyone who travels to different family gatherings can tell you that the roads are crowded with crazy drivers on thanksgiving and christmas. People are speeding because they are stressed out about being late. People have already started drinking at the first gathering but are still the ones driving to the next gathering. During the holiday season it is even more important to go the speed limit and continuously check your mirrors while on the road. If you are staying late at a family or friend’s house, try to stay the night. It is better to drive early the next morning instead of late at night with all the drunks on the road. If you have to drive home late at night, try to avoid the highways on your way home. If you happen to be the one who has been drinking, please get a designated driver for your safety and the safety of those around you. 

We all know that family time can be stressful. Not all families get along. Actually, most families don’t get along. Putting everyone in a room and expecting them to get along is a recipe for disaster. One sibling tries to one up the other. Cousins bringing up past arguments. In laws.. That’s enough said in itself. What do you do when feelings start to get hurt? Do you walk away and cool off? Not usually. Most people stay and argue to the point that things escalate and fights break out. This year, you are going to walk away. Staying safe doesn’t just mean physically or financially. It means staying safe emotionally too. This year put your feelings and mental health first. Walk away. Allow yourself to cool down before punches start being thrown.

If you are shopping in person there are a few things you can do to stay safe. The first and probably most important thing is to never shop alone. Most people out there looking to rob someone prey on the people, mostly women, who are shopping by themselves. Always bring a buddy. Make it a girls errand day. Another way to stay safe is parking. Always find parking in a well lit area as close to the front of the store as you can get. I know it may seem easier to park in the back. However, this is usually where people like to lay low and wait for unsuspecting shoppers to come out to their cars. The last thing you can do to stay safe is always be aware of your surroundings. Look around at the people in the store. Always keep your eye out. Did you see the same person at the last few stores? If you think you have seen the same person at more than one store you have been in that day this is what you do. Calmly walk around the store and try to find a security guard. If you cannot find a security guard, find an employee with a radio and let them know the situation. They can call someone that can walk you out of the store and make sure you get in your car safely. 

There are so many fake websites and scammers out there especially during the holidays. I could do a whole article on just this topic. However, a paragraph will have to do for now. People really need to be careful when buying from facebook or instagram ads. Many people set up fake websites during the holidays. There are a few things to look for when trying to decide if a website is legit or a scam. The biggest thing to look for is spelling errors. Take a look at the web address. If there is a misspelling in the web address, that’s an automatic red flag. The next thing to look for is if there is a way to contact customer support. If there is not an address, email, and phone number, it is probably a scam. The next thing I usually like to do when trying out a brand new website that I have never heard of? I usually go to social media and look for real people who have bought from these websites. If I cannot find any, I don’t buy from that website. Another thing to watch out for are text message scams. Many people will try to text you claiming to be your bank, amazon, facebook, ect. Do not click the link in the message. Clicking that link allows the scammer access to all your information. If you receive a link for your bank, amazon, etsy or anything else along those lines, always call customer service to confirm they sent the text message. If you find that the company did not send the text message, immediately block the number and change your password for that website. 

The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone. People start to get desperate. This article is to help you try to stay more alert. Drive more cautiously. Walk away before doing something you will regret. Always be aware of your surroundings. Keep an eye for online scammers. Please stay vigilant during this holiday season and keep yourself safe.  

Coming to you from 258 Terp Time

By yours truly,

Taylor Southerland

image credit

Robinson, L. (2020, December 1). 5 holiday safety tips. Rampart. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://rampartorlando.com/5-holiday-safety-tips/