Travelling by car
If you must make a pit stop—no matter how quick—never leave your merchandise unattended, including in your car or hotel room. That’s why it’s essential to ensure the line you are carrying is manageable. You must be able to bring all of it with you into a restaurant, hotel, jewellery store, or any other location.
If you will be travelling in your personal vehicle, it is important to remove all identifying elements from it, including personalized license plates, bumper stickers, or decals from the dealership that sold you the car. Any of this customization provides robbers with the opportunity to gain more information about you.
Consider equipping your car with an alarm approved by your insurance company and ‘puncture-proof’ or ‘run-flat’ tires. While this could go without saying, it’s crucial to ensure your vehicle is in excellent working condition.
When you rent a car, you should write down the rental vehicle’s colour, make, model, and license number on an index card and keep the information in a handy place, such as in the car’s sun visor. If you feel you are being followed, the police dispatcher will need that information.
Avoid developing predictable driving patterns; change your routes as well as your departure and arrival times. Patterns and routines are something criminals will begin to watch, putting you at higher risk when you are travelling.
It is essential you always remain aware of your surroundings when approaching your vehicle after a stop. Walk completely around your car and inspect all locks, windows, doorframes, tail lights, and tires every time you park to determine whether anyone has tampered with the vehicle. Check for fluids underneath it, and be especially observant in parking ramps and lots.
After appointments at retail properties, give the store manager your cell phone number and ask him or her to watch you leave. If the store manager sees a car follow you, he or she should call you at once and notify the police you may be at immediate risk of becoming a victim of an armed robbery. After every sales call, take evasive driving action such as driving slowly, speeding up, making left turns, or driving around the block to determine if you are being followed.
If you happen to get a flat tire or a damaged radiator, or if you become involved in a minor traffic accident (also known as ‘car bumping’), assume you are the target of a crime. While driving to a safe area, such as the secure locations you identified prior to leaving the office, call the police and inform them of your situation.
Rehearse what to say to a police dispatcher in the event you experience one of these car damages or notice a suspicious vehicle following you. You must be concise and specific. For instance, you might say, “I believe that I am about to be the victim of an armed robbery.”
When calling, be concise so you can direct the police to your location as quickly as possible. Know the street or road names, cross streets, and direction you are headed.
