With the holiday shopping season in full swing, more and more folks have started hitting the stores on the weekends and after work to pick up all the must-buys on their lists. But while you may find yourself stuck in the toy aisle at Walmart trying to figure out which WWE action figure your nephew wants, a low-life thieving purse snatcher could be sizing up your purse like a hawk eying a plump mouse. They can just sneak right up while you’re distracted and walk off with your wallet, keys, and the rest of your Christmas spirit before you know it.
To help combat this insidious holiday problem, one New Hampshire police department is advising shoppers to use a simple trick to keep their belonging safe. “When using a shopping cart as you browse through the store, keep your purse zipped or closed and secure it to the cart by clipping the child safety belt through the strap(s),” Windham Police explained in a Facebook post, “This will help in preventing someone from taking advantage of your distraction and running off with the purse.”
The department also explained how one could use a reasonably inexpensive carabiner clip to help keep their purse secure while shopping. “For those carts that don’t have the child strap, keep an inexpensive carabiner clip attached to your purse strap. Simply clip the carabiner to the cart, and your purse is more secure.” All you have to do is clip your purse to the cart, and now all of your money and belongings are better secured.
While many folks on Facebook found these tips to be super helpful, there were still those who expressed doubts over their effectiveness. “I work at Walmart, and I’ve seen a lot of things, and strapping your purse is not going to help,” one user wrote. As they went on to say, “I’ve seen people do this, and they look away, and the theft has pulled the whole buggy to the other side and stole what was inside or the whole purse.” Another poster agreed: “If I was a crafty burglar, I’d just unzip your purse and take out the cards, keys, gum, etc.”
However, another poster made an excellent observation. She noted that the “bag latch is hard to unlatch. Most thieves are opportunists. They will take the easiest item, unsecured, grab, and run.”
While straps and carabiner clips are not completely theft-proof, securing your purse will likely deter thieves looking for easy targets. After all, most thieves want the most accessible score, not one where they risk notice or confrontation in a busy store full of security and police.
And a few other users offered holiday shopping security tips that can help keep your belonging safe. One person said they kept their purse at the bottom of their cart, covering with items as they shopped. Another said they keep cards and money in a smaller wallet which they carry around on their person — no purse necessary.Whichever method you choose to use, make sure you remain vigilant this holiday season.
Source: Crafty Diply