Archive for the ‘Traveling with Baby’ Category

Amusement Parks No Place for Complacency

Summer is here and kids both young and young at heart love amusement parks.  One doesn’t need to drive too far to find one of many scattered across the country.

Before you go, keep in mind these three important tips to ensure your personal safety.

1.    Use lockers to store valuables or keep your necessities with you at all times. Today’s amusement parks now have some fantastic water rides.  Nothing says cool off better than a trip up the Lazy River or down the Adventure Falls.  Signage warns, “You will get soaked”.   Most parks now have barrels or shelving where you can place your belongings before boarding the water ride.  Anyone with a backpack, cell phone or wallet certainly would not want to have those items drenched; therefore they set their items in a staging area to ensure they stay dry.  However signage also warns, ‘Not responsible for lost or stolen items’.  The staging location is not manned or monitored.  Anyone could walk over to the shelves and grab any backpack or tote bag that looked interesting.  Unknowing ride passengers have just made their wallet, cell phone, keys and personal information available to a complete stranger.  Next time, opt for a zip lock bag to store your valuables, place them inside a backpack and take everything with you on the water ride.  So what if your tote gets wet; your personal information will remain secure at your side. Read the rest of this entry »

I was at Target this weekend with my teenager.  As I waited near the entrance to the dressing room I witnessed this scene:

Mother walked up to the fitting room with two children – a little girl approximately three years old and a boy who was no more four or five. The mom and little girl went in to try on bathing suits.  They had at least six different suits in hand (this is relevant as it shows they were going to be in there a while).  The mom parked the little boy well out of reach and out of view of the dressing rooms and instructed him to stay in the cart and wait there.  Away mom and sister went – out of sight, out of ear shot and out of reach.  The little boy was left totally unattended.

I understand that mom may have wanted her son to stay in the cart to keep him out of trouble; yet he was a sitting duck. The store was very busy and there were a lot of people coming and going.  It would have been so easy for anyone to grab the cart and sweep the little boy away without anyone noticing. Read the rest of this entry »

Many states have laws or are trying to pass legislation that makes it illegal to talk on the phone while driving.  Why? Because talking while driving is a huge distraction.  Accident statistics will back that up.

Yet consider how many people talk (or text) while walking.  Would not the same distractions apply?

Far too many people have a false sense of security when they talk on the phone while walking across campus, parking lots or strolling for exercise.  How can you possibly have keen domain awareness if you’re yapping on the phone?  You can’t.  You may feel safer with someone on the other end of the phone but you’re actually putting yourself in more danger.

There is a win/win solution –

Get your friend or loved one on the phone and provide details as to your whereabouts.  But then rather than continue talking, merely keep the line open, phone in hand at your side and walk to your destination.  This provides a much safer opportunity for you to be aware of your surroundings and notice any lurking threats.  Should you need any assistance, you already have a direct connection to someone who can get emergency personnel to you.

Now that you know the potential dangers, are you willing to try this method of walking and not talking next time you find yourself traveling by foot?

Awareness without action is worthless. – Phil McGraw