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Safety Tips You Won't Want to Forget!

By
Services for Real Estate Pros

securityHere are a few of tips for your safety - one I have wiitten about before but bears repeating, the one about the PIN number is something I have never heard before.  We can all use safety tips like this - share this information with your friends, relatives, clients or anyone you think might benefit from it.

PIN NUMBER REVERSAL

If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine - you can notify police by entering your PIN # in reverse.  Say your PIN # is 1234, then enter 4321 when withdrawing the money.  The ATM recognizes that your PIN # is backwards from the ATM card that you put in the machine.  The machine will still give you the money requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you.  This information was recently broadcast on FOX TV and it states that is is seldom used because people do not know it exists.  Sorry people - i've been contacted by several people and told this is an 'urban legend' according to snopes.com - http://www.snopes.com/business/bank/pinalert.asp  (thank you John Novak, thanks too to my wonderful daughter)

KEEP YOUR CAR KEYS BY YOUR BED

Put your car keys beside your bed at night.  If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get into your house, just press the panic button for your car.  The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound.  Next time you come home and you start to put your keys away think of this, it's a security alarm system you you probably already have and requires no installation.  It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset the button on the key fob.   It works if you park in your driveway or garage.  If you alarm does go off when someone is trying to break into your house the odds are the burglar will not stick around - after a few seconds neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there. 

keysAnother good use for car keys (other than driving!) is when at the store or shopping -  As you are walking in the parking lot (to or from your car) keep your keys in your hand...working each key between a different finger. If someone tries to attack you then you have a weapon literally at hand - just put your hand with the keys in it toward the persons face and start gouging his/her face...(OUCH)...I've done this for years and thankfully have had no need to attack.

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www.MaryW.com  or  www.MaryWarren.com

Delaware Junk Removal Residential And Commercial Hauling Clean Outs
Delaware Junk Removal 302-530-9186 - Wilmington, DE
Whole House Clean Outs, Basements, Garages, Attics
Great tip about the car alarm, I will pass it on thanks!
Mar 04, 2008 03:05 AM
Ron Tarvin
Residential, Investment properties, rehab projects, property management, luxury homes, new construction! - Katy, TX
Broker, Katy, Houston, Cypress 77450,77494,77095

Wow, never knew about the PIN backwards thing....makes sense and it's  a great safety net against burglary!

Mar 04, 2008 03:10 AM
Brian Schulman
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552
Mary, good tip about the car alarm.  Unfortunately, my car doesn't have a panic button on the remote.  I never heard of the backward pin number idea - I'll have to ask my bank about it.
Mar 04, 2008 03:10 AM
Mesa, Arizona Real Estate Mesa Arizona Realtor
Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC - Mesa, AZ
AzLadyInRed

Wow Mary, some very cool tips. I love the idea of a backward pin - nice! And the key idea, excellent!!

Pepper

Mar 04, 2008 05:35 AM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate
Mary, wonderful tips. I hadn't heard the one about the ATM, that is really cool to know. 
Mar 04, 2008 05:43 AM
Maria Couto
RE/MAX Premier - Berkeley Heights, NJ
Realtor with "Results That "MOVE" You'
Fantastic information Id never would have tought about the car alarm. The Pin Reversal is great, I'll pass these tips to my children. Thank you. Really great post.
Mar 04, 2008 10:49 AM
Candy Henthorne
Results Realty - Spring, TX
Spring Texas Real Estate
Mary, This is great information.  I did not know about the pin reversal!  I do keep my car keys by my bed and have actually thought about this, but my car is in the garage and I don't know if anyone would hear it. 
Mar 04, 2008 03:14 PM
Thesa Chambers
West + Main - Bend, OR
Principal Broker - Licensed in Oregon
I had no idea about the pin reversal either - I walk with my keys like you suggest too - great tips
Mar 04, 2008 04:23 PM