Avoid Being a Parking Lot Target

Criminals that are looking for a high-value target love parking lots because there is usually sparce security, structural blind spots, not a ton of foot traffic, poor lighting, people are distracted and every car can provide the perfect hidey hole to sit in and wait for a vulnerable target. All they must do is pick a spot where they are not easily seen, crouch and be ready to pounce. 

They also love parking garage stairs and elevators. These are uncontrolled transitional spaces that benefit a bad guy. Criminals can be arms’ lengths from you, and you don’t know it until it’s too late. These close quarters cut you off from others, can remove the option for you to run, your screams can’t be heard and the short distances between you and the bad guy can limit your response time. 

Below are a handful of things that a criminal focuses on when choosing a parking lot to commit crimes. 

• Stealing a car
• Breaking into a car and stealing what’s inside the vehicle
• Carjacking your car immediately after you park, when you are getting out … or targeting you while you are getting back into your vehicle
• Targeting you for robbery, with or without physical assault
• Sexual assault – every 68 seconds another person is sexually assaulted in the United States. 
• “Hit and runs” often involve parked cars and most of these are in parking lots

How to Avoid Being a Parking Lot Target

Now that we know what can happen, let’s focus on how to avoid being one of these stats. It is easier than you think.

• Park in well-lit parking lots
• Park near the entrance
• Park on “main” levels to avoid elevators and stairs. You could also consider getting some exercise and only using the parking lot ramps to get you to your destination. 
• Walk in the middle of the aisle/ramp as opposed to hugging the right or left side on the aisle. 
• Have your pepper spray IN YOUR HAND
• Stay off your phone
• No music. Remove ear-pods
• Are you with kids or another person that may need your attention? Have a talk with them about expected behavior and the end goal. Consider bringing another adult with you if you know you will have many distractions while in public. Two heads are better than one. 
• Be aware of what is in front of you, beside you and behind you. You can do this by just scanning the area and really look with a purpose. 
• Walk with determination. Head up and confident. 
• Making eye contact for 3 seconds with another person in the parking lot is acceptable. If you move from a casual glance to a 5-to-10-second stare, that could invite the bad dude to challenge you. 
• Be aware of cars cruising. Cruising around is not normal behavior in a parking lot. If you see that same car more than once, avoid! 
• When walking around a car, pillar, corner, etc., walk WIDER to avoid the close distance with an object that could be hiding a bad dude. The same rule applies to another person. Give them space. 

True story: Recently, I was visiting a family member at the hospital. I entered when it was daylight and left when it was dark. I followed all the suggestions above (that applied) and was appalled at what I saw on my 75-yard walk to my car. I passed no less than 10 people coming and going and not one person was aware of anyone or anything. They were on their phones or had earbuds in. They were distracted, had their hands and arms packed with items and never looked around. I actually saw one person get out of their car and stand there for several minutes with their door open while gabbing on the phone. I told my husband that I have never felt so safe in a parking lot before because I was deselected just by looking around. All the other people were vulnerable targets. It was truly a criminal’s playground. 

I am not asking you to live in fear or never get in an elevator, I am asking you to be proactive and think ahead. I have said this before and I will say it again, you do not choose when and where an assault will happen, the bad dude does. Let’s ruin his day and not the other way around. 

Learn more about personal defense from The Complete Combatant.

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  About Shelley Hill

  Shelley Hill wears a "bunch of hats." Her husband, Brian, named her the “Indispensable Organization Wizard” about 25 years ago and that has become her official title. Shelley is the CEO and instructor at The Complete Combatant. She is an HK Brand Ambassador, publishes regular articles in Women’s Outdoor News and Shooting Illustrated, teaches online classes, is an Active Self Protection Certified Instructor,  an Instructor Graduate of Modern Samurai Project's Red Dot Instructor program,  NRA Certified Instructor, Certified NRA Chief Range Safety Officer, Refuse to be a Victim Instructor and is a Certified OC (Pepper Spray) Instructor through Chuck Haggard's Agile Training & Consulting. She is the designer and mastermind behind Image Based Decisional Drills, Smart Choices , LockedIn Grip, The Complete Combatant's annual The Mingle for professional ladies in the "firearms/self defense" industry and The Quest for red dot shooters. She is also the President of a non-profit organization called Blue Line Ponies. This 501c3 focuses on providing a retirement range for our career service horses. Shelley is also a presenter at several national conferences is a public speaker and she actually loves people. View all posts by Shelley Hill →