Security Tip Saturday

While I was traveling on Good Shepherd Security Consulting business last weekend, I made it a point to pay extra attention when I went to a public restroom - be it at a rest stop, restaurant, or at the church.  The main thing I was looking for was the placement of the hook that is almost always on the back side of the bathroom stall door.  It's usually less than a foot from the top of the door.  And that is more than enough space for someone to walk by and reach in and grab your purse (if you have it hanging on the hook).  A few weeks ago a dear friend at church told us about how her purse was stolen by someone doing the same thing.  

If your purse has a long shoulder strap, I recommend putting your purse over your head cross-body while you have to use the bathroom.  Sure, it's a bit inconvenient maneuvering around your purse while you do your business, but you won't have to worry about someone reaching over and grabbing it if you have it on the door hook.  If your purse has a handle instead of a shoulder strap of it if doesn't have any handle or strap, take a few seconds and tear off some toilet paper and put it on the floor between your feet or better yet on the floor by the back wall of the stall and set your purse on the toilet paper.  Someone would have be be thin and would have to crawl on the bathroom stall floors in order to grab your purse.  

The rest area I stopped at near Morehead, KY had an awesome idea.  In one of the handicapped-accessible stalls, they put the coat hook on the back of the door but it was lower, so it could be easily reached by someone in a wheelchair.  Unless the purse thief was an NBA basketball player with unusually long arms, your purse would be safe hanging there. I wish more places would take the time to put the hook at this level. 

Stay safe.