What works?

Now that I've complained enough about what doesn't work for a gated community, what works?

Believe it or not, the answer can be found in the book "Freakonomics". They've found crime rate is highly correlated to abortion. I do not advocate abortion, but it does reach a conclusion - good family values reduces crime rate. If there is more loving care, parents are more ready for kids, the kids will grow up better. So, what can we do? My suggestion is do more charity work. It could be the orphanages, or work with problematic (as in discipline) kids. As usual, some kindness will go a long way. Speaking of kindness, I use to randomly pay toll (before I used SmartTag and way before toll rates were increased) for the car behind me. You sure get a lot of puzzled looks, but it is fun.

Another sure way, proven, of lowering crime is police numbers. The more police, the better. Crime prevention, crime deterrent and spend a lot of time solving criminal cases. If the criminals know they have a hard time getting away, they will really think twice. And putting them quickly behind bars will also help. Again, this is explained in Freakonomics.

The other policy is "Zero Broken Windows". The story is from urban areas, like cities. Windows are usually broken due to vandalism. That's how crime start. Today, someone breaks a window. Then, the notice that no one repairs the windows and certainly no one cares to catch them. So, they move on to more serious crime. As a community, we have to start with ourselves - make darn sure we do not flout the law, like parking illegally. If cars are parked illegal in our own housing area, what message does this give the others?

On the same note, even if it is a small crime, like a broken window, we must report it to the police. We must show that we care. And yes, we have to help the police solve the case. Those responsible for minor offences must be given the message "the law will get you". In here, it can be something small like a bunch of teenagers letting of fireworks in the field. It happened. And yes, I did call the police. The kids won't be jailed. They will just be warned. But that's the idea... if you do something silly, someone cares and the police will know.

So, if you really want to reduce crime rate, make sure you lobby for better police presence and please report all crime. If a police station is giving you trouble in Malaysia, the solution is very easy. Just send a fax to Bukit Aman - the headquarters. Bukit Aman is very serious, but they need information from the public. You will find that the police station in question will have new officers very soon.

Verification

Gosh. I am hopelessly sleepy now, despite the fact that it is 9am. Awaiting to go to the post office to try to invest more in Amanah Saham Wawasan 2020. A good deal, but darn hard to get.

Anyway, on the subject of a gated community, let's assume all is well, no protest. There is still one key element - a critical success factor. Verification. It has happened to me countless times. Each time I try to enter a condo, I will just mumble some names to the guards, and a unit number. Mr. Wong, Block C, will do. I mean, Mr. Wong is just as common as Mike or Dave in London. Because there is no way to verify the truth, the guards will just let me in.

The best I've done so far - I told the guards I would be picking up my friend, female naturally, from Unit B-17-5. Honestly, I didn't remember her unit number. I was unable to contact my friend to verify her unit number. Couldn't remember if it was floor 7 or 17. But B-17-5 worked. The guards allowed me in. When I met my friend much later, it was discovered that she was on the 7th floor. The part that boggles my mind - 17th floor does not exist. The highest floor is only 12th. Speaks volumes on the security provided.

So, if someone must set-up a gated community, please, for crying out loud - have a verification system. There must be a way to verify with the occupants if they are expecting visitors. This is indeed very difficult. There are privacy issues - I might not want my 18 year old friend-with-benefit being asked to many questions. On the same note, it is equally difficult to contact residents, and expensive too!

In short, gated communities have little chance to be extremely effective. It is a just a very poor attempt at security. Most of it are nothing more than a dog and pony show. Some will argue - but with guards taking down details, it must work. Yeah right. Think about it. Can the guards tell the difference between a genuine and fake or tempered ID? I am an expert on subject matter and I have difficulties. What makes us think the vehicle registration plates will be genuine? Or could it be a stolen vehicle? Yet again, there is no way to verify.

The mind boggles at the conventional logic, or lack of, people apply. All in all, IMHO, gated communities are nothing but a bloody nuisance - both to the residents and the criminals.

More Apek stories

The other day, I was out for lunch with a bunch of colleagues. As a Mr. Y puts it, if they start speaking in Chinese, you know you are in shit trouble. The conversation was about the new law in Malaysia, requiring back-seat passengers to buckle up. It started when they asked me why I buckled up. Before I could answer, some wild ideas where thrown about.

Fact of the matter is, this is a good habit I picked up from Australia when I was there for four years. But my colleagues started to concur that the new law is just a way for the police to collect more bribes, and started to debate would the passenger or the driver be fined should a violation occur. I went, what the eff. They appear to be hell a lot more worried about the RM 50 bribe when it is their body (supposedly priceless) flying about in the car or hurting the passengers in front.

This is the biggest problem I've noticed about the 'Malaysian' (more like Asian) mentality. People do things for all the wrong reasons. The buckle up because of the police. What the eff. Honestly, the police is more worried about having to deal with the mess of having to pick up someone's brains in a traffic accident. Then again, some of them won't have much brains to start off with.

Alarms

Home alarm systems are key to preventing crime. They will be the first system to alert you if anything goes wrong. However, it is only good if it is turned on. So, if you have one, please turn it on. It doesn't cost extra. Turn it on when you are out of the house, when you go to bed or when you have no intention of going out of the house for the next couple of hours - e.g. when you are having a romantic time in bed with your gf.

To select an alarm system is difficult. Chubb Malaysia used to provide some good ones, but rumors have it that they are no longer that good. The house alarm industry is a cowboy industry. Prices are cut, quality takes a dip. Bad systems are useless. They will have so many false alarm - crying wolf all the time, you just give it up. Criminals know that too!

Some critical success factors for home alarm systems:

1. When it comes to wiring, make darn sure the wire between the panel to the sensor is one piece. Never allow the contractor to join wires. Imagine, after plastering the wires inside the walls, the joining breaks. You will have a hell time finding the fault and fixing it. Wiring is the most critical. If the panel is bad, change it - it is easy. If the sensors are bad, have them replaced. But you don't want to re-do the whole damn wiring.
   
   
2. Ensure each cable is properly labelled. Else, no one knows what goes where after a year.
   
   
3. Better still, have the wiring inside a plastic conduit, or pipe. This is very expensive, but can be worth it.
   
   
4. There are motion detectors, or infra red sensors. Use them only for the roof / ceiling. For fuck-sake, please do not put it in the kitchen or living room. It will trigger tonnes of false alarm. You may also wish to turn on the alarm when you are cooking. No harm!
   
   
5. Most suppliers no longer provide good vibration sensors because they are very expensive. Look for one that does. Vibration sensors are good to protect windows, especially when the sensors are installed on grills. Any knocking or drilling will set them off. This way, you can leave the windows open for fresh air - but please shut them if no one is at home.
   
   
6. Ensure that the magnetic switches installed on doors are good. How to tell a good sensor? Quality ones will usually have CE, FCC or even UL approval. CE is a standard mainly for safety and emission of RF noise in Europe. FCC would be emission of RF noise for USA. UL would be the safety standard for USA. You get the idea. A sensor without any compliance to standards cannot be good!
   
   
7. Check if the main panel itself has any certification / compliance to standards.
   
   
8. System should have one internal and one external siren; and one external strobe light. For the sirens, have a switch - inside the panel. If you are at home, at night, you may not wish to have the internal siren on (but leave the external siren on) and scare the daylights out of you if it goes off. Similarly, if you are away for a long period of time - say a week, turn the external siren off but leave the internal siren on. Don't bugger your neighbour's Chinese New Year, for example.
   
   
9. Ensure that the system has two panic buttons. Press it, alarm should go off. One in the master bedroom, the other in the kitchen is usually good. Same goes for the keypad - there should be two. Panic button can be and should be located away from the keypads. Keypads themselves should have a panic button. The panic button should have a key - that is, once activated, you need a key to deactivate it.
   
   
10. Alarms usually have CMS feature - that is, it calls a Central Monitoring System if something happens. If you do not subscribe to CMS (since most of them is bullshit anyway), have the panel programmed to call you handphone instead. So, if there is no one home and your house calls you, at least you have a clue what has happened. You can then alert your local guards. That's what the guards are for, not for doing sentry duty and looking at cars driving in and out.
    
    
11. When the system is designed, think like a criminal. Where would you break in? How? Then, secure those areas with sensors.

Another very important note. If your alarms, car or house, keeps going off without rhyme or reason - be on the alert. You could be already targetted. Criminals are known to trigger the alarm off - e.g., kick your car to cause it to vibrate - some cars can sense vibration. They keep doing it until you are fed-up and turn off the alarm. Never ever turn off the alarm!

Let me know if you have any other suggestions. I am rather sure I have missed out one or two critical items.

Lights

Oh boy. Spending the whole night blogging isn't doing much good to my beauty sleep. Hope I am not to tired when I meet H later. That would be a waste.

Visibility is a key factor in crime prevention. It's a fact that turning on lights at night prevents crime. It is cheap, yet very effective.

But, there's something you must remember - do not give the criminals any information. For example, if you only turn on the lights when no one is at home, that's a dead give away. So, do turn on the same lights even if you are at home. Worried about the waste of energy? Install and use a energy saving light bulb. They use less than 10W of power. In Malaysia, if it is 10W, it will be turning it for 100 hours before it will cost RM 0.30 (USD 0.08). It's a bargain.

When you leave the house, remember to deliberately leave one room light on, or the kitchen lights on. Give the impression that there is someone inside the house.

Hope it helps. And if you must know, yes, I do it.

Show of Force

OK. Back to the problem of Jeff. Besides providing proper toilets, what else is a more effective use of guards? The first is, carry out a show of force. This was successfully carried out by British soldiers in Somalia. Every morning, they would put a good show - marching, fire some shots and fire some big guns into the sea. Make hell a lot of noise. And it was effective. Prison guards do that. FRU (Federal Reserve Unit - the Malaysian anti-riot police) do that. They do? Yes - they march by stomping their boots. Beat their shields with their batons. Shout when they march.

So, if you have guards, do the same. Make them march. Do a roll call every morning. Get the police to show up occasionally during such 'parades'. Frankly, it is just a physiological thingy. I am not advocating for an armed force of private guards.

Residents can do their own show of force. In UK, they have the Orange Hat Patrol - the Malaysian Rukun Tetangga (RT). RT works well. A group of residents, on schedule, would petrol the place. This shows unity. Think about it - I am sure we all know. When driving through a kampung, the pre- PLUS highway days, always go slow. If you happen to accidentally run-over a chicken, do not stop. Why? Because we all 'fear' that the united kampung folks will beat us up.

In reality, the same 'fear' can be used against criminals. The community needs to be united. That's the key. Show them that we are united. That's why you never hear of crimes in kampungs. True - criminals caught will be bashed up. I do not advocate vigilantism. But facts are facts. So, we need to do it in urban areas - that is be united, not bashing up people.

Start a RT - and patrol in bright orange hats. Why the orange hats? It is some kind of uniform and yes, it is highly visible. You want to be seen at night, for safety.

Another method - imagine the scene if at night, everyone turns on the light - odd numbered houses with their front lights on, even numbered houses lighting up the backlanes. That would be a sight to behold. Residence uniting and that's a good show of force. The message will be - try and you will be sorry. Right now, the one or two guards does patrol in this area, but since most areas are pitch black, I am unsure if the guards are equiped with night vision for the task. Oops - another idea for Jeff to spend more money.

Another very simple show of force - how do we interact as neighbours. If everyone knows everyone, greets each other, talks to each other - that means we are united. It sends the same message. Trust me, the criminals would be watching.

Isn't this better than a few oil drums and residences are seen fighting with each other? Show of force, either by guards or residences, are perfectly legal (blockin up public roads are not) and guess what - "Hello. How do you do?" is free. Time to love thy neighbour - no, no, not in the 'hamsap' sense.

Under Attack!

The worst that can happen is someone breaking in when you or your family is at home. This is especially so when they are foreigners / illegal immigrants. Or some violent psycho.

But should that happen, and if you deem it safe - the first thing you do is to sound the home alarm system, if you have one. Also, press the panic button for your car alarm. Let your cars make as much noise as possible. Turn on all the lights. Call the police. Call your neighbours. Shout for help. Lock yourself in a room - it helps if your room has a solid door.

I sure hope it never comes to this. The house has many weapons. Putting toilet cleaner and splashing it on someone can lead to blindness. Your usual aerosol spray - such as the trusted Shieldtox - is a good flame thrower. Light up the spray with a lighter (careful! It can burn you.) and it will throw out flames. Will it explode? No. The flames will not go back into the can and cause it to explode. There is little to no oxygen inside the can - thus, it cannot burn and explode. Don't overheat the can though - that will cause it to explode! And please note - it only works on the NON water based type. If it is water-based, it won't burn. Please note.

Something to note - even if you lock yourself in your room, there is a chance they will force you out by setting the place on fire, for example. The whole idea is, buy yourself enough time for help to arrive. So, if you so wish to, call the fire department as well.

Some of these are dangerous but everything goes when the situation is 'in extremis'.

Another safety note, not related to security - never ever mix bleach (such as Clorox) with other cleaning agent (such as detergent). The reaction can be violent and it releases a lot of clorin gas - which is toxic. A joker of my friend made that mistake when he was cleaning the loo. Bugger. Not to worry, he lived to tell the tale.

Ring Ring

After knock knock, it is only natural to think about ring ring.

The policy here is the same. To commit a crime, information is important. So, limit the amount of information you give the criminals.

For the same reason as turning off the bell when no one is at home, you should be very prudent with who gets your house phone number. If they cannot ring the bell, they will call you. That's actually better - they won't have to bother showing up to ring the bell.

How often do we give out the house phone number when we buy a new air-cond? Or when buying a new plasma TV? Or like some idiots in this area, publish their home phone numbers on the community blog, together with their photo and address? Sometimes, we do it without even thinking about it.

So, as much as possible, do NOT give out your home phone number to strangers. Use your cell phone / mobile number instead. It is hard to figure out where you are when you answer your mobile - unless the background noise is like the fish market. But that will at least give the criminals a run for their money.

If you are really careful, get either call forwarding or an answering machine. That way, even for those with your number cannot get much info out of you. Just forward calls to your mobile phone. Or have a machine, with a sexy welcoming message, answer it!

Knock Knock...anyone home?

So, enough bitching about dummy Jeff. How do we make our place safer?

And knock knock won't be a dirty joke like:
Knock knock.
Hang on dear... I am cumming.

Hehehe. Ok, I could not resist that.

When there is no one at home, please turn off the bell. It is fairly usual SOP (standard operating procedure, some call it MO - modus operandi) for the criminals to send someone round to check if anyone is home. The criminals usually call up a fast-food delivery service and sends a fake order to your house. If they observe no one answers the bell, that would usually mean the coast is clear. Some would just ring the bell before they break-in. So, turn the bell off when no one is at home. The downside is, remember to turn it back on! Else, your visitors or the postman might be pissed.

How to turn it off? Check the fuse box - there is usually one fuse for the bell. Try the fuses till you get one that turns the bell off. It will usually be a low-amperage fuse - e.g., fuse of about 5A. The fuse should be only for the bell. If you find it, and turn it off, make sure it doesn't affect any other appliances - such as the fridge. You don't want a warm fridge when you get home. If you cannot find the fuse, just get a wire-man and add an additional fuse to the bell. Easy! Cost some money, but hey - it does work.

So, if you start receiving pizzas that you didn't order - be on the alert. You are already targeted. Inform the police. Tell your neighbors.

Car Jack

This is not an article about stealing cars. However, I sure as hell hope it doesn't educate would be thieves to break-into houses.

Most houses in Malaysia have metal grills on the windows, to make break-ins just a little more difficult. But really, grills are very easy to break. Some grills are well designed, sort of a door-like design, enabling the grills to be unlocked in the event of an emergency.

In any case, should there be a need to break a grill fast, use a car jack. That's the stuff you use to raise your car to change the tires. Car jacks can lift up to 200kg plus, easily. So, it can exert a very large force. It is very simple. Put the jack in between the two bars / grills. Then, start 'lifting'. Usually, this will cause the bars to break, if not it will open a large hole.

Car jacks could also be used to free someone trapped, e.g., leg pinned by a block of concrete. The word of caution is, the car jack is a good make-shift tool, great for emergencies lacking the proper tools. It will not be the best tool, and naturally, there is risk involved in using make-shift methods. Please get the experts such as the fire department to help first!

How to use your Autogate

I am aghast to see how some people use their autogates, i.e. - gates with remote control. Scary stuff that I've seen include: Gates wide open while some occupants are still getting into the car. Another scenario : car stops to open gate, kid jumps out of the car, gate opens, car drives in, mum gets out of car, yells at kid to get it, kid gets into the house compound, gate closes.

In the two scenarios above, there is ample time and opportunity for kidnap or robbery to happen. Why the eff let your kid jump out before the gates open? Someone could have made a grab for the kid. Why open the gates before you get into the car? Sounds silly too. But trust me, I see it every day when I drive to work.

I am unsure if mine SOP for autogate is the best, but here's something that sounds logical enough. To leave the house, I do the following:

1. Get into car.


2. Lock doors.


3. Start car.


4. Open autogate, drive out.


5. Ensure gate is closed properly before driving away.
   

When returning home, it is pretty much the opposite.

1. Drive in


2. Close gate


3. Turn of engine - ONLY after the gates have locked / closed.


4. Unlock car doors, and get out of car.
   

If, just if, anyone decides to rush in while the gates are opening, I will not hesitate to run him or her over. That's why I have my car ready to go when the gate is open. If someone rushes in, another good idea is to sound the horn. Make as much noise as possible. If so required, run him or her over. If their vehicle is in the way, too bad... reverse into it. Reverse gears have great gear ratio to push away obstacles.

You know, every so often, innocent people get run over in the driveway. Accidents do happen. Hint hint. Self defense is the great reason, especially if the guy or gal is wielding a baseball bat or a parang knife.

Drive safe. Learn how to use your autogate properly. If anyone has a better SOP, feel free to suggest. Hope this post can help make you just that little safer.

Cooking...

OK, the title is deceiving, but here's a little (ok ok... maybe more than one) advice.

If you have a gas cylinder / gas tank in the kitchen, for cooking use, my suggestion is chain it. Lock it. Make sure it cannot leave your kitchen easily. I hear you ask... what the eff for. Good question.

For burglars, it is now SOP (standard operating procedure) to break-in with minimum tools. They could be cost cutting too. Usually, one bugger will break-in via a window, toilet windows are good candidates. Once inside, he will make his way to the kitchen, if so required. Yup, if he has to breakdown a door, he will use the gas cylinder as a battering ram. It is ideal. It is heavy, but one man can handle it. It is very tough and yeah, every house (more or less) has at least one.

What doors might he breakdown? Well, at night, you pretty daughter could be asleep alone in her room, with the wooden, usually ply-wood door locked. At 3am, or so, someone breaks in, do you want them to see your daughter / wife (or maybe even a guy - they could be gay)? Your room door, in short, would be the last defence. So, don't provide the burlars with a free battering ram. Lock up your gas cylinders. Chain them. Secure the chain to an anchor / bolted down to the wall. Or chain up a few cylinders together. You should get the point now.

Yeah, if you can afford it, change the bloody ply-wood room doors to solid doors. As I've said, that's the last defence. Solid doors are better barrier against fire too. Think about it. Instead of paying some Bangla guards for half-baked gated community, we must take the initiative first.

PS: I sure hope this article doesn't educate some to-be thieves. But remember, it is a double edged sword. If you need to break down a door, for legit reasons - you know where to get a ram. Say, if your neighbour's house is on fire and you need to rescue his pet dog, use the gas cylinder to break the door, but don't leave the cylinder near the fire! You are duly warned!

Sitting Duck

One problem with amateurs like Jeff trying to come up with security policy is, they really have no clue what they are doing. In this aspect, Jeff is not alone. As they say, there are no shortage of idiots. What amazes me is, idiots refuse to listen to people with more experience. Trust me, I have try to do my part by posting on the community blog, but Jeff just censors them.

It is very common for cars to have "stickers" put on their windscreen. Stickers could be from their work place, some place for parking (such as season parking), their homes, their condominium or even some clubs, like golf clubs. The "stickers" are meant for the guards to allow these car some privileges, such as to enter a gated community.

That is all fine and well for the simple minded, but think about this for one moment. Just a moment. Do you want to tell everyone where you live? Hmmm. I am sure most of us would put up the sticker without even thinking twice. Nible2 has one, but I only put it up when I drive to work. Hell, I remove it when I wanna go to a club for a wild time.

Aha. Alarm bells ringing already? Good. It should be. If you go to a club, do a one night stand, do you really want the gal to know where you stay (more or less) or exactly where you work? Or what if you buy a huge plasma TV and Mid Valley and you load it in your car. Do you want to know tell everyone where this rich chap is staying? I do not think so. Or what if, you know government secrets? Or important trade secrets? Do you want to tell people you know it? Someone might plan to kidnap you or your family members. You know, as they say, some secrets are worth dying for... of course, the kidnappers don't plan to die. Just just plan to kill someone else until they get it. Even after they get it, they might kill someone to get rid of evidence.

What if you are a pretty gal, shopping in 1Utama. Some sickos decide to kidnap you or have his twisted ways with you? All of a sudden, just by looking at your car, they know where you stay, more or less. Or what if the mean guy in a SUV didn't like the way you changed lane along Federal Highway? You wanna let him know where you spend your time?

In short, there are many reasons and even more motive for someone to want to find out where you stay and work. So, why the eff advertise it on your car? Cannot narrow down to where you stay? Bullshit. Gated communities have very few entrance / exits, simple to reduce the cost of guarding them. This forces everyone to be routine. Routine - or being predictable - means you fall prey. All predator has to do is, wait for you right outside you guarded gates... and see where you call home.

Bet you never even thought what those car stickers can do. They can do you in big time. One can easily be a target for rapist, kidnap, espionage, or makes a hitman's life hell a lot easier. But what a layman overnight turned expert like Jeff know? Bet you he has never done any covert operations before.

The alternative...? Oh yes, if it must be gated, give the residence a RFID, long range, card. Card must not have any printing / identification marks. And to the very careful (some say paranoid), when not in use, this card should be kept in a shielded (metal, aluminium foil), envolope to prevent skimming. But that's another ball game... and trust me... I know the subject only too well!

So, if you have stickers advertising on where one can find you, think about it. Do remove it when you do not need it... Better be damn safe in this insane world.

First Aid

With the lots of travel, I have heaps in my first aid 'kit'. It can be considered a minor pharmacy by now. Here are some of the items that I have, but first, a word of caution.

I am no medical expert and this information is only good for first aid. It is no substitute for proper and professional medical advice / care. It is useful for temporary pain relieve but seek medical help as soon as possible. Listed drugs are based on advice given to me, but you should talk to your medical practitioner on what drugs are suitable for you. All drugs have side effects and may be unsuitable for certain individuals.

What's in my first aid kit:

• Panadol, soluble
• Panadol for period pain (H use to take it)
• Condoms
• Carbon pills (do not find them useful)
• Buscopan ('pain killers' for stomach)
• Duspatalin (lets stomach and digestive system to relax)
• Imodium (to stop diarhea)
• Gascol / Disflatyl ( to get rid of gas from digestive system )
• Alcohol Swabs (good to clean public toilets before using them)
• Super glue (who knows - usually for my shoe)
• Digital Thermometer
• Maxalon (to stop vomiting)
• Clarinase, Clarityne, Sudafed, Actifed (cold medication - warning, some of them cause drowsiness).
• Band aid
• Solimat (cough mixture)
• Broad spectrum antibiotics (in extreme emergency)

The worst case of illness I had, when travelling was:

Food poisoning in Boston. It happened about 18 hours before I boarded my flight back to KL. I spent most of the time in the toilets of Boston Airport. Imodium did not appear to help much. Thankfully, it stopped when I boarded the plane. Did not want to imagine spending 7 hours trans Atlantic in a small toilet. What would happen should there be turbulence? Not funny.

I also got food poisoning in Bangkok, Thailand (which stupidly, I took raw oysters) and Singapore. Yup, supposedly clean Singapore, after lunch at a food court, knocked me out of action for two days. Getting food poisoning in Bangkok was serious too. I was running out of medication, and all the food was spicy. Suffered for about three days. I am careful with my food when I travel, but as they say, shit happens (no pun intended).

In India, strangely, I never had food poisoning. I am very grateful for this. The worst in India was cold. I picked it up just before leaving for Mumbai. My nose was running for the whole day. Imagine blowing your nose ( constantly leaving for the wash room ) while doing a due diligence on another company. Ended up taking a day off in the hotel. Recovered much later when I was back in KL.

Many times, I have used my first aid kit to 'rescue' fellow colleagues. They would be happy to have some medication and sometimes, almost immediate relief. As I would always tell them, I have everything except birth control pills. Actually, that's no longer true. Lately, I have been carrying Prostinor around. You know why...

More Safety Tips

I receive this from a forwarded email, so, I have no idea who the originator is but it does make sense.

1. The elbow is the strongest point on your body.If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you....chances are that he is more interested in your Wallet and / or purse than you and he will go for the wallet or purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their car after shopping,eating,working - and just sit (doing their check book, or making a list, etc.) DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go.

AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.

5. A Few Notes About Getting Into Your Car In a Parking Lot,or parking Garage. Be aware: look around you; look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. And check out under the car as you approach.

B. If you're parked next to a big van you should enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

C. Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car,you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ, RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking,well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women? He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door. 'He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby cry recorder and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they heard baby cries outside their doors!

Safety Trips when Travelling

I have been very fortunate to be able to study in Australia and during my stay there, I did pick up a lot of streetwise tips. Till this day, I still treassure the experience and the knowledge. In Australia, the government gives out a lot of safety tips. Sadly, they are not so readily available in Malaysia. Here's something I would like to share with all. I am sure it is not a complete list, but at least the ones I've experienced. If you have good tips, please drop me a line or a comment. I shall include it with acknowledgements!

Most cities are very safe during the day, but things can be very different at night. So, do take care and travel safe.

• Travel by train is common. Usually, it is very safe. But it can be dangerous at night. So, when travelling at night, please use the carriage / coach closest to the driver. That's the safest.
• Always note the last train. Don't miss it - unexpectedly at least.
• Train stations usually attract a lot homeless, drunks and drug addicts at night. If possible, don't hang around train stations after 'dark', or when it is quiet. Homeless are harmless. Drunks usually want some money for drinks or at worse, puke. Drug addicts can resort to robbing you. The worse kind is when they threaten someone with a used syringe, which can be HIV tainted.
• If you enter a toilet and you notice blue lights - that means the area is a haunt for drug addicts. Ironically, blue light toilets are relatively safe. Why? For drug addicts to inject drugs, they need to find their veins. Veins are green. Under blue light, green veins do not show up. So, authorities deliberately puts blue light in toilets to prevent addicts from 'shooting up'. This means, the area has drug addicts. Now, the toilets are safe because there won't be any used syringes. But what's outside, druggies waiting to rob someone, is another story. So, know what the blue light means. It does not mean that the town council supports funky toilets!
• When using toilets, be on the look out for used syringes. Accidental contact will cause more mental sufferings than anything else!
• Chinatowns are great during the day. But when it is dark, it is usually not a good place to be. I don't know why. Chinatowns usually have the most drug deals, illegal prostitution, counterfeit goods - you name it, you get it. I have been offered 'ice' in Chinatown Montreal during the day. So, avoid Chinatowns if you can. And if you must know, I am not racist - I am of Chinese decent! This just happens to be a fact. I've been to enough in Vancouver, Montreal, Melbourne, Sydney and of course, KL. At night, it is not a good place to be. If a drug deal goes wrong they might just shoot each other with you in between! Oh yeah, it does not mean that all places with Chinese is unsafe. I have noted - it is just the place that they label Chinatown is bad. Take KL - most of KL is OK but when it comes to Petaling Street - just be careful. What's near (back streets of) Petaling Street can even be worse! Other areas are perfectly fine. No idea why. Just an observation. Another observation - it's not just the Chinese in chinatown that's giving chinatown a bad name. Chinatown, to me, is like the UN's local office for criminals.
• Always keep money in different places - wallet and bag. Don't put all your eggs in one wallet.
• If you must hide money in your shoe, please ensure that it will not end up as very expensive paper mache.
• Try to use a credit card (with chip) at all times. If your card is stolen, you just have to report it. It will then be Visa's or MasterCard's problem. No worries.
• If your credit card is stolen, report it immediately!
• There are places that cards are cloned. Malaysia use to be infamous for it. Therefore, try to get your credit card provider to issue a credit card with a smart card (it has a chip). The chip makes it very difficult to clone. All cards issued in Malaysia has a chip now. No prizes if you can figure out why.
• When you use your card, use it wisely. Don't let it get out of sight.
• Inform your credit card centre BEFORE you travel. You don't want them to bar your card when you are about to impress a pretty Austrian gal with an expensive dinner. No smart. It has happened to many of my colleagues - spending too much money on international calls just to ask the banks in KL to approve their transactions.
• Carry minimum amount of cash. But have spare for emergencies! For Malaysians, Mayban ATM cards actually work overseas. Just enable the overseas use in any ATM in Malaysia. They also offer very good rates, but there is a fee of RM 12 per transaction. It's good if you take out an equivalent of RM 1500 per transaction - works out cheaper than money exchange. I've used it in Bangkok, USA, Canada, Germany and France. It all works! Remember - they cannot steal what you do not have.
• Keep spare change and a small amount of money in a separate pocket. Don't take out your entire wallet to pay for a EUR 5 beer. Don't advertise how much you have.
• Please, do NOT advertise that you are a tourist. Try not to take a photograph of everything. Do take photos, at tourist places - like in Petronas Towers in KL. But please do not take photographs of a train approaching in a subway. Everyone will know you are a tourist. You might as well have a sign that says "rob me".
• Also, don't open up your map and read it in full view of others. Don't tell everyone you do not know your way! Read it in a shop. Or fold it into a smaller piece. Or make a summary of directions- where to turn left, etc. Be discreet.
• Know the emergency phone number. Every country is different. It's 911 is USA, 999 in Malaysia, 000 in Australia. For mobile phones, it is a universal 112. Remember it.
• Note the consulate's / embassy's phone number in the country. Maxis usually sends the number when you start 'roaming'. Keep it!
• Keep a copy of your passport / travel documents / ID with you. If you loose your passport, at least you have a copy of it. Imagine if you end up in your own embassy, and when they ask you for your passport number, you have to answer " I do not know". Don't laugh. This actually happened to my colleague. Not funny!
• Ensure someone at home has a copy of your travel documents and travel itinerary. If it is private, put it in a seal envelope, with instructions to open only in an emergency.
• Never ever leave anything in your coat pocket. In cold countries, everyone wears a coat. Some call it jacket, whatever. When we enter a warm place, such as a restaurant, we tend to remove the coat. And there are people who targets only coats. Even the coat is right behind you, hung on your chair, someone will still try to empty it. So, do NOT place anything in the coat - including the pockets. I had a colleague who lost the coat, plus passport, wallet, phones and keys. He couldn't get into his own hotel room - he didn't have any ID left on him. Ended up the night in a German police station. Not fun - although the police was very kind to let him spend the night there. It was snowing outside, so, he better not complain the chair was hard!
• If possible, do NOT hail a taxi from the roadside. Instead, call the cab company, to ask for a cab. Tell them were you are, and where you want to go. Give them your name (keep it simple, just first or last only - never the full name!). Ask them for the cab number. When your cab shows up, make sure the number is right. In some places, they cannot give you the cab number before hand. If that's the case, when the cab shows up, ask them *who* has asked for the cab. They should be able to reply you with your name. This will weed out bogus cab drivers. In addition, the cab company has a record of who went where and who picked up who. The cab drivers won't try anything funny - at least they will think twice.
• If you do not know the number for the cab company, ask the hotel or restaurant or bar to help you make the call. Just tip that guy. He will be happy to help you.
• Give the impression that someone knows where you are at all times - sms your boyfriend or girlfriend, or both. Or pretend to SMS / text message. Bad guys prefer to target someone who has no one to come look for them when the victim is in trouble.
• Never ever stop to give spare change, do charity. If you must do charity, do it in a proper place. Helping a beggar is not a good idea. That's usually the first step to being mugged. He can always run off with you entire wallet.
• Or, he will lure you away from your group. Let's say you walk around with a group of friends. Someone wants to rob you. In a group, he will be bashed up for trying to rob you. The best way is to lure you away. Offer you gals. Or ask you for spare change. When you stop, your group moves away, doesn't know you have stopped. That's when trouble starts. Be smart. If you want to do charity, go to a church, temple or the Red Cross. Not in the middle of the night, in the middle of a street that is new to you.
• If you are being rob, just give them what they want. Not worth fighting.
• If you loose your passport to a pick pocket - the best is go to the local police station about 24 hours later. Most of the time, it will find its way there. I have a sneaky suspicion the police somehow have a hand in it. Someone gets the money. The police doesn't want to be stuck with a bunch of sobbing tourists. Get the idea?
• Be prepared for the eventuality that you end up in your destination in Africa while your bags ended up in Austria for a skiing trip. Bags do go astray. Labels bags - but do it smartly. Have a spare change of clothes in your hand carry bags. At least a spare change of underwear if you must travel light!
• Do NOT put your full name, address and phone number on your bags. Put your initials. Think about it scenario. I am a scumbag, to cheat a tourist. I gets his details from his bag. I approach him. Hello Mr. XYZ. (I know his full name from from the bag). You have an emergency back at home (and I know his address). Please follow me, the scumbag. Imagine - that would be dangerous. Just put your name (initials) and phone number. Or put your office address. Why tell everyone that your house is bloody empty and you are on vacation?
• Lock your bags. I never worry about that they take out. I worry a lot about what they put in. Drug trafficking is a capital offence in Malaysia. Imagine if you end up being an unknowing drug mule. No fun.
• Check the bags for tamper the second you get them. Complain like mad, to the airline, if something is wrong.
• This is not so much about safely, but more on comfy. Book your darn seats when you book your air ticket. Imagine if you are a pretty gal - do you want to end up stuck to a window seat beside a guy like me? Book an aisle seat. Or a window seat - some people like windows seats. I just prefer aisle.
• As usual, beware of pick pockets. Nothing new here.
• Keep mobile phones fully charged at all times - or recharge them every night. It would be your life saver - or saving someone else's life.
• And please, don't bloody drain the battery of the mobile / cell phone by listening to MP3s, playing porn or games! A phone is a phone. Period. A dead 3G phone during an emergency is as good as a one's shoe when it comes to emergency communications.
• Keep a flash light around, even a small one LED one. A mobile phone is a good emergency light source too, but see previous point.
• A lighter is good too, but naked flames are dangerous. Airport security might have a issue too.
• Lastly, if something is too good to be true, it probably is! So, don't be greedy!

Safety Measures for buildings in Malaysia

And finally, I am proud to read that the Malaysian government, of late, has been putting a lot of emphasis on the safety of buildings in Malaysia.

Not too long ago, the episodes of leaking roofs and the MRR2 bridge has badly shatterred the image of the government, in particular the PWD - Public Works Department. The press was writing to draw bloody and the public wanted to see heads roll. No such drama unfortunately. Just a very expensive repair bill, and chances are, it was paid by the innocent taxpayers.

Anyway, back to the present. The government has decided that structures for the public must be safe. Otherwise, the structures will have to go. Two cases of this newly implemented guidelines:

• Kilim Bridge in Langkawi, for pedestrians, February 2008.
• Perak State Corporation building, November 2007.

In both cases, the two nearly completed sub-standard buildings collapsed when it was near completion. The measures were indeed very successful as no one was hurt in both the incidents. It is indeed a proud moment for the Malaysian Boleh spirit.

Credit should be given to the Perak and Kedah State Governments for the unprecedented move. Please, continue the support for such a visionary government. We do not want otherwise.