Goodbye, spooky season! Hello, holiday season!
The holidays are now closer than ever, with 2022 right around the corner. Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up, which means it’s that time of the year where retail stores are busy. It’s when everyone takes advantage of the hot deals of the year because let’s face it, who doesn’t love a good deal? I know I do! But with hot deals means lots of crowds, which can be alarming.
Crowds can be messy and sometimes it can lead to unfortunate events. Big crowds are a target when it comes to danger. Everyone is busy doing their own things, so others unfortunately see this as an opportunity to strike. We all know how it goes when it’s it time to go shopping: you can get pushed, squished, trampled over and that won’t stop people from trying to get what they want. It kind of feels like the Hunger Games, where everyone is rushing to the cornucopia to get their items while also trying to survive. We’re human and sometimes we get distracted and don’t pay attention to our surroundings because we’re busy with accomplishing our mission. But this can be very dangerous, especially during the holidays.
A holiday that can get a little crazy and needs our 100% attention is Black Friday. We all know how Black Friday used to be pre-pandemic: items on the floor, huge lines at checkouts, half-empty shelves and customers fighting to get their items. It was simply insane! Now, though the pandemic is still going on, Los Angeles is slowly going back to its previous routines, meaning it might be a little busier than last year. With that in mind, it’s important to look around the room to see if anything looks off. Sometimes we are too busy that we forget to scan the room we are in. We never know what can happen so we must be vigilant!
In Tokyo, Japan a 24-year-old man dressed up as the Joker for Halloween. Sounds normal right? He got on the train that evening and that’s where things went downhill. He, unfortunately, took the role of being the Joker too seriously and attacked 17 passengers on the train. Most of the passengers on that train were on their way to a Halloween party. Authorities revealed that the man’s idol is the Joker, so he wanted to murder people to be like him. It’s most likely that the passengers who were injured were distracted and not paying attention to their surroundings. It’s not their fault—we all get a little bored sometimes on the train or bus and try to distract ourselves with anything, but it’s important that we start being more alert. We never know if there is someone among the crowd who is trying to cause harm.
There can also be thieves among the crowds. Most of us have seen pickpocketing happen in movies, but this also happens in real life, especially when it’s most crowded. Items can easily get stolen while we’re distracted on our phones, and sometimes it’s just so crowded that anyone can access our pockets, purse, or shopping bags. To prevent this from happening, make sure you secure your items by closing all zippers and storing your valuable items somewhere safer.
It can be hard to be aware of what’s going on in your community. But, the Citizen App, available on the App Store and Google Play Store, is a great app that brings awareness to dangers in your community and around the world. It allows you to connect with your family and friends and share locations to make sure everyone is safe. Not only does it update you with the latest incidents on Los Angeles and around the world, but it also allows you to broadcast if something is happening near you that you would like to report. This is a great feature because it means we don’t have to wait for it to be reported by a news anchor. You’re on the freeway and it’s not moving? It’s most likely that the Citizen App will already have someone broadcasting about it. This app has kept me updated on everything, especially with the mask mandate in LA, which is being changed almost every month. It’s an easy way to stay in the know and be more aware of your community!
The holidays are a wonderful time because they bring family and friends together. We all want these holidays to be fun and, most importantly, safe. Remember to be careful of your surroundings and to pay attention to spot anything out of the ordinary. Happy shopping!