Outside a car:
•
Avoid being alone, and don't take shortcuts. • Never walk over to a car
for any reason. Getting near and in a car increases the chances of being taken
away and hurt. • If approached, do not leave the area. •
Do not help an adult you do not know. • Remember 911 calls at pay
phones are free. • Scream loudly for help, run to another adult, gripping
and holding onto that other person. Stuber said this "Velcro technique"
forces the other adult to listen and pay attention. • Rotate arms
forward quickly and repeatedly making big circles in the air. This windmill technique
prevents a larger and stronger assailant from getting a grip on the moving child.
Don't just try to pull away because the adult is stronger. Always rotate the arm
to break free of the grip if restrained. • If on a bicycle, hug the
bicycle tightly, refusing to let go. "If you hold that bike, and do not let
go, it's impossible to put you in a car," Stuber said. If a bike is not available,
grab a garbage can or a long stick, any large object that prevents entry into
a car. • If the abductor shows a gun, run. No matter what the person
says, keep running. There is only a slim chance they will try to shoot you. Firing
a gun draws attention. • Always scream. Inside a car:
•
The first step should be for the child to open the door and get out. •
If in a four-door car, jump into the back seat and go out a back door quickly.
• Place something inside of the ignition cylinder -- gum, a small
button from clothing -- to keep the abductor from driving them to another location.
Stuber said that if the car can be stopped or the potential crime can be stopped
in the neighborhood, then the crime is going to come to an end. •
If locked in a trunk, remove the taillight panel which comes off easily, and disconnect
the taillight wires. "Now you increased the odds 50 percent that the police
will pull the car over because it has not brake or tail lights," Stuber said,
"then they will hear you inside." Finally, Stuber advises parents
to always practice escape measures with their children. "Kids will not yell
and scream when they are in trouble just 'cause you tell them to," he said.
"You have to let them practice it."
CNN Thursday,
February 5, 2004 | 
