Nothing can describe the sorrow and sadness that the recent Boston Marathon disaster has brought.
But, there are some ways for you to avoid getting hurt in case of a similar occurrence in the future. Following these simple guidelines may save your life, and the lives of those around you. It has been proven very efficient in Israel, a country that has known similar deadly attacks during the most of the 65 years of its existence, and its about time to adopt it here in the US.
Unattended bags
Pay attention to suspicious unattended bags. In fact, pay attention to any unattended bags. DO NOT IGNORE THEM! Especially if its in a crowded, or soon to become crowded, area.
If you see a bag, and no-one claims it to be theirs, call the police and ask people to stay away from it. The police will take care of it and if needed – destroy it in a controlled manner.
If you see a bag that is just lying there do the following:
0. Don’t panic. Don’t let anyone near you panic.
1. Ask loudly “whose bag is this?”. If no-one responds – proceed.
2. Ask the people next to the bag “Is this yours?”. If they respond negatively or ignore you, suggest them to move further away, without causing panic.
3. Call local police (911 call may be in order) and inform them that you found a suspicious bag. Describe the bag and the location.
4. Move away from the bag, and notify anyone in the near vicinity that there’s a suspicious object found and they should move away.
5. Wait for the police to arrive and show the suspicious object to them.
6. From the point the police is there – follow the police instructions.
Suspicious people
People don’t like being suspected of bad things. So if you see someone who raises suspicion in your eyes in any way – don’t be rude, offensive or aggressive. Do not ignore your guts, however. If you feel someone is suspicious – notify the police, DO NOT APPROACH that person on your own.
What can be suspicious? Here’s a couple of examples (but all of these could describe a person who is not a terrorist in any way, of course, so again – exercise your best judgement and in any case – be courteous):
1. People dressed not as you’d expect. For example, someone wearing a big warm coat in a hot summer day would raise my guards. Especially in a crowded area.
2. People not behaving as you’d expect an average person. Someone who looks terribly stressed, worried, keeping his hands in his pockets could be a bomber. Could, of course, be a someone who’s worried about something and wants to keep his hands warm.
If you find yourself in an event
If you were unfortunate enough to find yourself in an event such as the Boston Marathon bombing – there are several things you could (and should) do:
1. Make sure you’re not wounded.
2. Take cover.
3. If you can safely help others – do so.
The reason for #2 is the way these attacks are carried out: multiple bombings in the same event. Why do they do that? First attack causes people to panic, run in all directions, and then start helping the wounded. The second attack targets those rushing to the scene to help. So if you’re a victim of an attack, you should always expect another explosion – so take cover.
These events are horrible, and no-one wants to be anywhere near to one. But unfortunately, those that carry these attacks out target the general public in order to spread terror and frighten you. Don’t let them succeed, don’t get frightened of any public event or occasion. Make sure the security is adequate, make sure to look around yourselves and notice any suspicious objects or people, and you’ll be fine.
Stay safe,
Your Little Adviser
