When you are grocery shopping, turning your back can result in a quick grab of your purse if left unattended in the grocery cart. An easy way to greatly hinder, or even eliminate, this is to use a camping clip (carabiner) to snap your purse handles onto the cart.
Source: Canadian Living, February 2006
By leanne chaisson from Williams Lake, B.C.
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Another idea is to remove your wallet and cell phone from your purse even if it is anchored in the shopping cart. They are so fast and slick that your wallet and cell phone could be stolen without you knowing it when your back was turned.
Good idea! Another idea is to keep your purse closed and on your shoulder or arm (depending on the type of strap your purse has) rather than in the cart.
If you do it, clip the two handles together, and keep your purse zipped so that they'd have to work to get in and get your pocketbook! I usually clip my keys to the cart, and keep my purse in the cart, but pick it up and put it on my arm if I want to step away from the cart to go grab something.
Please, don't ever, ever leave your purse in the cart; that is just begging for trouble. You know how bad our economy is now and people are getting desperate and some are turning to desperate measures. I cannot tell you how many times I see a cart with a purse in it and the owner is turned away with her attention on something else.
What I was taught by older women is to take the baby seat holder and wrap your purse handle around the cart and the seat holder and click it shut. My dear mother in law told me this and when I see a purse just sitting in the cart I tell the person to lock their purse. When you do this it makes it harder to just grab and go.
A few years ago, my daughter was visiting her inlaws in Ohio. She went to the grocery store and stopped to look at produce. Her purse was in the seat of the cart, and, with her right there, someone grabbed it.
Placing your purse in the cart is never a good idea. I used to do that, until I got to the checkout one day only to find that someone had lifted my wallet out of my purse. And I had never taken my hands from the cart, only turned my head away to look at some merchandise. I now have a small fanny pack that I put the things I need for shopping, wallet, checkbook,credit cards, driver's license and membership cards. And I also bought a small digital camera case that fits in my jeans pocket that will hold credit cards and membership cards.
This is a great tip! No, it won't stop someone if they really want your bag, but it's sure going to slow them down if they try to take it! I started doing that 25 years ago when I had a baby & a toddler. I was afraid I couldn't watch my purse well enough in the store, so started clipping it to the basket with an old caribiner from when I was a climber. My purse is always so cluttered anyway, nobody could reach my wallet on the bottom without digging, but I used to unzip & turn my purse upside down so that if someone grabbed it, everything would fall out.
I still clip my bag, just use one of the lighter caribiners now. We go through spells where thieves will wait for shoppers to come out & they run by & grab purses out of carts as you walk through the parking lot or unload into your car. I've always kind of wished someone would try this on me, so I can see if they manage to stay on their feet as they 'grab-n-go', or end up taking the whole cart with them, lol!
Seriously though, ladies, you really need to not put your bags in the cart & turn your back or walk away! I can't believe people who do this & would really like to teach them a lesson sometimes! As paranoid as I am, my mom & daughter (of all people) were really bad about doing this. I went shopping with them & it drove me nuts! So, I waited until they turned their back & grabbed their purse & walked off- I got to the end of the aisle before one noticed(I nearly got tackled by a well-meaning observer) & the other didn't notice for over 5 minutes! As I pointed out, if I'd been a thief, their purses would have been long gone! They don't do it when I'm around anymore!
My advice is don't give a potential thief a chance to steal your purse, meaning, don't let out of your site. There is no reason to have to walk away from your cart. My cart stays with me and park on the same side of the aisle as the item I am looking at, by doing this you also keep the aisle clear for someone else to get by. I now only take a small purse with long strap that I can wear cross-body.
I do something similar. I wrap the child restraint around the strap of my purse several times. I make sure it is zippered, too. Let someone 'grab and run'. they'll be on their face in no time with a cart on top of them!
Excellent tip if you 'must' carry your purse. I've been advocating not taking your purse to public places for years. As a marketing rep, it was unwieldy carrying a briefcase, presentation equipment, etc., so the purse was left in my car. I go shopping and dining without a purse. I just tuck the credit card in my pocket. No one can steal anything, like when my purse was stolen years ago from hanging on the back of my chair, also an associate had hers stolen from under her seat while dining.
There's always the chance that if my car is stolen, so will my purse. I've got protection for my credit cards and my credit, by freezing my credit with the 3 credit report companies. Look into it, since they don't publicize it because they want you to buy the $12 or $15 a month identity theft insurance. Freezing is mostly free or about $3 for turning it on/or/off.
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