美佛慧訊 第六十三期
For women who drive at night
KAREN L CAMPBELL
Attorney at Law
This is a good thing to know.
As I headed for home by myself at approximately 10 PM, I was between Exits when a car pulled into the rightmost lane beside me（I was in the center lane）and started matching speeds with me. After a minute, I tried to slow down so he would pass. He slowed, too. I regained my previous speed.
And he sped up with me. Finally after a few minutes of this, he pulled slightly ahead of me, rolled down his window and motioned towards my tire as though something was wrong. The man had already begun to make me nervous by driving alongside me for some distance on the mostly empty highway, and now my training took over. This man is trying to get me off the road by myself here in the dark," I thought.
The area where I was, is basically the middle of nowhere. I know my car. I am very careful with maintenance, and I am an experienced driver. I know what a flat tire feels like. I knew my car was fine. I put on my turn signal and moved to the rightmost lane behind the man anyway and slowed down slightly; there is always the chance that something could have been wrong （better to be prepared）. The other car pulled onto the shoulder and started slowing down. Now I knew he was definitely trying to get me to pull over. I passed him, he swerved back on the road and drove right behind me.
At the next exit, there were two gas stations. They were well lit and there were a few people there. I exited, he followed. Not only this, but a car I had not previously noticed, that was in front of us suddenly swerved off the exit when I put my turn signal on. I know this scenario. I grew up in some pretty bad areas.
At this point, everything I had learned was in control. I decided not to stop anywhere. By now there was absolutely no doubt that my car was fine. When we approached the stop sign at the dark, empty intersection after the gas stations, the car ahead of me put on his left turn signal and stopped. I checked for traffic as I approached the intersection, then pulled around him to the right, and headed straight back for the highway. Both the car that had been ahead and the one that had been following me turned left across the highway and did not pursue further.
I have now carefully checked my car in a safe place when I knew I was no longer being followed. It is in perfect condition. This is a classic scenario for car jackass to use at night. I feel lucky that I was well prepared and didn't have to think too much about what to do.
1. Don't ever let yourself be caught between cars. Car jackers often work in pairs, attempting to corner your vehicle.
2. Don't ever pull off the road at night by yourself in a dark, unpopulated place.
3. Carry a cell phone - I'm going to get one!
4. Stay calm. Don't try any tricks. If you are in an accident, you are vulnerable.
5. Remember that most criminals want easy victims. DON'T LET YOURSELF BECOME ONE!
6. Make sure you find out how to react BEFORE you are in the situation! These Situations are unfortunately real and dangerous. Thinking about it when it happens is too late!
7. ALWAYS make sure you do not stop until you are CERTAIN that help is present（i.e., even if you are in a slight accident head straight for the police station, and do not stop until you are there. Car jackers often slightly damage vehicles by bumping them from the rear to try to get the driver to get out.
致在夜晚開車的婦女
這是你必需知道的事。
那晚我將近十時開車回家，有輛車開到我的右邊的車道（我在中間的車道）並開始跟我並行。過了一會兒，我試著放慢速度好讓那輛車先過，但他也慢下來了。我只好恢復原先的速度。
結果他又跟上我的速度。幾分鐘過後，他開始稍微超前，搖下他的車窗，並指著我的輪胎好像我的輪胎有什麼不對勁。這個男人已經開始令我緊張，他持續開車在這條幾乎沒有人的高速公路上跟我並行了好一段距離，此時此刻突然想起之前的訓練，「這個男人試著要我一個人在這片黑暗中下車」，我心裡想。
我所在的區域，基本上是看似一望無際的地方。我很了解我的車，我都很小心的保養，而且我是很有經驗的駕駛人。我知道輪胎不對勁的感覺應該是怎樣，我知道我的車子沒問題。我打了方向燈然後開始移向右車道那個男人的後方並慢慢的減緩車速；任何時候都有可能會有狀況發生（最好先準備好）。結果那輛車駛向路肩也開始減緩車速。現在我知道他很明確地要對我有所企圖。我趕緊超越他，他開回車道並駛向我的右後方。
接下來令我興奮的是，我看到了兩個加油站。它們還在營業而且有一些人在那邊。我很興奮，但他仍跟隨著。不只如此，而且有另一輛我之前未曾注意到的車子突然開到我前面，當我打方向燈時我的興奮感消失了。我了解整個情況，我已經進入了相當糟糕的情況。
在這個當頭，我的經驗告訴我要控制好自己。我決定不再停在任何地方。但現在很顯然的，我的車絕對沒問題。當我們在黑暗中靠近紅綠燈時，那是在加油站之後一個很荒涼的地方，我前方的那輛車打左方向燈並停了下來。我注意交通狀況當我靠近那個區域時，然後靠近他的右側，迅速迴轉並開回高速公路。那兩輛車，在我前面及一直跟著我的那輛車沒有再追過來了。
我很小心的注意是否在安全的地方，當我知道我沒有再被跟蹤。現在是完美的狀況。這是一個舊式的汽車搶劫犯在晚上慣用的模式。我覺得很幸運的是我已經準備好而且沒有猶豫該怎麼辦。
1. 別讓你的車被夾在兩輛車中間。汽車搶劫犯通常會成對犯案，並企圖將你逼到角落。
2. 絕對不要在夜晚而且荒涼人跡罕至或黑暗的地方下車。
3. 帶一支大哥大吧，我準備去買一支！
4. 保持冷靜。別試著玩什麼把戲。如果你遇到什麼意外，很容易受傷的。
5. 記得大部份的犯罪都想要輕鬆的獲得的犧牲品，別讓自己成為其中一個！
6. 確定你發現如何反應在你遇到狀況之前！上述情形很不幸地是真實而且危險的事件！仔細思考否則當你遇上時才在想為時已晚！
7. 永遠不要停車，除非你已經確定已經可以獲得救援（例如：甚至當你遇到輕微車禍時也別停下來直接開往警察局。汽車搶劫犯通常都會利用一些小車禍來迫使目標下車。）
Last updated: 11/7/99 |