Summer weather brings out the crowds, with concerts, food and music festivals, and local art fairs, there is an endless amount of exploring you can do this year. While having an amazing time and experiencing what all there is to offer is your first concern, many people fail to take precautionary steps to protect their belongs. With many people coming out to these local festivals are there to also enjoy, there are always some opportunists in the mix who look for every and any opportunity to take advantage during these events. While it is easy to ignore that these things do happen, you never think that it will be you next until it is.
One of the first ways you can be sure to protect your belongings is to evaluate the contents of your vehicle before you even leave for an event. Make sure that remove things of value from your car that you do not need. These include laptops, cameras, expensive sports gear and anything else that could be sold for money. Do not leave cash in your vehicle, cash is one of the most common things to go missing from vehicles if your car is broken into they will check every compartment for items to take. If for any reason you are unable to clear out your car before the festival you will need to make sure you are able to cover those items so they cannot be seen from the window. Lastly, you will need to make sure that you lock your vehicle, sometimes something as simple as locking the door will ensure that opportunist move on to the next.
Your phone, though it sounds silly to say as the current generations are attached to their phones. Have you ever been out and about and set down your phone? You know that fear that you feel when you can’t find it, the thoughts that go through your head, was it stolen, did someone take it, how am I going to afford to replace it? Some basic rules about going to a festival or event as discussed above would be to never set your phone down, turn on your find my friends and location sharing that way no matter what happens you are able to find the people you came with the off chance that you get separated. If your phone has a tracking app in case it gets misplaced, it would be wise to turn it on so you are able to find it if it gets lost or stolen.
The last few things we will discuss is protecting your personal information, your wallet, and yourself. Only take what you need, taking small side purses and condensing the things you have to just what you need can help avoid unnecessary loss. With card scanning being such an issue, it is wise to invest in a smart wallet that has a protective barrier so your card information isn’t scanned and used for fraudulent charges. Lastly, PROTECT YOURSELF, do not travel alone if at all possible, use the buddy system, always let people know where you are going and who you are going with. Unfortunately, in today’s world, you cannot be too careful when it comes to protecting yourself.
See what events are happening this summer in Austin by clicking here
Have fun this summer and protect yourself!