Whether people are in a big city or a small one, drive a car or take the bus, live in a house or rent an apartment, street smarts should always be present and unchanging.

That was the message delivered to local business owners and members of the Robbinsdale Chamber of Commerce at the monthly meeting Jan. 29, where Carol Fredrickson spoke to those gathered at the St. Petersburg Restaurant.

“This isn’t Mayberry and Opie doesn’t live here anymore: Street Smarts from the cities to the suburbs,” was the title of Fredrickson’s talk. Developing and using “street smarts” requires a slightly different way of thinking, she said.

“We need to shift our thinking to keep safe,” Fredrickson said.

Safety practices such as paying attention to the details of our surroundings, locking the door and starting the car right away once you’re inside – these things should become second nature to us, things we do without even thinking.

Automatic behaviors can be life-savers, Fredrickson said, because if the time comes when we need to do those things in a hurry, we might not be able to do them at all.

“When we are in great fear or danger, the cognitive part of our brains doesn’t function as well,” Fredrickson said. “Instant recall is how we train our brains to act all the time. Train yourself to watch your behavior, what you’re doing, how you’re standing.

“If you appear weak, unconfident or scared, you’re more likely to become someone’s victim.”

Fredrickson, who with her husband, Duane, operates Violence Free, has nine years of experience in law enforcement and is president-elect of the Minnesota bureau of the National Speakers Association. Violence Free offers seminars, workshops and keynote speeches on a variety of topics centering on violence reduction, self defense and personal safety.

Fredrickson handed out a 10-question quiz about being safety conscious, then reviewed the answers with the Robbinsdale Chamber of Commerce crowd.

Fredrickson advised women to carry purses with the strap hung over the shoulder instead of around the neck. The latter has proven dangerous and may force a purse-snatcher to cause physical harm. She told the story of a 72-year-old woman who fell, breaking a hip, in the defense of her 30-year-old purse with less than $10 inside. The woman contracted pneumonia in the hospital and died.

“That’s on the books in Minneapolis as an unsolved homicide,” she said. “Be ready to give up your property. No purse or wallet is worth your life.”

The same advice follows in the event of a car-jacking, Fredrickson said. “Be ready to give it up. If your kids are in the car, say ‘Baby in the back!’ or ‘Kids in the back seat!’”

Most car-jackers want no part of kidnapping and will leave the children, the car or both a short distance away, Fredrickson said.

She also offered advice for situations we might encounter while driving, such as a case of road-rage in which you fear another driver, or if you believe a driver is following your vehicle.

“Do not stop,” she said. “Drive to a well-lit place, a public place with lots of people that’s safe. You don’t want to head home.”

That advice holds for a situation where a driver may see the flashing lights of a patrol car behind them, but don’t feel comfortable stopping in a deserted area.

“Flash your headlights, flick the interior lights on and off, let the person know you see them,” Fredrickson said. “Then drive within the law to a safe, well-lit place.”

Most police officers will understand the safety precautions, Fredrickson said, but if a driver speeds away or goes recklessly to another location, it will be perceived as a police pursuit.

Above all, Fredrickson said, it is important for people to trust their instincts in any situation.

She told of a woman, working late at night, who got on an elevator alone. When a man followed her into the elevator she felt uncomfortable but did not get off the elevator, because she did not want to make the man feel bad. The man proceeded to stop the elevator, rape the woman and get off on the next floor.

“Trust your gut instinct,” Fredrickson said. “Don’t worry about making someone else feel uncomfortable. It’s a stranger. It doesn’t matter how you make them feel, as long as you feel uncomfortable in a situation.”

Fredrickson closed the talk with some final advice.

“Start thinking about ways to empower yourself,” Fredrickson said. “Not to scare yourself, but to stay safe.”

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