Here are 5 things you should know.
1. If you intend to leave electronics in the car for any reason while you are away from it, make sure to turn off all devices. Criminals are using radio and Bluetooth signal detectors to determine which car to hit.
One of my friend landed in Houston, went straight to dinner from the airport and left his luggage and laptop case in the car. His laptop was not powered down completely. When he returned, the back window of only his car was broken. The security video showed a guy walking the parking lot while aiming a signal detector at the cars and choosing him to break into.
2. Viral infections like the common cold and flu cannot be cured by antibiotics- those only work for bacterial infections. Do not ask your doctor for antibiotics when you have a viral illness. This only makes it so antibiotics won’t work as well for you and others in the future.
Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them creates immunity both in your body and in the community in the long run. The more we use them, the more our bodies get used to them and the bacteria that cause actual illnesses that can be improved with antibiotics will become resistant. This means that antibiotics we use today won’t always work in the future, one of the reasons why there is now a strain of drug-resistant TB. If you have a cold or flu, tough it out! Antibiotics will not help you feel better.
One of many sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279540/
3. Many wheelchair and electric cart users can walk but struggle with an invisible disability. Don’t be rude and call them out.
Yes, this includes large people. While it may be funny to point out how their butt engulfs the seat, they may have a genuine medical issue unrelated to their weight.
These people aren’t being lazy or fooling around. Caring for oneself with a disability is hard enough, they don’t need you to ask a million questions or criticize them in the store. Most stores have multiple electric carts available. There aren’t (non-safety) rules to use them besides not being an idiot/ramming things/things that go without saying.
Ambulatory wheelchair users exist as well. So if you see someone standing up to pack their chair into the car, please refrain from comments like “it’s a miracle!” or worse, call them a faker.
Invisible disabilities that make walking very difficult are countless but some include chronic pain, nervous system disorders resulting in severe dizziness (I.e. forms of dysautonomia), heart conditions, and recent surgeries.
4. Fake missing person’s reports.
Fake missing person’s reports on social media. They are a tactic abusers use to find their victims. Don’t share unverified missing person reports. Don’t share them unless they are or link a police or news report.
5. There are a lot of scammers that like to take advantage during Hurricane relief. Be careful who you donate to.
If you want to help provide relief to the Bahamas, make sure you do it through a reputable organization. Otherwise, your money could be going straight into someone’s pockets.
