Entering a convenience store or gas station is risky at best. You may be entering a robbery-in-progress. Immediately upon arrival, you may startle the gunman, making you the Most Likely Person To Be Shot ("MLPTBS").
In 2004, over 90% of gas station shootings ended in death.
Even in the event that you survive such an attack, you may be implicated in the crime, simply for having been present at the time.
Follow these safety tips to minimize your risks, before entering a gas station.
- Pull up to the side of the gas station, out of view of any large windows, and leave your car in 'idle.'
- Idle your car close enough to the corner of the building so that you can observe if any prior customers are able to exit unharmed.
- If customers are exiting the building, monitor them. Stay attuned to their emotional state, as well as their physical state.
- Signal with your hands to other drivers in the parking lot to let them know that you are currently on Self-Monitored Entry Alert. Other drivers should not enter the store until you have completed your analysis.
- Listen carefully. Are there loud noises coming from inside the building? This may be a sign of gunfire or another type of explosive impalement.
- Observe for structural breaches in the building. This might signal that explosives have been used, or that a fire has been set as a method of distraction.
- Pay first -- pump later. Ensure that you are entering the building at a period of lowered risk. Afterward, the period you spend pumping your gas is a time of increased risk due to your visibility and the potential for new situations to arrise inside. You will want to remain alert as you pump.
- Do not use a credit card or debit card to pay for your fuel. If the gas station attendant has been killed, and the attacker is posing as the checkout clerk, the information available on your bank cards will allow them to pursue you at a later date.
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