This week, the police in my home town, have been stopping women on the street to warn them about three big mistakes that the women are making, which are leaving them open to criminal activity.

#1. When purchasing gas at self-service gas stations, many women leave their pocketbooks on the seat of their cars, leave their car doors unlocked and take the $20 or $30 into the convenience store section to pay. When they come back to their car, their purse or its contents are missing. Because the thieves take the contents, but leave the pocketbook, many women do not know their credit cards and driver's license are missing for hours or days.

#2. Many women walk between their cars and the stores in the mall (or strip mall) holding the pocketbook by the long strap. A purse-snatcher can easily grab the pocketbook and the strap will break right off.

#3. (And this is the worst) Many women, put their pocketbook into the top section of their shopping cart (and leave it open quite often) and then turn their back on their shopping cart while reaching for products on the shelves. Some women comparison shop with their back turned from their cart and wide open pocketbook. Some walk 5 or 10 feet away from their carts. Thieves will very seldom take the pocketbook, but will reach in and take the purse or wallet with the money, credit cards, driver's license and other personal data. It is not until checkout time, which in a Super-Wal-Mart could be an hour or more later, that the unsuspecting women finds out the awful truth; “I've been robbed”.

I made myself a "Travel Wallet" which I strap on to my wrist. It holds cash, credit cards and a slim lip gloss - all that a girl on the go really needs. Since it straps to my wrist - I never walk away without it... A concern when one is drinking in Vegas.

A small black zip-up with a couple of wide elastic strips sewn on... I started carrying it at home, too. It's so nice not to have that ten pounds of garbage on my shoulder... and amazingly enough, I don't really need it on a daily basis....

:]