Tips to Avoid Holiday Crime

Tips to Avoid Holiday Crime

Great information provided by www.farmers-cares.com

The following are some valuable tips provided by the Los Angeles Police Department to help prevent theft during the holiday season.

While Shopping:

• Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member.
• Dress casually and comfortably.
• Avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
• Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible.
• Always carry your California Driver License or Identification Card along with necessary cash, checks and/or a credit card you expect to use.
• Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
• Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible.
• Keep cash in your front pocket.
• Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen or misused.
• Keep a record of all of your credit card numbers in a safe place at home.
• Be extra careful if you do carry a wallet or purse. They are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas, transportation terminals, bus stops, on buses and other rapid transit.
• Avoid overloading yourself with packages. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid mishaps.
• Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. At this time of year, “con-artists” may try various methods of distracting you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.

While Driving and Parking:

• Keep all car doors locked and windows closed while in or out of your car. Set your alarm or use an anti-theft device.
• If you must shop at night, park in a well-lighted area.
• Avoid parking next to vans, trucks with camper shells, or cars with tinted windows.
• Park as close as you can to your destination and take notice of where you parked.
• Never leave your car unoccupied with the motor running or with children inside.
• Do not leave packages or valuables on the seat of your car. This creates a temptation for thieves. If you must leave something in the car, lock it in the trunk or put it out of sight.
• Be sure to locate your keys prior to going to your car.
• Keep a secure hold on your purse, handbag and parcels. Do not put them down or on top of the car in order to open the door.
• When approaching or leaving your vehicle, be aware of your surroundings.
• Do not approach your car alone if there are suspicious people in the area.

• Ask mall or store security for an escort before leaving your shopping location.

While at the ATM:

• If you must use an ATM, choose one that is located inside a police station, mall, or well-lighted location. Withdraw only the amount of cash you need.
• Protect your PIN by shielding the ATM keypad from anyone who is standing near you.
• Do not throw your ATM receipt away at the ATM location.

While at Home:

• Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even for a few minutes.
• When leaving home for an extended time, have a neighbor or family member watch your house and pick up your newspapers and mail.
• Indoor and outdoor lights should be on an automatic timer.
• Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied.
• Large displays of holiday gifts should not be visible through the windows and doors of your home.
• Be aware that criminals sometimes pose as couriers delivering gifts.
• It is not uncommon for criminals to take advantage of the generosity of people during the holiday season by soliciting donations door-to-door for charitable causes although no charity is involved.
• Ask for their identification, and find out how the donated funds will be used. If you are not satisfied, do not donate.
• Donate to a recognized charitable organization.

So please keep all of the above tips in mind and have a safe and mindful holiday season.

		Tuan Duong Farmers Insurance 2181 Wadsworth Rd Ste B Norton, OH 44203 (Driving Directions) Phone: (330) 812-3616 Fax: (330) 812-3617 http://www.farmersagent.com/tduong Connect with Me:

WJH? 2-4-13

WJH? 2-4-13

*Be pre-warned that this weeks installment of WJH is a little gross. Well, to me it was. 

I have a routine that I keep every morning when before leaving for work. It goes like this:

1 - I walk downstairs.
2 - Yell "hello. hello!!!" to the kids.
3 - Make some coffee.
4 - Hear the Wonder Twins in unison say "I want crackers daddy"
5 - Smile because it is sooo very cute.
6 - Get the crackers and give them to the twins 3 Ritz each.
7 - Take my morning meds. 
8 - Give the kids kisses and the Wonder Twins some power (rock).
9 - Leave for work.

Pretty normal routine right? NOT LAST WEEK!!!

This morning I came downstairs and said my "Hello, hello!!!". The twins came running over to say hi and hit me with the instant "I want crackers daddy". I of course smiled and went to get some Ritz, 3 each. They took their crackers and ran to watch some Micky Mouse Club.

I turned and went to take my meds, with a glass of water. All normal stuff. Routines are great for me, in fact they are required. A few years back I started having seizures and need a routine to be able to remember what to do. Anywho... after taking the meds, I went over to kiss the kids goodbye. Big kisses from Kennedy and the Wonder Twins, and of course some power from each. Awesome.

As I turn to leave I notice that the Wonder Twins had crumbs on their lips. Ritz crumbs... Delicious, Ritz happen to be my favorite cracker. I love em. I put peanut butter on them, sharp cheddar, I even use them to scoop Tuan's mystery meat concoction. I LOVE RITZ. To my delight their Ritz crumbs made their way onto my lips. COOL, I get a lil treat. So I licked my lips and brought the Ritz crumbs into my mouth to enjoy...

Interestingly the Ritz crumbs did not taste like Ritz, in fact they had a very distinct flavor. A flavor that I had not enjoyed in 29 years. Yes gang,one of the Wonder Twins had left me a morsel of deliciousness that I had not expected... The delightfully savory flavor of dried booger. . WJH???

What do you do in that situation? Do you spit it out? Do you glare at you kids? Do you find out the culprit and crack open a can of whupass? I did what I felt a good daddy should do...

I smiled, enjoyed it, and waved the kids good bye as I headed off to the office for a day of quoting and calling.

		Tuan Duong Farmers Insurance 2181 Wadsworth Rd Ste B Norton, OH 44203 (Driving Directions) Phone: (330) 812-3616  Alt Phone: (330) 812-3618 Fax: (330) 812-3617 http://www.farmersagent.com/tduong1 Connect with Me:

Got gas? 7 gas-saving driving tips

Got gas? 7 gas-saving driving tips

Ten four, back door. Put the pedal to the metal and let it roar.

~ Cledus Maggart and the Citizen’s Band

Not so much anymore — gas is too expensive. Today we are looking for ways to save money at the pump and modifying our driving habits may help. Why? Good driving habits typically translate into more efficient fuel consumption. But did you know you can potentially boost the overall fuel efficiency of your car as much as 30 percent?¹Here’s some how-to tips: 

• Perform routine maintenance — Stay on schedule with oil and filter changes and tune-ups. Your car needs the right proportions of air and fuel to run efficiently.
• Monitor tire pressure — Not only are they dangerous but under inflated tires tend to decrease mileage.
• Combine short trips — Warm engines run more efficiently than cold ones so combining short errands into one trip may save gas and time.
• Avoid aggressive driving — “Jack-rabbit” starts and hard braking can increase fuel consumption by as much as 40 percent and reduce travel time by only four percent.¹ Not a good trade-off.
• Drive at moderate speeds — Stay at or under the speed limit and drive at a consistent rate of speed. Try to use cruise control on long trips.
• Travel light — Extra weight in the car creates a drag on the engine and consumes extra gas.
• Avoid excess idling — Idling uses a surprising amount of fuel — more than restarting the engine.
• Ride share — When possible, car pool with others to save fuel.
• Walk more, drive less — Approximately 50 percent of car use is for trips within 3 miles of the home so consider biking instead for some of these short hops.¹ Or drive to a central location and walk to all of your errands. You’ll be saving fuel, reducing pollution, and perhaps skip a trip to the gym.

Bottom line: Slowing down is the easiest way to cut your fuel bill, and coupled with some of the simple gas-saving tips above you could potentially save hundreds of dollars and reduce gas emissions and other pollutants. Slow down.

		Tuan Duong Farmers Insurance 2181 Wadsworth Rd Ste B Norton, OH 44203 (Driving Directions) Phone: (330) 812-3616 Fax: (330) 812-3617 http://www.farmersagent.com/tduong1 Connect with Me:

WJH?? 1-28-13

WJH?? 1-28-13

Every Monday we will be posting a WHAT JUST HAPPENED (WJH) post. 
This is for the sole purpose of making you smile. May be for some exposure as a great insurance agent too. Here goes...

A few weeks back I left the office for a meeting at a clients house to talk about life insurance. This was a wonderful family, very warm, In the room was grandma, mom, son, and myself. The young man (7) was severely autistic, he played with my phone, laptop, and anything he could get his hands on. I was pre-warned of that. What I was NOT pre-warned about was this...
He has a hair fetish...

As I sat there he came up to me and tapped me on the head. Tuan's #1 rule for keeping me smiling... DON'T TOUCH MY HAIR!!! I mean hey I use gel and work hard to keep my ugly mug handsome. But this little dude has autism so I smiled and kept on keeping on. He came over for another tap, but this time he tapped his head too. Cute, he is African American and noticed a difference between his hair and mine, CUTE. 
Here is the WJH moment... 

He decides to come in for a hug, cool I'm a hugger. But as he came in for the hug he lunged up towards my head mouth open. For about 3 seconds I thought to myself  "OH NO!!! I'm about to get bitten!!!". Instead of biting me he bit one of my spikes and ripped it out. RIPPED IT OUT!!! It hurt like none other and for the a few seconds, and  I thought that I had been bitten due to the pain felt and stars seen.

As I'm recovering, I see mom and grams rolling in laughter. "He has a BIT of a hair fetish" A FREAKING HAIR FETISH!!! They had just sicked their serial hair ripper son me and found it wonderfully funny. Post bite the young man rubbed his tongue signalling that my hair was gross tasting.... Ah the pleasantly disgusting taste of hair gel. 8) 

To answer your question, yes I closed the sale they invested in a 20 year Term Life pollicy.

 Any who... Beat that!!! Let's hear your WJH moments.

-Tuan

		Tuan Duong Farmers Insurance 2181 Wadsworth Rd Ste B Norton, OH 44203 (Driving Directions) Phone: (330) 812-3616 Fax: (330) 812-3617 http://www.farmersagent.com/tduong Connect with Me:

Why insurance?

I have decided to start blogging. Stay tuned for some good stuff.