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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Just good food and company. And like every holiday, the roads are busier, traffic accidents and road rage are on the rise, and as much as we’d like the season to be full of cheer, it is, unfortunately, laced with stress and pressure for many.

People are being laid off, many go into debt to buy gifts, and crime is on the rise.

Malls seem to be a popular target for mass shootings, and with the current unrest in the Middle East, The terror alert, according to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, is at “a whole new level.”

People will be out in masses on Black Friday, a great opportunity to get great deals. Criminals will be looking for deals too. Well, more like helping themselves to yours. In fact, in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago, it is a trend. Shoppers coming out of high-end stores are attacked as they leave the stores, are beaten, and their goods stolen.

In California, thieves don’t get prosecuted for theft less than $950. In other words, they get to do their holiday shopping for free.

Now I know, it’s no surprise in those locations, but it doesn’t mean it can’t happen where you are.

I know, this is not the holiday cheer you want to hear, but that’s the reality we live in, and ignoring it will not make it go away.

It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the holiday season, be happy, and celebrate just as you planned. In fact, I highly encourage it, because living in fear is what they want us to do, and we must not give criminals and terrorists that satisfaction.

We can take our awareness and preparation to “a whole new level too.”

Remember, you are always the first and most times the last line of defense for yourself and your loved ones until and if help arrives. Believing otherwise is, in my opinion, a delusional fallacy.

So, here are a few steps you can take to avoid being a great deal for criminals this holiday season and better prepared in case of an event.

#1. Avoidance is a priority and being aware of your surroundings at all times is your first and most times best line of defense.

Wherever you go. Pay attention to where all the exits are and potential escape routes. The more directions you have to escape through, the better your chances.

#2. Do more people watching. That means paying attention to anyone who displays unusual behavior. For example, do you notice anyone dressed abnormally for the current situation? Acting nervous? Walking with a tunnel vision as if in a hypnotic state and not interacting normally with the environment?

#3. Pay attention to spots where you can take cover. Cover means you cannot be seen, but more importantly, bullets cannot penetrate.

#4. Do not stay stationary. Use cover to make incremental moves towards an exit and whenever possible in the opposite direction of the threat. Avoid hiding in bathrooms or somewhere without an escape because you’ll become a sitting duck.

#5. If possible, don’t walk out with your hands filled with and your vision blocked by packages and bags. You will not see danger coming and will not have your hands free to defend yourself. In case of a mass escape, drop everything and get out.

#6. Avoid parking in a remote part of a parking lot. At night, park in an area that is well lit.

#7. Lock your car and don’t leave valuables in plain sight.

#8. Keep your head on a swivel as you walk to your car. Is anyone following? As you unload into your car, keep your head on a swivel until you’re inside the car. Once inside, lock your doors immediately.

If you can go with a friend or a few, it’s better. More eyes and more bodies make the job much harder for criminals.

And #9. Carry 100 percent of the time you’re legally allowed. Have a non-lethal weapon, such as pepper spray or a tactical pen, and be well versed in your local self-defense laws.

Most of us only read about incidents that happened somewhere else and to someone else. I dare say that those victims up to that point did the same thing and thought it wouldn’t happen to them.

They didn’t think they needed their gun that day. They were shopping at a high-end mall, where there is no bad element. Their car isn’t worth stealing, or they have nothing worth taking. Yet here we are.

Part of being a safe and responsible citizen, with or without a gun, is not about being afraid, but being prepared. Not just for us, but also for those we love.

Train hard, often, and safely.