A Safety Tip on House Address Numbers

We learned the following safety tip about house numbers, which came from a neighborhood watch seminar, by way of one of our local listservs. (We have condensed this safety advice from a three different messages.)

For maximum clarity and speed of reading by ambulance, fire or rescue workers, make sure your house is marked in a spot that is clearly visible from the street, with large, high-contrast, and preferably illuminated numbers, at least six inches high.

If you currently have house numbers on a brass plaque or if you have brass numbers on pole painted in a non-contrasting shade of paint, your house may be hard for EMTs to spot easily. In a medical emergency, these seconds may count. While you may want to keep your decorative numbers, for safety's sake add another more visible set.

One thing that is not recommended is having numbers painted on the curb in front of your house. Rescue workers are trained to look at the house first; in the event that a car is parked at the curb, those painted numbers will be completely invisible. On the other hand, if there is a set of steps going up to your front door, consider painting the house numbers in bright, reflective paint on the riser of the step most visible from the street.

Dangerous Driver on the Loose in NW DC

Watch out for this dangerous driver who was reported on the Chevy Chase listserv. The best advice when it comes to dangerous drivers is to keep away:  Slow down, let them get to where they want to go (hoping that they make it alive), and be glad that they're no longer a threat to you.

Beware Bare ATM Thieves

While this hasn't happened in the Washington, DC area yet, forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes:  In Paris a man, who had just entered in his secret PIN code was distracted by two topless women.  While his eyes were not on where they should be, one of the women quickly withdrew 300 euros from his account.  Both women then quickly fled and have not been found. 


A local Paris police official offered these words of advice: "We would advise anyone withdrawing cash from a machine to focus on what they are doing and not allow themselves to be distracted, however attractive the view."  


Be aware of your surroundings -- just not too aware.


Report via Gizmodo and the Telegraph.