聽說你一個人住？這些獨居安全竅門要記好
如今，外賣服務發達，快遞也時常送上門。
我們與陌生人打交道的場所從室外搬到了樓梯間這樣的模糊地帶。
當特定職業的冒充者，敲你的房門。安全與危險就只有一門之隔。
租房獨居或者孤身在家的你，要如何識別危險，保護自己呢？
If you are homealone, or live alone, and somebody comes to the door, shout out "I got it" so that it seems like someone else is there with you and you are not alone.
如果你一個人在家，或者獨居，有人敲門的話，你可以大喊一聲“我去開！”，這樣就會顯得家裏還有其他人，你不是一個人。
這可能是最常用的方法了——告訴門外的人你不是一個人。
但其實在此之前，還有很多預防工作可以做。
1 Give your apartment a safety check
給住處來個安全排查
It's a good idea to give your apartment a once-over for safety concerns — ideally before you even move in. Complete this safety checklist.
搬進去之前最好給你的住處來一次全面安全隱患排查，並完成這份排查清單。
①
Are any of your valuables visible from the street?
從外面馬路上是否可以看到你家的貴重物品？
②
Are your doors made of either solid wood or metal clad?
房門是否是實木或者有金屬包覆的？
③
Can you see who's at the door without opening it?
不開門的情況下是否有辦法看到房門外的人？
④
Do you have all your mail held at the post office when you travel?
你出門旅行的時候，信件包裹是否可以寄存在郵局或代收點（而不是自家門口或信箱）？
⑤
Do you shred documents with personal information before disposing them?
有個人信息的文件是否在丟棄前都用碎紙機碎過？
⑥
Have all your doors been rekeyed since you moved in?
你搬進去後房門鑰匙是否都換過？
2 Become BFFs with your neighbors
和鄰居成爲親密朋友
If you're introverted, then you'd probably prefer anything else to chatting with neighbors. But make an effort to be friendly, if only for safety's sake.
如果你很內向，你可能會盡量不跟鄰居打交道。但是最好還是表現得友好一點，就當是爲了安全考慮。
In one way or another, your neighbors may be your best asset in times of trouble and they'll be more willing to lend a hand to a friend than they are to help out a stranger.
某種程度上來說，鄰居會在你身陷麻煩的時候幫上大忙。比起幫一個陌生人，他們肯定更願意幫朋友。
3 Don't fumble for your keys
別在門口找鑰匙
The last thing you want to do is approach your front door and then spend five minutes fumbling for your keys.
絕對不要在門口花上5分鐘找鑰匙。
This is especially true if your neighborhood isn't the safest or the entry is poorly lit. Have your keys ready as you walk up, and get yourself inside smoothly and swiftly.
如果你住的地區不太安全或者單元樓道很昏暗的話，更加不要這樣做。上樓前就準備好鑰匙，打開房門之後快點溜進去。
4 Always throw parties
經常叫朋友來聚會
Burglars are less likely to target busy homes. So yes, this can be your excuse to throw a party.
竊賊不太會把人多的房子選作目標。所以說，威懾歹人也可以成爲你在家轟趴的理由。
Having people over can make your home seem like there are more people living in it. It'll also show would-be intruders that a lot of friends have got your back.
叫朋友到家裏來玩會顯得你家有很多人住的樣子。這也可以讓入室竊賊明白，你有很多朋友保護你。
5 Have an emergency exit plan
準備一個緊急逃生方案
Create an exit strategy for worst case scenarios, such as fires or breakins.
爲最糟糕的狀況準備一個緊急逃生方案，以防火災或者歹人破門而入。
Know where to escape to and at whose house you can stay safe and call the police. Having this plan tucked away will give you peace of mind and make handling such scary situations all the easier.
要知道往哪兒逃，去誰家比較安全，接着再報警。準備好這個緊急方案會讓你放心不少，處理起緊急情況也會不慌不亂。
6 Be smart about spare keys
管理好備用鑰匙
Burglars and other nefarious types know exactly where to check for spare keys.
入室竊賊或歹徒清楚地知道鑰匙一般藏在哪兒。
So don't think you're being clever by hiding them in the mailbox, or underneath a carpet. Instead, you're better off leaving them to a friend or trusted neighbor.
所以不要自作聰明瞭，把鑰匙放在信箱裏和地毯底下都是不可取的。最好是放在朋友那兒，或者信任的鄰居那兒也可以。
7 Always lock the door
永遠都要記得鎖門
Lock your doors, every single time. Even if you're just popping out to the garbage dumpster, or only stepping inside to grab something you forgot.
每次離家，都要鎖門！哪怕只是出去倒個垃圾，或者開門拿個忘了的東西，都一定要鎖門。
It may seem like overkill — especially if you live in a relatively safe district. But it only takes that one moment for someone to sneak in.
如果你住的地方比較安全，這麼做聽起來好像有點過頭。但要知道，你一個不留神，歹徒就能溜進你家。
8 Get a monitored home security system
裝一套家庭監視設備
A home security system is a great deterrent to would-be burglars. In fact, research conducted by a team from the University of North Carolina revealed that 84 percent of burglars said if they were confronted with a home security system, they would not attack the home.
入室竊賊很怕家庭安全監視設備。北卡羅來納大學的一項研究顯示，84%的入室竊賊表示如果家裏有安全系統，他們就不會去那家盜竊。
Even if you live in a low-crime area, you'll rest easier at night knowing your abode is protected by a monitored home security system.
就算你住在犯罪率較低的地區，有了家庭安全監控攝像，你晚上也能睡得更香。
除了監控，未來或許還有其他“黑科技”可以幫到我們。
有人建議，現在的智能音箱也可以在安全領域大有作爲。
技術人員可以開發一個“安全回覆功能”，當你說出特定句子，如“別動，我去開！”的時候，就會激活該功能。
它就會用你想要的音色（如粗獷）大聲說出：“可能是我的外賣到了，叫小哥放門口吧”。
又或者，它可以跟你吵架——門外的歹人聽到裏面人多，情緒還很激動，多半也會離開。
你甚至可以設置語音激活自動報警——如果你大喊若干次“救命”，它會默默撥通報警電話，發送位置信息，並調用家庭攝像頭錄製現場情況，留下證據。
當然，絕大多數敲門者都不是壞人。
有人說自己雖然一個人住，但也常常對着空氣說“別動，我去開”，
原因是
——
不想讓送餐員覺得自己要吃雙人份。
Notes
fumble /ˈfʌmbl/ v笨拙地摸找
intruder /ɪnˈtruːdər/ n闖入者；入侵者
scenario /səˈnærioʊ/ n設想；方案；預測
dumpster /ˈdʌmpstər/ n大垃圾桶
abode /əˈboʊd/ n住所；家
