Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Usually, when I pull into the parking lot of a local grocery or department store and notice someone sitting in the car next to me, I avoid eye contact and go on with my day. It’s not polite to stare, I suppose. But lately, I’ve started to pay closer attention—almost taking inventory of how many people, often elderly, are waiting for their loved ones to return.

More often than not, the person left in the vehicle is either asleep, if elderly, or completely tuned out if a teenager or child—locked into whatever is on their phone. Not only are they unaware of the world around them, but they also become vulnerable—not just because of their own lack of awareness but because of the security risk they pose to themselves and others.

“Sitting ducks,” I say to myself, watching how exposed people can be while peacefully waiting for their daughter, son-in-law, or spouse to return. They’re easy targets. Kids might not carry cash, but they have smartphones, headphones, and laptops. Seniors may no longer carry credit cards or checkbooks—perhaps due to past, closely monitored generosity toward a caregiver, grandchild, or neighbor—but they often have jewelry, a pocketbook full of cash, and keys still in the ignition.

There is, sadly, an underworld of thieves, scam artists, and mentally unstable individuals who monitor what many believe to be safe, peaceful parking lots. And don’t think for a second that being a strong, level-headed adult makes you immune to becoming a victim of a crime.

Don’t leave your loved ones—your parents, kids, or pets—alone and exposed. If they must stay behind, make sure it’s only for a short time.

While researching a story on the Green River, I had a sudden and unexpected sense of unease. Whether taking photographs or surveying storm damage along Green River Cove Road, Holbert Cove Road, or Highway 176, I felt out of place in a way that had little to do with the terrain.

On one trip, a man standing on his porch yelled at me to leave as I reversed course near a roadblock. On another, I was stopped by a worker guarding a long-closed road who insisted I turn around. There were no sheriff’s deputies, no county vehicles—just a man doing what he’d been told. Still, the encounter was unnerving.

Later, on Holbert Cove Road, a truck followed so closely behind me that it felt more like a warning than bad driving. And at a disposal site in Mill Spring—where debris was being separated and ground—I was met by workers whose tone and body language suggested I didn’t belong there.

All of this adds up to a message: now that some of these rural areas are reopening after storm damage be mindful of your surroundings. Don’t fish alone. Don’t hike or paddle alone. Don’t assume that natural beauty means total safety.

According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Polk County experienced a 73% increase in violent crime in 2023, with a violent crime rate of 312 per 100,000 residents. Aggravated assaults made up more than 73% of those cases.

In addition, CrimeGrade.org reports Polk County has a property crime rate of 10.2 incidents per 1,000 residents. Theft is the most common offense. A quiet parking lot, a sleeping senior, a distracted child—or a pet in the back seat—can all become easy targets.

Polk County is full of wonderful people. Many will greet you warmly. Others, understandably, may be cautious about unfamiliar faces.

In this world, where you may be alone but not truly alone, be aware. Be cautious. Be safe. And do not become a sitting duck.