@Brian139, this is a GREAT post. Parking lots can be vulnerable places.
Not saying I’m the perfect example, but I try to do a few things consistently. #1, I always park as far away from other cars as possible, and under a light if it’s at night. Even when I’m in a hurry. #2, I don’t click the doors unlocked until I’ve had a chance to peek into the interior, and especially the covered bed of my pickup. #3, if it’s more than a single-hand carry, I use a cart, my logic being it can also be an obstacle that could buy me precious seconds to deploy my firearm.
I try to park away from other vehicles. When returning to my truck I change approach Ngles to that I can visually assess my truck and the surrounding area - checking for people hiding and people in other vehicles - engines running and to see if anything is under the tires. I keep my clicker in my support hand. If alone, i only unlock the driver door when I’m a couple of steps away. If I’m with my wife, I walk with her to the passenger side and open the door for her. If ive approached from the rear. I then walk around the front to my side (or vice versa) to have a 360 scan of the truck.
When I leave to work in the morning at 4:30 am it’s really dark. My vehicle is in the driveway. I walk through the garage to get to my vehicle. I click the door lock twice it’s a two door Fiat 500 sport. I have a small tactical light with me so before I enter my car I take a look around the area, I have bushes so I take a look around them and the side of the house also. All this while my hand is in my right pocket on my Ruger LCP II just in case. I then enter my vehicle and lock the doors. My front door entrance light stays on and my garage door entrance light also overnight. This has been my daily routine for a while.
I might suggest you evaluate the bushes. If they are large, they are potential safety issues.
When I worked in DC, I left before sunup for at least much of the year, as to beat traffic (or some of it, departure had to be before 0600.), but I not only had a flashlight but also had a pole light to shine on the area.
Now, I had to leave that area, because it ceased being rural (I was 50 miles from DC), and had to catch up to the rural area… and we do have bears and rattlers, so a light is always a good thing, not just for cars, but for simply not walking up on something that might make you use a defensive method of expelling odorous material…
