The “heartless” thug waited at an ATM next to the one Mary, an elderly Canadian woman, was using.
He was just waiting for her to get her money so that he could attack her.
As soon as her cash hit the slot, he was on top of her, committing a brutal assault.
But this was one tough woman, and she wasn’t having it!
What happened next makes my blood boil, because the whole thing is just proof for the fact that…
Most ATM Machine Safety Advice Is wrong, Wrong, WRONG!
The Canadian press identified the lady as just “Mary,” wanting to protect her identity.
The whole assault was captured on camera at the bank in Aurora, Ontario, where she has an account.
In the video, you can see Mary at her machine, withdrawing her money… while the thug waits and watches her, choosing the moment to make a grab for her cash.
When the money is there, the scumbag just reaches in, shoving Mary and clawing the bills out of the machine.
But he didn’t count on Mary’s reaction.
She fought the guy, doing (as the news reported) what “many women have been taught to do – go for the privates.”
The thug blocked her punch and her knee for his groin, but Mary’s goal wasn’t to fight him off…
…it was to get him in front of the ATM camera.
“You’re going to get my money, I’m going to get a mug of you,” she told the news. “You’re not getting my money for nothing. …I thought of the cameras and I wanted to try and get a picture of his face.”
The thug threw Mary to the ground, leaving her with cracked ribs and terrible bruising all over her body.
(You can’t see that on the video; she just disappears off the screen.)
She survived – but only because she got lucky.
(And yes, the authorities DID get a close-up face picture of the thug in the ATM camera, so good job, Mary!)
This story makes me so angry, though.
It reminded me of just how much advice for “ATM safety” is dumb, pointless, or incomplete.
Here are 3 pieces of ATM advice that should come with an “asterisk” next to them!
1. “Check All Around For Suspicious Characters”
Some “experts” tell you to watch for people looking to rob you when you use the ATM.
You could argue that Mary didn’t do this – didn’t check the area for people who might want to rob her – but that’s not really true.
She was at an ATM while somebody else was using the one next to her.
Nothing about the scumbag’s appearance was a “warning flag” (except for how he watched her when she wasn’t looking).
He looked like any other ATM customer.
(The fact is, if ANYBODY is nearby, no matter how innocent they look, they could be a potential criminal.)
Mary would be better off going inside the bank during bank hours, rather than using an outdoor ATM at all.
2. “Bring Somebody To Watch Your Back”
Another piece of advice somebody might give Mary – and I’ve seen this plenty of places online – is that she’d have been safe if she’d just brought a friend.
Well, that’s not bad advice… until you figure that most of Mary’s friends are probably her age.
(A scumbag willing to throw one old lady on the ground won’t hesitate to do it twice.)
Unless your “security buddy” is better able to fight than you are, you’re just multiplying the thug’s potential victims… especially if HE has backup, too.
3. “Ask Other People To Wait Outside The Booth”
This is the piece of advice that really bugs me, honestly.
Let’s say Mary’s bank had one of those little vestibules that you use your card to enter, for security.
(“ATM etiquette” and security advice says that other people are supposed to wait outside while you use the machine.)
Well, if an elderly woman asked the ATM scumbag to wait outside, what would she do if he said no?
And what’s to stop him from pushing her down and taking her money when she walks out of the “security area?”
Asking other people to wait doesn’t help you at all if those “other people” are violent criminals.
The Only Piece Of ATM Security Advice That Matters…
The ONLY thing that would have helped Mary would have been practical self-defense advice.
Ok yes, I get it… she’s an “old lady”, right?
But that doesn’t mean she can’t defend herself!
I mean, she already showed that she had the heart to fight back.
That’s a good thing.
But you and I both know that you also need the SKILLS to back it up, right?
Watching the video, this woman actually DID go after a vital target that could have helped her – the groin.
Unfortunately, she didn’t strike it the right way.
In my “Defeat Larger Attackers” DVD, I demonstrate the absolute EASIEST and MOST DESTRUCTIVE way to attack the groin – so easy that yes, even this little ‘ol granny could have left this guy whimpering at her feet.
It works because it uses a completely natural movement that adds momentum and force without having to learn some “technique” – super powerful.
(BTW, if you want to see the move, I can send you the DVD for free. Just tell me the address to send it to with this form…)
In the end, it was only sheer luck that saved this woman from being seriously hurt.
No matter how young or old you are, and no matter strong you are, there will always be some criminal scumbag who’s searching for his next victim – and will strike when you least expect it.
Use these tips to show them that you’re NOT an “easy target”!
