Illinois, If You Find A Zip Tie On Your Car Door, Take Action

It's the season for road trips and there's one thing you need to watch out for as you're traveling.

Whenever we're on the road for a long time, there are just a few staples that always happen. Kids run out of stuff to do 30 minutes in, we hear groaning and complaining from at least one person in the car, and the person with the weakest bladder needs to go to the bathroom every 10 miles. And of course, however frequent, we do have to stop and pull over at gas stations, restaurants, stores, or hotels.

via GIPHY

Some of the stops may have certain creeps lurking around.

We've told you what you should do if you find a $5 bill on your windshield while you're at a store, gas station, or any public parking lot. There's another thing to watch out for and it's much more sinister than stealing a car.

Watch Your Car Door Handle

This is especially true for ladies but when you do something like walk out of a store or gas station, take a look at your car door handle before you get in. What you don't want to see is a zip tie or a wire.

The theory is that a zip tie on your car door handle is a signal that you have been marked for sex trafficking. Arguments over how true that is vary, but it's something to keep an eye out for when you leave a public space.

There's A Zip Tie On My Car Door Handle. Now What?

MotorBiscuit says the intent would be to kidnap you while you're trying to remove the wire or zip tie that's on your car door handle.

You need to look out for really anything on your car that you didn't put there. Water bottles, stickers, whatever. If you ever feel like you're in an unsafe situation while you're traveling, you should:

1. Don't panic. You can't think clearly if you panic.

2. Don't remove the zip tie or wire right away, wait until you're in a safer place to do that.

3. To that point, get in a safer place, maybe go back inside around other people, and call 911.

The best thing to do when you're traveling, with or without your friends or family, is to just stay alert and aware of your surroundings.