Julianna (a KD consulting designer) sent me this via email. Worth sharing.
Subject: great idea!!!
PUT YOUR CAR KEYS BESIDE
YOUR BED AT NIGHT
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your sisters,
everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside
your bed at night.
If you hear a noise outside your home or someone
trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The
alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you
turn it off or the car battery dies.
This tip came from a neighborhood watch
coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your
keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably
already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most
everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down
or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you
park in your driveway or garage.
If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying
to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After
a few seconds, all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who
is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to
carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work
the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with
everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a
heart attack, where you can't reach a phone.