Woman Who Worked in Prison Reveals Why You Should Never Put Sticker Decals on Your Car
A woman on TikTok revealed why she will never put sticker decals on her car — and she's cautioning others to do the same.
In a viral video which has so far garnered over 460,000 views, former prison corrections officer Michaela Katharina, who was responsible for securing inmates for two and a half years, reveals the "things [she] will never do after working in corrections."
While working inside prison, Michaela became acutely aware of how criminal minds work.
"I will never put one of those stick figure families on the back of my car or put any kind of identifiable sticker on my vehicle," Michaela says, explaining "people can tell if you're single or you have children, and they don't need to know that information."
"I will never correct someone's assumption about me — they don't need to know more information [about] me as it's just not necessary," she continues. "As a queer woman, I find that a lot of people assume that I have a boyfriend. I will let them believe that because for my safety, they do not need to know that I'm queer."
Michaela also shares other safety precautions to keep in mind, including always keeping a weapon nearby and not allowing yourself to get distracted by music.
"I will never again walk around at night while listening to music. You need to be alert and aware of your surroundings," she says, adding, "I always like to keep something nearby, like keys that can be used as a weapon, and I always try to wear shoes that [I] can run in."
Some other tips include remembering to lock your car doors — even when simply waiting for someone in a parking lot — and taking a photo of the license plate before entering a taxi.
Michaela also does not let people know where she lives: "Generally, if someone is coming to pick something up off of Facebook marketplace, I will meet them in the lobby of my apartment building. I will not let them know what unit number I am in."
She also refuses to "go to unfamiliar areas with someone I haven't met yet."
Her most controversial rule, however, is that she won't allow her kids to attend sleepovers.
"When I have children one day, they will not be going on sleepovers," Michaela says, explaining she doesn't want her children to be alone with adults until they are old enough to have a conversation about grooming and sexual assault.
"I have just seen too many cases of children getting assaulted by someone that is trusted. So, until they're around at least 9 or 10 years old, they will not be having sleepovers anywhere but my own home," she says.
Watch below:
Even though true crime shows such as Prison Break and Orange Is the New Black, as well as podcasts such as Crime Junkie and My Favorite Murder, have become highly popular, the idea of becoming the subject of a true crime storyline is less appealing.
That said, Michaela makes some very good points.