How to Stay Safe When You're Alone at a Gas Station

It's a potential danger zone for women traveling alone: the gas station.

When stopping for fuel, or to pick up a snack, women can find themselves at risk if they're alone.

In the aftermath of of the apparent abduction of student Aniah Blanchard, who was last seen at an Alabama gas station, there are ways women can help protect themselves.

According to former Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Sheryl Dorsey, it's important that women gas up only at well-lit stations with an attendant present. Be alert and aware of the people around you, she said.

"We become complacent," she said. "So lady beware."

Don't play with your phone or read texts while refueling your ride, she advised. "I'm a little rude with people who approach me," she said, preferring to concentrate on the task at hand and getting back on the road.

Blanchard, the stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris, is still missing. Her car, which was found a few days after she vanished two weeks ago, contained evidence that she was a "a victim of foul play," authorities said. 

Early Friday, a suspect was arrested in Florida and charged with kidnapping. Police said Ibraheem Yazeed, 30, was in the station's convenience store at the same time as Blanchard.

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