Dear Readers: Three years ago I wrote a column telling women what to do if they have car trouble while they`re alone at night. It read (in part):
”Turn your emergency blinkers on, or lift the hood to let passers-by know you have car trouble, then sit in your car with the windows rolled up and wait for help.”
Then a reader wrote in to say: ”Abby, I wouldn`t recommend getting out of the car even to lift the hood. I bought an inexpensive reflective banner with large red letters bearing the message `PLEASE CALL POLICE.` It can be easily secured inside the windshield or the rear window of a car with double- faced tape so the driver doesn`t even have to get out of the car. It is highly visible both day and night. This discourages would-be robbers or rapists from attacking because the police could already be on their way.” (The 3-foot reusable plastic banner folds up to glove-compartment size.)
The cost is $4 each–postage and handling included. Make your tax-deductible check or money order payable to: WCIL, P.O. Box 66980, Los Angeles, Calif. 90066.
WCIL (Westside Center for Independent Living) is a nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is to help disabled people live independently. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery.
Dear Abby: I need your help desperately. I have just lost my precious pet –a toy poodle. She was intelligent, sweet and very loving. Her name was Fe-Fe. I had her for nearly 13 years and I can`t believe that she is gone. Abby, people just don`t understand. She was like a child to me. No mother ever loved her baby more.
Someone told me that you had a helpful suggestion in your column about this very subject. What was it? I break down and cry when people laugh at me and say, ”Snap out of it. After all, she was only a dog!”
Please help me, Abby. I can`t handle this alone.
Jackie Jones, Leesburg, Ga.
Dear Jackie: You shouldn`t have to handle it alone. Ask your vet to recommend a counselor who specializes in ”grief and loss therapy.” If your vet doesn`t know one, consult your local mental health association. There are therapists who specialize in helping people cope with the loss of a loved one, friend, relative or pet.
