Mildred from Groves asks: Officer Antoine, I read your column regularly and I can honestly say I love it. My husband and I were at H-E-B during the Thanksgiving holiday shopping, and he almost had three accidents with people backing out of their parking spots. If an accident would have occurred, who would have been at fault? Would it be the vehicle backing up or the one moving in the lane?

Answer: Good question, Mildred! Mildred, I truly understand how crowded and congested parking areas can be, especially during the holiday season. I don’t always possess the patience to deal with the crowd, so I normally turn around and try another time. It sounds like you’ve tapped in on the continual battle of which is better: backing into a parking space, vs. pulling into a parking space. Mildred, studies have shown backing into a parking space is much safer than pulling into a space. The mass majority of crashes (accidents/wrecks) occur when someone is backing out of a parking space. I can just imagine what your husband experienced in a congested parking area when people are in a rushed state of mind! Keep in mind, just because backing into parking spaces is safer, backing out may not be appropriate for all occasions. Mildred, pulling out of spaces gives you the best view of pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Police departments in Texas don’t generally investigate private property crashes, but the fault vehicle would normally be the vehicle backing out of a parking space where a crash occurred.

Jimmy from Port Arthur asks: Officer Antoine, with the holiday season being in full swing, can you give a few safety tips on driving, entering and exiting your vehicle while shopping? Thanks for all you do to provide the readers with driving information.

Answer: Good question, Jimmy! We are in the middle of the biggest holiday shopping season, and our store and parking lots are packed with customers, and unfortunately mixed in that group of happy shoppers are some criminals. So we need to take extra precautions when driving and entering or exiting our vehicles. Here are just a few safety tips to consider: Ladies, never leave your purse on front seat of your vehicle (any seat in that case). Also, ladies if possible, leave your purse at home or secure it in the trunk. If you carry your purse, strap your purse across your body, or have it on your shoulder. If shopping at night, park in well-lighted areas. If possible, don’t shop alone. Never leave packages unattended or on the seats of your vehicle. Have your keys in your hand before exiting the store. Make a note of where you parked, and avoid parking next to vehicles that are much bigger than yours. Don’t carry large amounts of cash. Make sure you secure (lock) your vehicle. When approaching your vehicle, always be aware of your surroundings and lastly, don’t allow any stranger to approach you.

Dave from Port Arthur asks: Officer Antoine, my cousin and I were in Houston for Thanksgiving, and a fire truck was putting out a fire and the hose was stretched out across the street. My cousin wanted to drive over it because it was in the way of the direction he was driving. I told him he shouldn’t drive over fire hose. We debated a few times then he decided to listen to my advice. Is it illegal to run over a fire hose in Texas?

Answer: Good question, Dave! I’m glad your friend listened to wisdom, because it is illegal to run over fire hose in Texas. But permission to cross over a fire hose can be given by a fire department official who’s in command on the scene. So if any of us see fire hoses laid across the street, no matter if they’re flat or round filled with water, respect the fire department property and stay off the hoses! Refer to Texas Transportation Code 545.408.

Join Officer Antoine for Ask A Cop Live on KSAP 96.9 FM, “The Breeze” radio station, every Tuesday for one hour from 1-2 p.m. Tune in and listen as Officer Antoine discusses in detail the newly released Ask A Cop article that printed in The News. You can also tune in via internet at www.ksapthebreeze.org. Feel free to call in and ask your question live to Officer Antoine at 409-982-0247.

Remember to email your questions to Rickey.Antoine@portarthurtx.gov, or call 409-983-8673 and leave a message or voice mail question, or mail them to: Ofc. Rickey Antoine, 645 Fourth St., Port Arthur, Texas, 77640. If you happen to see me in public you can Ask A Cop!