Ever notice how the first three or four stories on the 11 o’clock news are stories about violent crime? What on earth is happening in our society? Given the state of neighborhood safety—or lack of it—here’s a safety tip sent to me via e-mail:

Most cars since the late ’90s come with remotes for opening and locking car doors. These remotes also open trunks and sound car horns. The latter is what this column is all about.

You’ve probably already tested your remote to see how far away you can trigger the doorlock feature. I’ve used the trunk opener to find my car in a crowded parking lot. I guess that’s a sign of advancing years. I have to hunt for my car at least once a week.

That same remote feature can serve as a burglar or "invasion" alarm in your home. Take the car keys to bed with you. Better yet, use a spare remote device. Before you rely on your remote to sound an alarm, first test it from all parts of your house.

My bedroom is rather far from the garage and the remote signal is too weak to trigger the horn. But if I step into the hallway just outside my bedroom, the remote sounds the alarm. The point is, test the remote before relying on it to serve as a panic button. Test it from various places in your house until you learn the sensitive operating zones.

People seem to ignore car horns in parking lots. That’s because the alarms are used in excess out on the streets. But late at night I believe neighbors will be annoyed by a continuously sounding horn.

Your car horn may be your initial response, but certainly not your only response. If there’s danger, you’ll want to lock your door and call the cops. The beauty of a cell phone is, you can’t cut the phone-line from outside the house. Call 911 as soon as you suspect trouble!

For many intruders a continuously honking horn is enough discouragement. The bad guys don’t like attention, so give them lots of it.