Scott Bryson spent 25 years as a Secret Service agent, protecting five U.S. presidents. After retirement, he took to social media to share his experience and everyday safety tips with Americans.

He talks about parking lot safety often. Bryson admits, “Some of you might be thinking, ‘Move on,’ but others actually get it and find this useful.” In one video [embedded below], he pulls into a parking lot and shows three specific spots he avoids.

Parking spaces without clear visibility

The first spot Bryson keyed in on sat at the edge of the lot, with hedges bordering two sides. A car was actually parked in the nearly hidden space. Bryson said, “I wouldn’t park near those bushes—that’s just me.”

Parking near occupied vehicles

Bryson immediately noticed an occupied car in the middle of the lot. He could tell it was occupied because the driver’s side window was down. “The driver is alone with his arm hanging out the window.”

He pointed out that the driver was doing nothing illegal. “Nothing wrong with that.” But in a wide-open lot, an adjacent space isn’t worth the unnecessary risk. “I wouldn’t just pull into any of these spots and park right next to someone like that this far from the building.”

Parking near groups of people

Finally, Bryson spotted two cars parked near each other, facing in opposite directions, so the drivers could roll down their windows and chat. Again, he noted that this is totally legal. “These two cars over here? They’re just parked, no issues. Nothing wrong at all.” But he added that he wouldn’t volunteer to park in any spaces adjacent to a pair or group of people hanging out far from the building.

‘Use common sense’

Bryson says you probably already have the instincts necessary to stay safe in most situations. You simply need to stay aware. “None of this is rocket science—we just need to use common sense.” You can see him demonstrate these principles in the video embedded below: