Please pardon me while I step up on my soapbox......
Safety vests are a topic that is near and dear to my heart. The amateur radio club I'm a member of helps with two parades each year. We help the police by blocking off side streets so they can focus on more important tasks before, during and after the parade. Since we're working on a public roadway we have to follow Department of Transportation safety standards. I did a lot of research on the topic and found a safety vest that was comfortable, affordable, useful, VISIBLE and also met standards. Over the years I've purchased a bunch of them and resold them to club members at cost. I also arranged to have them silkscreened to identify our group.
How does that relate to mystery shopping you ask? Simple, we all have the same goal.... don't get run down by a driver who didn't see us standing (walking) there. A safety vest can also be worn while changing a flat tire on your car, riding a bicycle or any other time you need to be more visible to the people around you.
Whether you're doing a mystery shop that requires one or not, I encourage everyone to get a standards compliant safety vest and keep it in their car for emergencies. If you have children (of any age) give them a safety vest to keep in their car, just in case. A good vest is cheap insurance, and unlike an insurance policy that pays off after a disaster, a safety vest can prevent the disaster in the first place.
The safety vest our club is using is the Radians SV-7G. The "G" stands for green, as in lime-green, they also make an orange version. The vest is available in any size you're likely to want from 'medium' to '5X'. The SV-7 is sold as a surveyors vest and it has lots of pockets, some which velcro shut. Radians manufactures other styles of vests, pick whatever you like that complies with safety standards. 3M and others also make fine vests.
Here are a few links to more information on the topic and to specific vests you might want to consider. These vests are available from many retailers, both online and brick & mortar. I own both the Radians SV-7G and the 3M vest linked below. They're quality products.
(link to general information about high visibility attire)
[
www.workzonesafety.org]
(Link to the Radians web site)
[
www.radians.com]
(size chart for Radians safety vests)
[
www.radians.com]
(Amazon link to a size 'large' SV-7G vest. Search for the size you need before buying)
[
www.amazon.com]
(3M vest, one size fits most, may be too large for smaller people, read the reviews. Easily adjusts to fit over winter clothing!)
[
www.amazon.com]
(climbs off soapbox)
And in the imortal words of Sergeant Phil Esterhaus of "Hill Street Blues" (1981-87): "Hey, let's be careful out there!"
Thank you all for listening. Please resume having a great day.