Safety garment and method of using the same

1. A safety device, comprising:

a garment shaped to be worn on a torso of a user;

a flexible strap attachable to the garment and extending from the garment on first and second sides thereof, the strap having first and second ends;

an elongated first fastener component attached at or near the first end of the strap, the first fastener component having a longitudinal direction and being positionable in either a first orientation with the longitudinal direction of the first fastener component oblique or substantially normal to a portion of the strap at or near the first end thereof, or a second orientation with the longitudinal direction of the first fastener component aligned or nearly aligned with a portion of the strap at or near at the first end thereof; and

an elongated second fastener component attached at or near the second end of the strap, the second fastener component having a longitudinal direction and being positionable in either a first orientation with the longitudinal direction of the first fastener component oblique or substantially normal to a portion of the strap at or near the second end thereof, or a second orientation with the longitudinal direction of the second fastener component aligned or nearly aligned with a portion of the strap at or near at the second end thereof,

wherein the first and second fastener components are capable of locking engagement with each other while joined in the first orientation, and are shaped for being used individually as anchors while in the first orientation and separated from each other, and

wherein the first and second fastener components are longer than a width of the strap, the first and second fastener components have respective centroids, and the strap is attached to the respective first and second fastener components at respective locations that are offset from the respective centroids along the lengths of the first and second fastener components.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein

the first fastener component includes a male portion, and the second fastener component includes a female portion having an opening at least at one end thereof, for slidably receiving the male portion, and

at least one of the first and second fastener components includes means for retaining the other of the first and second fastener components upon engagement therewith.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the male portion includes a portion shaped as an elongated cylinder, and the female portion includes an elongated cylindrical opening.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first fastener components has a length from about 5 cm (2 in.) to about 9 cm (3.5 in), a width of about 2 cm (¾ in) or less, and a height of about 2 cm (¾ in) or less, and the strap is attached to the respective first and second fastener components at respective locations that are longitudinally offset from the respective centroids of the first and second fastener components by a distance from 0.6 cm (¼ in) to 3.6 cm (1-½ in).

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second fastener components has a recessed attachment member, to which the strap is attached.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the garment is a vest.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the garment includes at least one region capable of having advertising indicia placed thereon.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a storage pouch on one side of the garment, and an attached or attachable hygienic panel that is stowable in the storage pouch.

9. A method comprising:

placing a garment on a torso of a user;

providing a flexible strap attached to the garment, the strap having first and second ends extending from the garment on first and second sides thereof, the strap having an elongated first fastener component attached at or near the first end of the strap at an attachment location part way along a length of the first fastener component, the strap having an elongated second fastener component attached at or near the second end of the strap at an attachment location part way along a length of the second fastener component, wherein the first and second fastener components are capable of locking engagement with each other;

inserting each of the first and second fastener components through respective first and second openings in at least one wall or frame of a vehicle in which the user is located, wherein each of the first and second fastener components has a length that is greater than a dimension of the first and second openings, respectively, and

rotating the first and second fastener components to orientations substantially parallel to portions of the at least one wall or frame of the vehicle having the respective first and second openings, to anchor the first and second fastener components to the frame, wherein the rotating step includes anchoring the first and second fastener components to the frame by interference between the first and second fastener components and the first and second openings, respectively, without locking engagement.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first and second fastener components are longer than a width of the strap, the first and second fastener components have respective centroids, and the strap is attached to the respective first and second fastener components at respective locations that are offset from the respective centroids along the lengths of the first and second fastener components.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle is a shopping cart, the first and second fastener components each have a width and height that are smaller than a smaller dimension of an opening of the frame of the shopping cart, and the first and second fastener components each have a length that is greater than the smaller dimension of the opening of the frame of the shopping cart.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle is a shopping cart, and the wall is a fixed wall of the shopping cart.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the garment is a vest.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising placing the child in a seat of the shopping cart before the inserting step, wherein the inserting step includes inserting the first and second fastener components in first and second openings of the shopping cart located behind and below the child.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising selecting the first and second openings so that the first and second openings are out of reach of the child.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

transferring the user between the vehicle and a seat while the user wears the garment;

wrapping the strap around, under or through the seat; and

locking the first and second fastener components to each other, to secure the user to the seat.

17. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

transferring the user between the vehicle and a seat while the user wears the garment;

locking the first and second fastener components to respective complementary fastener components on a second strap, the first and second straps forming a loop that is wrapped under, around or through the seat to secure the user to the seat.

18. The method of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second fastener components has a length that is greater than at least one dimension of the openings.

19. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing advertising indicia on the garment.

20. A method comprising:

placing a garment on a torso of a user;

providing a flexible strap attached to the garment, the strap having first and second ends extending from the garment on first and second sides thereof, the first and second ends having respective first and second fastener components that are capable of locking engagement with each other;

securing the user to a first object by joining the first and second fastener components to each other to form a closed loop for attachment to the first object; and

anchoring the garment to walls or a frame of a second object by:

inserting the first and second fastener components through respective first and second apertures in the walls or frame of the second object, and

rotating the first and second ends to be substantially parallel to the walls or frame having the apertures, the first and second fastener components being longer than a dimension of the apertures, including anchoring the first and second fastener components to the frame by interference between first and second fastener components and the first and second apertures, respectively, without locking engagement.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first and second fastener components are longer than a width of the strap, the first and second fastener components have respective centroids, and the strap is attached to the respective first and second fastener components at respective locations that are offset from the respective centroids along the lengths of the first and second fastener components

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first object is a seat, and the second object is a shopping cart.

23. A method comprising:

placing a garment on a torso of a user;

providing a first flexible strap attached to the garment, the first flexible strap having first and second ends extending from the garment on first and second sides thereof, the first and second ends having respective first and second fastener components that are capable of locking engagement with each other;

securing the user to a first object by joining the first and second fastener components of the first strap to complementary first and second fastener components of a second strap, to form a closed loop for attachment to the first object; and

anchoring the garment to walls or a frame of a second object while the user is not secured to the first object, by:

inserting the first and second fastener components through respective first and second apertures in the walls or frame of the second object, and

rotating the first and second ends to be substantially parallel to the walls or frame having the apertures, the first and second fastener components being longer than a dimension of the apertures, including anchoring the first and second fastener components to the frame by interference between first and second fastener components and the first and second apertures, respectively, without locking engagement.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first and second fastener components are longer than a width of the first strap, the first and second fastener components have respective centroids, and the first strap is attached to the respective first and second fastener components at respective locations that are offset from the respective centroids along the lengths of the first and second fastener components

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first object is a chair, and the second object is a shopping cart.

26. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

removing the user from the first object;

attaching the second strap to the garment, and

allowing the user to walk while the tether is attached.