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Tips for staying safe at night

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:15:13 +0000

Nighttime is more dangerous for women than daytime. Last time I wrote tips for staying safe in general but now I’d like to add tips for nighttime.

Unfortunately, nighttime safety concerns most women, and for good reason—the vast majority of victims during a nightly stroll are female and the vast majority of predators are male. No matter how highly skilled you are in defense, chances are that you will for more uneasy walking down a desert street at night than any man you know. Nighttime safety is important; learning these nine nighttime safety tips from women could save your life.

Tip #1: Take the Dog

If you want to practice nighttime safety, but don’t really feel like company on your walk, why not take your dog? Even if you only have a small dog or a puppy, animals deter attackers. Simply put, someone who wants to mug or rape you is looking for an easy target. He doesn’t know if your dog is sweet or ferocious, and he doesn’t want to take that chance of getting bit. Dogs also bark, even if they don’t attack, so having your furry friend with you will cause a commotion if you’re in danger, alerting anyone in the area that someone is in trouble or, at the very least, something is not right.

Tip #2: Sign up for a Self-Defense Class

Of course, nighttime safety starts with knowing how to take care of yourself. Community centers and martial arts business offer self-defense classes for a reason! In some cases, you can even find churches, colleges, and other organizations nighttime safety classes for a very low cost or for free, so there really is no reason not to sign up. You’ll learn not only self-defense moves, but also tips for avoiding danger altogether. The things you learn in these classes can help you to escape an attacker with your life.

Tip #3: Wear Reflective Gear

It is important to remember that not all women hurt while walking alone at night are attacked by predators. In some cases, the best nighttime safety tip you can have is to wear reflective clothing. When you are wearing dark gear and walking along the road late at night, a driver might not be able to see you until its too late. A number of prominent sporting gear companies sell clothing to prevent this, as well as provide consumers with reflective stickers and plastic pieces to attach to bikes or rollerblades. At the very least, wear light-colored clothing. When you do this, drivers in the area will be able to see you. It also helps if you are attacked—a driver may never noticed a struggle if both people are wearing black, but if you’re clearly seen being victimized, others will rush to your aid right away.

Tip #4: Stay off the Cell

Some women like to call a friend during a walk home in the dark to feel more secure. In actuality, this is one of the most dangerous things you can do. Although you may think that having a friend on the line will protect you, since he or she will be able to call 9-1-1 immediately if you are attacked, this is usually not the case, and predators know that. If you suddenly drop the phone, your friend will probably try calling back a number of times before ever calling the police, right? By that time, you’ll be stuffed in someone’s trunk and long gone!

Talking on your cell phone makes you an easy target, because you aren’t as aware of your surroundings. Listening to a portable music device does the same thing. When a predator can take you by surprise, he will be more likely to get what that wants, whether that be your belongings or your person. Practicing nighttime safety includes being fully alert to everything around you at all times. Remember, predators don’t like to risk being caught if they don’t have to—if you look like you’re ready to put up a fight, he’ll just wait for a girl on her cell phone to come along instead.

Tip #5: Take the Longer Route

This should be a no-brainer—walk along a route that takes you through well-lighted and populated areas. Yet, every day, women veer from the safe course in order to get to wherever they are going faster. Believe me, it’s not worth it. If you are concerned about your nighttime safety (and you should be), walk the extra block or two in order to stay in a safe location. Resist the urge to cut through the dark, deserted alley. Using your common sense will prevent you from entering dangerous situations in the first place.

Tip #6: Look Confident

When a predator is looking for his next victim, he will assess every situation to look for the one with the biggest payoff. In other words, he wants the least hassle with the most reward (money, jewelry, your body, etc). Looking confident will definitely be a disadvantage in his book. Women who look unafraid are more likely to have taken self-dense courses and are more likely to put up a fight. Keep your eyes level, instead of looking at the ground or continuously looking around you in fear. When you’re confident, you also look like you have somewhere to be—that is, people are expecting you and may immediately come looking for you if you are late. There are easier targets than a confidant woman, so for that reason alone, a predator may choose to leave you alone.

Tip#7: Carry a Weapon

Ok, ok. You don’t have to register a handgun in order to take advantage of this nighttime safety tip; you just need to be prepared with items that can be used as weapons. For example, carry your keys in your hand, holding one key between you pointer and middle finger. Try it—it creates a nice little jabbing device. You can also carry pepper spray, which is preferred by many women. If you do so, don’t keep it at the bottom of your bulky purse! How can you expect to quickly find it if you are attacked? Slip the pepper spray into your pocket or an outside pouch on your bag instead so that it is easy to access in the case of an emergency. Your nighttime safety devices won’t help you if you can’t reach them in a hurry.

Tip#8: Be Noisy

If you are attacked, don’t “shut up” even if your attacker tells you to do so. Scream, throw things, rustle branches, and do anything else it takes to make as much noise as possible. Also, instead of yelling “help,” try a better approach. Too many people scream help in jest, and so that word is sometimes ignored, as is general screaming. Instead, shout “Call 9-1-1!” or “Call the police!” instead as loudly as possible. People who hear that will be less likely to ignore you. Also, they will dial for help immediately instead of investigating what is going on, so the authorities will arrive more quickly. Your screaming will make the predator think twice and possible abort his attack. Your whole goal, if you are attacked, is to prevent someone from taking you to another place, where it will be easier to harm you, and creating a noise and putting up a fight can help you to prevent this.

Tip #9: Tell Someone When You’ll be Home

Lastly, the best nighttime safety tip I can give you is to let someone know that you will be outside at night and when you should be at your destination. If you’re running late—ever by a minute—have the other person call the police. It is important that someone realize you are missing or hurt as soon as possible, so find a friend and help one another with this nighttime safety tip. If you are for some reason running late, call him or her to report your new time of arrival. Being responsible for your safety, no matter what time of day or night, is important. By knowing how to avoid and overcome predators, you can keep yourself safe.

Stay safe…

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Stay Safe

admin — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:22:50 +0000

We live in a world that is not safe. We have to learn how to protect ourselves in bad situation. I hope nobody has to face anything like that but it’s always good to learn the basics.

On this page I’ve collected some general tips on how to avoid dangerous situations outside your home. Generally, the best idea is to use your common sense!

Unfortunately, that’s not always enough. First I’ll list some common sense tips on how to avoid violence in the first place. Actually, that’s the most effective way of self defense!

Remember, most of the violent situations (mainly domestic violence) starts after verbal quarrel. Always try to “cool down” the situation or try to get out of your home before it’s too late.

General:

If you see or sense problems on your way, just change your route and – prepare to run or defend yourself
Do not wear conspicuous jewelry when you are walking on the streets alone
Do not hitchhike, use buses or taxis instead
Do not act or look like an easy target – look confident!
Most “fights” are won before they start, and aggressors will back down if you maintain eye contact and are not intimidated by them.

Public transport:

Remember, there is usually safety in numbers. Wait in a coffee shop or in a well lit area for the public transport to arrive
Don’t choose the window seat as you may be “blocked in” by a potential assailant; always choose an aisle seat for quick exit
After peak hours, always choose the train compartment carrying the most passengers or the compartment directly behind the train driver
On buses, sit behind the driver or next to the door for quick exit.

Motor vehicles:

Danger areas are stepping out of your car either at home or in isolated areas, and also walking to your car
Always approach your vehicle with the keys ready
Windows should be up and doors locked even when driving to avoid unwanted passengers at intersections. (Please note that this conflicts with quick entering and exit procedures in the event of an accident)
Always check your car before entering
Never leave your car unlocked, even for the few minutes it may take you to return a video, buy milk and so forth. Attackers have been known to lie in wait for such an opportunity.
Never get into a car even if someone is pointing a knife or a handgun at you from inside. Just start to run away from the car screaming at the same time. It’s much more likely that he will drive away to find an easier target than attacking or killing you. But if you get into the car, he has a much better opportunity to drive to a quiet place and start to abuse you and later maybe kill you.
Never pull your car over from a quiet road even if someone drives alongside your car pointing at the tyres etc. Always continue driving to a well-lit and crowded area before exiting your car. The problem might be a bluff and the driver wants you to stop at the side of the road to “help” you without a reason.
Always be alert in parking lots, specially when it’s dark. If you are afraid, don’t be too shy to ask someone to escort you to your car. Between cars and inside cars, it’s easy for someone to hide and wait until an unalert person comes along.

Taxis:

Always check the identification of the driver (usually located near the visor) and ensure that it matches the driver
Be wary of cars with central locking
Don’t sit behind the driver as it may be easy for the driver to lock the rear passenger door – always choose the adjacent seat
Always order taxis so that the driver can be traced
Avoid flagging taxis from the street

Walkers / joggers:

If you have car trouble and are walking to look for help, always walk against the traffic so that you can see what is coming
If shadowed by a car, run back in the direction from which you came. If you continue in the same direction, you will make it easy for the shadowing to continue
Be wary of alert passengers
Don’t use a “walkman” when walking in isolated areas at any time
Regularly change your routines
Mark out houses at intervals on each route you take that may be used as “safe houses” in the event of attack such as shops or houses that you know to be occupied by a friend or acquaintance. Try to incorporate these houses every time you vary your route
Be alert at all times
Don’t presume that because your area has been “safe” thus far, that it will continue to be so.

Public phone boxes:

When you are calling from a telephone box, after dialing the numbers always turn around so that you have your back to the phone and may see what is coming. You will then be able to tell the person to whom you are speaking that you may be in trouble and you may be able to use the weight of the phone as a weapon.The door of a telephone box could be used to wedge in the limbs of the attacker.

Clothing:

Think about your clothing – where will it be worn? Will you be going out after work? Get into the habit of leaving restrictive clothing and shoes for those occasions when you are certain that you have no reason to anticipate danger, such as large crowds, being picked up after work or going out and so forth.
Choose a wardrobe which maximizes freedom of movement. The best self defense techniques will not help you if you cannot run away because of tight skirts or shoes with straps and high heels. In these situations, it will be necessary to disable your attacker to ensure you are not followed unless you have some means of a quick exit such as a motor vehicle. This places additional, unnecessary pressure on you to be successful. Further, if you focus too much attention on disabling you opponent, you may not be sufficiently aware of an additional threat to yourself

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