Tips for staying safe at night
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300421504696&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
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…
Tags: defense lessons, defensive, nighttime, safe, safety, self protection, women safety
Fine Ideas, but do you have more detailed info on the topic, another blog or links to other websites too.
Great post. I’ve covered some aspects you didn’t cover on my blog. Check it out.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I could not have expressed it better . This is a subject matter that is dear to my heart and I thought you covered it impeccably. I recently started writing a blog as well but I’m not extremelygood at it yet. Would like to look at more of your website and I’ll certainly come back yet again!
I just wanted to leave a fast comment to thank you for your blog! I really liked your web site!!! Would you care terribly if I put up a return link from my blog site to your blog site? Keep up the tremendous work! Well Wishes!
Hi darling, sweet website! I really appreciate this blog post.. I was wondering about this for a long time now. This cleared a lot up for me! Do you have a rss feed that I can add?
I am brand-new to blogging and actually loved your website. I am going to bookmark your web site and keep checking you out. Thanks for sharing http://www.women-in-charge.net/tips-for-staying-safe-at-night/.
Thanks for the interesting read! Alright playtime is over and back to school work.
Good post – and good domain by the way!
Major thanks for the blog post.Really thank you! Want more.