This article page was copied from
www.safetyforwomen.com I have no desire
to plagiarize anyone else's material and
occasionally I will find an article or an
advice page I feel would benefit you.
Whenever this happens, I will give full
credit to the original author along with a
link to their site or a reference to where I
found the article.
"...The criminal's primary strategy is to
use the advantage of surprise. Criminals
mainly choose targets which appear to be
unaware of their surroundings. So, please be
prepared before something happens..."
— Caroline Young
Tips and Advice
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 tires 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.
