Street Safety by Using Common Sense

By Great Wall Defense an Online  Personal Defense Store 

Using the streets is often the only way to get around the city, or to get from transit to your workplace, home, or event. While city planning currently tries to design the streets with safety in mind, there are always those criminals who try to take advantage of the woman walking alone. Yet you can’t lock yourself in your closet at home and never come out, as that’s not living at all. There are many ways that you can increase your safety when away from home.

Here are some common sense tips to help you to keep safe while you’re walking between places in your city.

1. Stay in well-lit and busy areas of town. Be knowledgeable about which are the bad (high crime) parts of town. These trouble spots are often in regions where office workers must go past in order to get home at night. These are areas with few houses, apartments, open businesses, with the exception of seedy nightclubs or bars where you can almost always find trouble.

2. It’s best to try not to carry a purse at all, but if you do, don’t wrap the purse straps around your wrist. Some police authorities recommend that you don’t wrap your purse around your body either, as that can also cause injury in the event of a purse snatching. Keep your purse close to your body, but place your valuables such as a wallet, car keys, house keys, cell phone in your pockets or other specialized hideaway product. That way if you are robbed or if your purse is snatched, you won’t lose anything of real value. You could even put a personal pepper spray or a powerful stun gun some where on your person just in case things got rough.

3. Always bring only what you need for that day. You do not need to bring every single credit card you own, or large sums of  money that can get you hurt or worse. Resist the urge to pack everything you own in your purse especially not the kitchen sink. Only bring the items that you actually need for work and those extra hours that you are out on the town.

4. Avoid using shortcuts. You may think that you save valuable time or that your risk is lessened when you take a “secret” shorter route home, but you could be exposing yourself to additional dangers. If someone has been watching you for a while, they may be aware of your pattern of habitual routes to get home and may wait there to attack. Dark alleys, open fields, narrow paths, and vacant lots should be avoided. These too are choice areas for criminal types and homeless wanderers to hide and wait for you, the victim to pass by and then strike. In these unpredictable situations and locations, by the time you see the assailant it’s too late.

5. Be aware of other pedestrians and always look around at your surroundings. If you believe you are being followed, you’ll have to try some clever evasive maneuvers. You can quickly cross the street, or even turn back in the direction you came from. This will gauge their reaction to the change you make. If they make the same change in direction then you will be able to decide more accurately whether they were following you or not. If they are following you, find a well-lit place where there are people, such as a corner shop, restaurant, or other business. Avoid heading directly home as you don’t want to let a potential attacker learn where you live. If you have a cell phone with you, call the police if you feel that you are in imminent danger. You can also wave frantically at people’s windows if you are not carrying a personal alarm or alert whistle. You can even act like you are making a call on a cell phone and announce loudly, “I can see your car in the distance. I’ll be there in five minutes.”  This works well when your cell phone is not picking up a signal or your battery is dead.

Often attacks happen when we let our guard down. So don’t let that happen to you. Somehow, the criminals always seem to know when you are at a disadvantage or when you are afraid and not prepared. Never let on  to someone following you that that you are tired, weary or afraid. Walk at a confident pace with a definite purpose in your stride. With a bit of extra care, plan ahead, think on your feet and you’ll most likely see yourself  arriving safely at home.