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Safety Precautions

Introduction

It has been said about self defense training that fully half of what we learn is preventive, and we practice it in hopes of never having to use the other half.

All activities (driving a car, filling the bathtub, walking through the parking lot at night) entail some risk. We all have different attitudes toward risk. At one end of the scale is refusing to engage in an activity by exaggerating the risk involved. At the other end is engaging in very risky activities while refusing to take any precautions. Neither of these attitudes are useful for living an empowered life. What is useful is to accurately assess the risks involved, take whatever precautions make sense, and live as fully as possible.

I would like to hear your comments on which of these guidelines you follow and whether they make sense in your cultural/gender context. Following these guidelines will not guarantee your safety, but will minimize your availability to an assailant.

GENERAL

Create a safety plan.
Listen to and act on your intuition. It's better to be safe and risk a little embarrassment, than stay in an uncomfortable situation that may be unsafe.
If you are in danger or being attacked and want to get help, yell "Call 911!" or give specific directions to onlookers; for example: "You! Get the police!" or "Walk me to the store on the corner, I'm being followed."
Have your keys ready when approaching your car or building.
Vary your routine: drive or walk different routes every day.
If you suspect that someone is following you, by foot or in a car, don't go home (or they will know where you live). Go to a trusted neighbor or to a public place to call police, or directly to police station.
Do not label keys with your name or any identification.
Don't talk about your social life or vacation plans where strangers can overhear you.
Always carry enough change for a telephone call.

IN YOUR HOME

Keep your house or apartment well lit. Use exterior sensory night-lights and interior lights plugged into timers to create the illusion of an occupied home at all times.
Have good locks on all doors and windows.
Do not use your full name on your mailbox or in the phone directory, or on your answering machine.
Do not leave a schedule of your times away from home on your answering machine.
If you live alone, do not let strangers know. Invent a roommate or big dog.
Know which of your neighbors you can trust in an emergency.
Check who is at the door before opening it, and do not open the door to an unexpected visitor. Install a wide-angle door viewer. These are an inexpensive aid for identifying people at your doorstep. If children are allowed to open the door under certain circumstances, install a second viewer at your child's height.
Don't hide extra keys in easily accessible places. Criminals will find them.
Ask for photo identification of all repair persons, etc. If you are still suspicious, call to verify employment.
Never give personal information to telephone solicitors. Never tell a stranger that you are home alone. If they ask for your husband or the man of the house, tell them he is taking a nap and cannot be disturbed.
Consider creating a "safe room" with a separate telephone line or cellular phone, and strong locks. If someone breaks in, you can retreat there (with children) and call for help.
Consider installing a home security system. A home alarm can be an effective deterrent to criminal intruders. A variety of systems are available, ranging from inexpensive, battery-operated door models to monitored, motion detecting systems costing several thousand dollars.
Never open your door to a stranger. Criminals can get a good look at you and your home by posing as a door-to-door salesperson, a neighbor who has lost a pet, or a floral deliverer at the wrong address. Do not let strangers into your home to use the phone. Offer to make the call for them.
Do not broadcast your plans in public where others can overhear. Burglars can use this information to determine whether your home might be an easy target in your absence.
Do not leave windows open or uncovered. Prevent casual observers from looking directly into your home. During the day, draw drapes or position blinds to allow only enough light for plants. At night, cover your windows completely.
Keep trees and shrubbery around your home well-trimmed. Overgrown bushes and trees often provide excellent hiding places for criminals.
Plant "defensive" shrubbery around your home, especially beneath windows. Bushes that feature thorns or stiff, spiky leaves are not good hiding places for criminals.
When moving into a house or apartment, always change or re-key the locks or have the tumblers reset. Otherwise, the previous resident - and anyone they supplied keys to - has unrestricted access to your home.
Lock your doors when working in your yard, attic, laundry room, or any place away from your home's entry areas. While you are busy elsewhere, burglars could easily enter your home unnoticed.

ON THE STREET

Don't hitchhike.
Be very careful using outside ATMs at night or in unfamiliar surroundings.
When on the street, walk facing oncoming traffic. It will be harder for someone to pull you into a car and abduct you.
Tell someone where you'll be and what time you're supposed to return, or if you will be with someone you don't know well.
Try to not overload yourself with packages. If you must have your hands full, visualize how you would respond if approached, how you would get your hands free, etc.
Do not wear music headphones while walking or jogging.
Do not read while walking or standing on the street.
If you wear a purse with a shoulder strap, be prepared to let it go if snatched. Otherwise you may be hurt if the mugger knocks you down and drags you. while fleeing with your purse.
If someone asks you for directions, and if you choose to reply, remain at least two arms lengths away.
Clogs, high heels, and tight skirts are hard to run and fight in. Capes, scarves, and long necklaces are easy to grab. Modify your fashion style, or wear comfortable clothing when walking alone (change into dress-up clothes later), or think through how you would fight in your dress-up clothes (for example, kicking off your high heels or hiking your skirt up around your hips before starting to run or kick)
Avoid being on the street alone if you are upset or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or have someone go with you.
When dropping someone off at their home, make sure they are safely inside before driving away. Have them do the same for you.

ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Beware overheard conversations. Do not tell anyone on the bus or subway where you are going.
Stay awake and alert.
Have exact change ready.
Try to sit near the driver.
If you sense someone is following you when you get off, walk toward a populated area. Do not walk directly home.

AT THE OFFICE

Don't leave your keys lying about
Notify security personnel if you notice suspicious persons or vehicles, especially after normal working hours.
Be extra careful in stairwells and isolated or poorly-lighted rest-rooms.
In an elevator stand near the controls and locate the emergency button.
Do not get in an elevator with someone who looks suspicious to you.
Know your co-workers and look out for each other.
At every phone: Emergency numbers for security, police, fire departments, and list of employees who are trained in CPR or first aid.

Safety tips for children, parents and community

Children

I will always play or go places with at least one other person-versus alone.
I know my body belongs to me. I will trust my gut instinct. I will say NO and run away from a situation that doesn't feel right.
I will always tell my parents where I am going and when I'll be home. I will return home before dark.
I will walk and play on the routes my parents said were OK. I will avoid shortcuts or alleys.
I will not accept candy, money, gifts or rides from any adult without my parent's permission.
I will not engage in dialogues with adults I do not know. I will back away from them if they try to talk to me.
I will always lock my home and car doors. I will not admit that I am home alone.
I will learn to dial 911. I will learn to use the pay phone without money. I will learn my address and phone number.
I will always walk against traffic on the sidewalk.
I will not allow adults to trick or force me into going places or doing things such as help find pets, carry packages, take pictures, play games, or take drugs with them. I will always check with my parents first.

Parents

Have a private family code word for emergencies.
Maintain current ID, including photograph, video and fingerprints.
Maintain current addresses and phone numbers of your children's friends.
Do not advertise your child's name on clothing, school supplies or backpacks.
It is important to keep all doors and windows locked.
Seek alternatives to leaving children alone in the home, on the street or in the car.
Children should know their phone number and how to use a pay-phone without money to call home or 911.
Be a role model to your children. Settle arguments with words, not violence.
By promoting your child's self-esteem and letting them know that you love them for who they are, you will teach them the self-confidence they need to avoid drugs and crime.
Listen to your children. Encourage them not to keep secrets from you.
Your child should know that certain strangers can be helpful such as Police Officer, moms with children, and store clerks.
Teach your children what to do if they become separated in a crowd or a store. Seek assistance from a helpful stranger.

Community

When time allows, volunteer at your children's school or in after school activities.
Knowing your neighbors and neighborhood is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your family's safety.
Work with local law enforcement to organize a neighborhood watch program. Establish safe houses on every block.
Report any crimes or suspicious activities to the police, school authorities and parents.
Insist that your legislators, at all levels, support laws that are protective of and designed to benefit children.

How to Protect Yourself in a Parking Garage

If you must leave a key with a parking attendant, leave only your vehicle's ignition key. Do not leave anything attached to it with your name and address.

Don't park next to a van's sliding door.
Change from high heels to low flats or even sneakers when leaving work. They are better to run in.
At night, leave your office or building in the company of others. Don't leave alone after dark. If possible, have someone from your building security escort you, or call for police assistance.
Approach your vehicle with your keys already in your hand.
Look around your vehicle for any suspicious activity. If you see someone loitering around your vehicle, walk past until they leave.
Do a quick scan of your vehicle's interior before unlocking the door. Be sure to look in the back seat.
Keep your doors locked and your windows shut.
Be suspicious of anyone approaching your vehicle, whether passing out leaflets or asking for donations. Always leave the car windows up.

How to Prevent a Carjacking

Keep doors locked and windows shut.
Don't stop to assist a disabled motorist. Instead contact a service station or police.
When stopped at a light, leave enough room between you and the car in front that you could make an escape.
Be suspicious of anyone approaching the car with fliers, asking for change or directions. Be ready to leave carefully, even if it means running a red light or stop sign.
While driving, if struck from behind or in any suspicious way, stay in your vehicle with the doors locked and windows closed until the police arrive. Activate your vehicle's emergency flashers.
If you're very suspicious, get the other vehicle's license number and drive to the nearest police station or a well-lighted area with lots of people.
If you think you are being followed, drive immediately to an area with lots of lights and people. If possible, drive to the nearest law enforcement office.
Obtain and use a cellular phone to call for help. In Florida, dialing *FHP anywhere in the state from a cellular phone will connect you with the nearest Florida Highway Patrol station.

Phone Security

Do not give information to strangers on the telephone. Thieves often target homes using information obtained from "telephone surveys."
If you use an answering machine, do not announce your name and number as part of the message. Avoid giving criminals any information about you. A common mistake is revealing your exact whereabouts in a message.
Consider keeping a separate line or cellular phone as a security device. Taking one phone off the hook renders other units on that line inoperable. Using a separate line or cellular phone in your bedroom is a good precaution.
Never give important information like travel plans or credit card numbers using a cellular phone. For under one hundred dollars, anyone can buy scanning equipment and listen in on your cellular phone conversations.

Automobile Security.

Always have your keys out and ready before leaving a building to approach your car. Fumbling through your purse for keys after you've reached your car provides criminals an excellent opportunity to sneak up on you.
Look around and in your car before entering. If you are concerned for any reason, simply walk past your car instead of getting into it.
Use a two-piece key ring with your car keys separate from your other important keys. Give parking valets or mechanics your car keys only. Supplying your entire set of keys creates an opportunity for duplicates to be made.
If your vehicle has tinted windows, use the reflection to scan the area to either side and behind you. By being alert to your surroundings you could avoid a potentially dangerous situation.
Lock your car door immediately after entering the vehicle. Make this your first action - even before putting the key into the ignition.
Check your surroundings before getting out of your car. If something or someone strikes you as out of place or threatening, drive away.
If you are involved in an accident, stay in your car until police arrive. In minor accidents where the other driver suggests you exchange insurance information, simply hold up your driver license and insurance card against the window.
Consider acquiring a cellular phone. Using a cellular phone is an effective means of keeping help close at hand during accidents, breakdowns, or other roadside emergencies.
If you are accosted in a parking lot, away from your own vehicle, consider rolling underneath a nearby auto. It is difficult to force anyone out from under a car.
Make a practice of filling up your vehicle when your gas tank is about half empty. Never let it get so low that you are forced to stop for fuel, particularly at night in an area with which you are unfamiliar.
Lock your car and take your keys when you get out to pump gas. Leaving the door unlocked and the keys in the ignition invites a carjacking.
Never pick up hitchhikers. It is never safe to have a stranger in your car.

Physical Security.

Maintain your personal space. Stay alert! If a person moves inside your comfort zone, move away. If that person persists, run.
Be alert when leaving stores or shopping malls. This is a time when criminals know you are carrying cash, checkbooks, credit cards, or valuable merchandise.
Don't use outside ATMs at night, or in unfamiliar or unsafe surroundings. This is another time when criminals know you are carrying cash.
Avoid filling your arms with packages. You might have to make more trips, but keep one arm and hand free whenever possible. 33.Avoid stairwells in parking garages. Try walking down the auto ramp instead. As long as you watch for cars, the ramp is much safer.
When on the street, walk facing oncoming traffic. A person walking with traffic can be followed, forced into a car, and abducted more easily than a person walking against traffic.
If asked for directions by a driver, stay far enough away from the car that you can turn and run easily. An alternative is to simply state, "I don't know" and keep walking.
When friends drop you off at home or work, ask them to wait until you are safely inside before leaving. Extend this courtesy to your own friends when driving them to a destination.
If you are on an elevator and someone threatening gets on, quickly step off the elevator. Otherwise, press several buttons for upcoming floors and get off at your first opportunity. (Do not press the STOP button.)
Approach with extreme caution any entryway where normal lighting is not functioning. Removing, unscrewing, or breaking bulbs in such places is a common tactic of criminals.
Carry several dollar bills folded inside a ten dollar bill. If accosted in a robbery, you can throw the "chump change" several feet away and the robber may scramble after it, allowing you a few moments to escape.

Self-Defense Physical Training.

Consider taking a self-defense course. A wide variety of courses are offered for self-defense and each should be considered carefully for relevance to your own personal situation.

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