When walking the mean streets, how do you protect yourself?

When walking the mean streets, how do you protect yourself?

Night-time (or day if your in an unsafe situation)

1. Keep a key, a pen, even a handle of a brush etc in your hand. Keep your hand and the object in your pocket. Go for areas that will not cause serious harm. Once the attacker is in pain, it usually enough distraction for one to run.
2. If in trouble do not shout help. Seriously. Studies have shown that people react more to "Fire" than they do to "Help" because they don't want to get involved. Shouting "fire" indicates a more immediate threat to their persons as well and as such gets you more attention.
3. Do NOT walk close to walls as night. Stay more on the outside to the road as is safe. Staying close to walls traps you more and lessens your path options of getting away. Your easier to surround.
4. Coming up to and passing an alleyway? If possible step further out away from the entrance of the alleyway, making outward curved path around the entrance.
5. If you think you are followed, don't be afraid to go to the nearest door (that has lights in the house) and knock on it. State your fears and ask can you use a phone/mobile to ring for taxi - if no money for fare, ask if they will allow you to stay for a few minutes till coast is clear.
6. On bus/train at night, stay as close to the driver or doors as possible. Stand if necessary.
7. NEVER keep all your money in one place on you. If pickpocketed (sadly the chances of this will increase up to Xmas) at least they won't get everything.
8. Got an umbrella? Use it not only to defend but use it to push the attacker away backwards. The bigger the distance between them and you, the less the chance a knife can reach you.
9. Use windows. If you think you are followed cross the road if possible. Look in a window (as if window shopping) and use the reflection of the window to see behind you, forwards and backwards on both sides. REMEMBER: a good stalker will not be behind you. More than likely that person will be across the road trailing behind.
10. If confronted - only then step up/into a doorway. Even in such a small enclosure, the angles that you can be attacked from are lessened. They cannot come at you from behind and to the sides there is less of an angle. Remember those keys in your hands?
11. Always keep emergency taxi money on you. I don't care if you are down to your last packet of cigs - save your money = save your life!
12. If you are leaving somewhere - if possible, tell someone at your destination that your on the way and your approx time of arrival to home/destination.
13. Use street lights! As you pass a street lamp, glance at the ground. If someone is behind you or coming up fast behind you, their shadow will be close to yours on the ground. DON'T STOP. Step outwards/cross road, stay calm (not easy), have ready object in your hands or go to door/taxi, etc...
14. Day or night if you think you are followed, step into a nearest shop/garage. If you don't want to explain your situation, at least use the windows from inside to observe out. Also go to a spot in the shop that allows you to see the doorway from inside but not allows you to be seen from outside the property window. After a while a "follower" will wonder where you have gotten to. He/she will enter the shop to locate you. From your inside advantage point, you can then spot a possible (unfortunately) frequent face!
15. If your walking home at night, vary your route once in a while if possible. That way, its harder for your attacker to make their move.
16. Never go anywhere without knowing first where the exits are. It will save your life!
17. Goes without saying but must be repeated. Walking home? Wear something cheap and bright. This is not only for cars to spot you but for others to do so (its better to be seen by 15 people and 1 stalker in any one minute than not seen by 15 people and only seen by 1 stalker!) . If you feel your followed suddenly, take a second to go somewhere out of sight, dump/fold up/etc the bright clothing and use darker clothing to melt into the background. Wearing a cap, dump it (into a bag/pocket/etc) or visa-versa changing your look.

There is more but that's the ones that springs to mind at the mo!

Silenceisbliss wrote: »

ah no, i'm not contesting the logic behind it at all, it pretty much all makes sense. I'm just commenting on the fact that the whole lot of it is written with such a retarded and dramatic tone.

If thats so, thats unfortuate.

At the end of the day its better to be home and safe, maybe looking silly for ones actions, but at least home and safe.
The above are only for extreme situations but its better to be wiser before and than after, maybe paying a costly price for not knowing before so.

Biggest thing now at the mo, will be the stealing going on up to Christmas, any major town between now and then will be open season for bar snatchers and pickpockets.