Relatively speaking, Lewisburg is a very safe place. It may be home to a high-security, federal prison housing 1,400 inmates, but its crime rate is unsurprisingly distinguished as “very low”. Particularly in comparison to many of the urban and suburban environments from which many Bucknell students hail, the area surrounding our campus can seem benign. It’s hard to imagine an unsafe incident occurring in a place where the most prevalent scenery is cornfields and where the nearest city is located an hour car ride away. Central Pennsylvania tends to be an anomaly to many matters of safety of which one must constantly be aware while in a more metropolitan area.
That being said, as Bucknell students, we are not unsusceptible to dangerous situations. While it ideally should not be our own responsibility to prevent outside sources from putting us hazardous situations, we unfortunately live in a world where bad things can and do happen.
Bad things happen at all times of day and in all types of settings, but one of the most vulnerable circumstances we are regularly placed in as college students is 1) when we are alone and 2) when it is nighttime. Whether making the late-night trek home from the library or from downtown, most of us periodically find ourselves in a situation where we must walk home alone…in the dark. It can be scary, it can be exhilarating, or it can be unremarkable. You may think that you have already mastered walking home alone at night, but here are some easy tips to make your journey extra safe:
1. Tell someone you are going home and have them check on you at your ETA (especially if you do not have a roommate).
You’ve already asked every person you are with if they are going to be walking home in the same direction as you but for some reason, tonight, you’re the only person in the world that lives uphill. Before you leave, tell the most reliable person you can find that you are doing so. Let them know when you think you will arrive at home and ask them to kindly shoot you a quick text at that time to make sure you made it.
2. Stick to well-lit areas
This is self-explanatory. Don’t choose to walk home through the Grove when you can walk up a perfectly lit 7th Street.
3. Avoid talking to anyone and walk with a purpose
Depending on what day of the week it is and how far your journey is, you may or may not be likely to encounter others through the course of your walk home. Maybe you’re super outgoing or maybe you just really want to meet someone that will join you on your walk, but it’s in your best interest to stick to yourself until you make it back. In order to avoid other people trying to strike up a conversation with you, ensure that you look like you are on a mission and you don’t want to be stopped. Of course, if you happen to run into a friend or a lost kitten, please make an exception.
4. Utilize your smartphone!
Mobile apps like Companion can provide you with the unique opportunity of being virtually walked home. Let’s be real, who doesn’t want that? Download this now so you have it set up for your next walk home!
5. Watch out for your friends.
Lastly, if you have a friend walking home alone be sure to inform them of all of these tips before they depart. Don’t forget to check up on your friend as detailed in Tip 1.