When walking alone, whether it be at night or at noon, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings and to be prepared for the worst-case cenario. No one is ever in the mood to literally get snatched, so here are some basic tips and tricks to avoid kidnapper’s love at first sight. In the words of John Mulaney, this article will teach you ways to have “Street Smarts”!
1. Always Have Your Things Ready Before you step out onto the street, have your keys out. This way when you get to your car, house, apartment, etc., you aren’t standing outside your door fumbling through your bags or pockets. If someone with malicious intentions were to witness this, they would see it as a moment of weakness and the perfect time to catch you off-guard. 2. Keys Speaking of keys, these are a great defense mechanism for when you have nothing else. Hold them in between your fingers (kinda like a knock-off Wolverine) to create a semi-deadly brass knuckles vibe. Now if someone were to try to grab you, you have a small weapon at your defense. If you want to go all out with defense mechanisms, pick up a can of mace or a small stun gun (as long as it’s legal) to carry on your person for emergencies.
3. Keep Your Location On Whether you’re just walking down the street or all the way across campus, keep your friends in the know of your whereabouts. Also, don’t be afraid to shoot them a text, telling them you got home safe. If they don’t hear from you or they see you’re somewhere you’re not supposed to be, they will figure out “that something hanky is going on.” 4. Never Walk Outside of the Light Wandering off into a dim alleyway that could be deemed a shortcut, is NOT the brightest idea (pun intended). Walk under the streetlights, where you can see what’s around you and where people can see you if you get taken. It’s also important to be aware of what you can’t see hidden in the dark. Be ready for something that could jump out at you!
5. Carry Yourself with Confidence Attackers tend to go for someone who looks easily intimidated and overpowered. If you don’t play the victim, you’re a little less likely to be one. Act calm and collected and walk at a steady pace. Pretend like you have a trick up your sleeve, even if all that you have is fear and a smushed granola bar in your purse.
6. Stranger Danger Don’t accept a ride from anyone you don’t know. Don’t talk to anyone you don’t know. It’s just like when you were a kid. They’re probably not a friend of a friend or a friend of the family, no matter what they say. Keep your chin up and lips sealed! To avoid this, you can pretend to be on the phone. This will also make you less of a target because if you say “see you in five”, they will know someone is expecting you and will notice if you’re late.
I won’t tell you to “buy a money clip. Engraved, question mark?”, but I will say that keeping yourself safe should be your first priority in situations like these. You may be thinking “this will never happen to me!” or “This will absolutely happen to me and it will probably happen tonight!”. Either way, try to follow these simple steps to stay out of harm’s way! Stay Aware, Stay in the Light, and Stay Safe.