Personal Safety

PREVENTION

There is no technique or tip or weapon to guarantee you won’t be attacked. If you have been attacked, and you are reading this, you did the right thing – whatever you did allowed you to survive. You won. The bad guys have surprise on their side and even the best martial arts expert can become a target. If it happens to you, don’t agonize over coulda-shoulda-woulda. You survived. You won.

DETERRENTS

Strangers aren’t out to attack YOU. It is nothing personal, they are just looking for a target of opportunity. Your goal, therefore, is to look like somebody who will be too much trouble to mess with. They also want to make you their victim without attracting attention from others.

Walk indoors: Treadmills are an option for those who do not have a place to walk they consider to be safe. Some sports facilities have indoor tracks as well. Use the further tips below to stay safe in the parking lot or to and from your home.
High pedestrian traffic areas: Bad guys don’t want witnesses. Being in view of a well-traveled vehicular street is good, but having people on the path with you is better.
Open areas: Paths lined with bushes and trees are pleasant for walking, but afford many hiding places for the bad guys and places they can take you to finish their crimes out of view.
Attitude: Keep your head up and striding purposefully. Look aware of your surroundings and be aware of them. Headphones may give the impression that you are less aware. Lt. Jim Bullard suggests your mental attitude should be, “No low life scum is going to spoil three minutes of my day!”
Companions: Walking with a friend or group reduces your chance of attack significantly.
Dogs: Walking with a dog, even a little ankle-biter, will greatly reduce the chance of attack. Obey all licensing, leash, and doo-doo ordinances in the jurisdiction you are walking through.
Sticks: Why mess with somebody with a walking/hiking stick when there are lots of people without one?
Alarms: A brightly colored personal body alarm can be a deterrent when visibly worn. Bad guys don’t want to attract attention. A whistle is also a good signal device.
Pepper spray: Where legal, carrying this in your hand or visibly displayed may be a deterrent.

More information on what to do when walking alone can be found here:?http://walking.about.com/cs/med/a/strangerdanger.htm