The other night, my roommate and I were driving home from the gym, and as we were pulling into the driveway, our male neighbor appeared out of the nearby arboretum wearing headphones. I remembering commenting how late it was to be walking home from class in the woods and my roommate said, “Must be nice.”
One out of every six American women have been a victim of attempted or completed rape in her lifetime, not to mention the other miscellaneous statistics regarding violence against women. I hate that I even have to compile a list of these tips, let alone be jealous of my neighbor for being able to safely walk home from class in the dark with headphones in, but here we are. (Yes, men get attacked, too, but there’s a reason they’re not afraid to walk home alone. And that’s not what we’re talking about right now.)
Ladies, stay safe out there.
1. Utilize the Emergency SOS feature if you have an iPhone.
If you’re ever in a dangerous situation, you can either press the lock button on your iPhone five times (if you have a 7 or earlier) or hold the lock and volume button down at the same time (8 or later) to gain access to the Emergency SOS feature. When you swipe, it will automatically call a local emergency number. Make sure that you go to your settings and activate ‘auto call.’
You can also add emergency contacts in the Health app. This way, when an emergency call ends, your emergency contacts will be notified with a text message including your location (unless you cancel).
2. Sleep with your keys nearby if you don’t have a house alarm.
If you wake up to someone trying to break in, sound your car alarm from inside to scare them off or alert your neighbors.
3. Know your date rape drugs.
Date rape drugs are illegal, but that doesn’t stop perpetrators from using them to assist in sexual assault. These drugs often don’t have a distinguishable taste or smell, and they’re all either dissolvable or come in liquid or powder form. According to Women’s Health, “if you are drugged, you might look and act like someone who is drunk.” I’m not going to waste both of our time by telling you how to be safe at a party (although there are resources for that if you need a reminder), but I will tell you to be aware of your surroundings. If you’re drinking in a public place, chances are you already know what being drunk feels like and how your body reacts to alcohol. If anything feels different, let a friend or bartender know. Date rape drugs can take anywhere from a few minutes to a half hour to kick in.
4. Learn how to escape zip-tie handcuffs.
Yes, it’s possible. If someone ever tries to kidnap you, this post not only tells you how to escape zip ties in several different hand positions but also how to position your hands beforehand (if possible) to make it easier.
5. Let a potential predator know they are on your radar.
If you’re by yourself (or even with pals!), and a potential predator makes you feel unsafe, let them know you are aware of them by making direct contact or periodically looking around you. Murderers, rapists and overall criminals look for unsuspecting victims. If they think you’re onto them, they’re more likely to back off out of fear you could identify them.
6. Set the home address on your GPS to a public place near your home.
If someone breaks into your car, this prevents them from knowing exactly where you live.
7. Always lock your car doors right when you get in.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t immediately leave the parking lot as soon as I enter my car. I like to plug in my phone, check any notifications, and change the music before I take off. If your doors are unlocked, this allows someone to simply open your door and get in. This can also happen at stop lights or stop signs.
8. Mentally mark your ‘safe places’ if you have a consistent commute routine.
If you regularly commute to the same location, make sure you have safe and familiar spaces to run to in the case of an attack, like a coffee shop or friend’s house. Even better, change your course up every once in a while by planning a few possible routes — all with safe spaces, of course. Don’t make it easier for potential attackers to memorize your everyday walk to work.
9. Cover the peepholes in your hotel room.
Especially if you’re in unfamiliar territory. This can be done with tape and a piece of paper or a crumpled-up tissue.
10. Don’t leave your garage door opener in plain sight if you’re parked on the street.
It’s a lot easier to break into a car than it is to break into a house.
11. Always park in a well-lit area.
Checking under and around your car before you get in is a lot easier when you can see. If you have to park in a dark area, make sure your interior car lights (such as a dome light) are in proper working order.
12. Check the screws in your door.
Shorter screws — the ones contractors often use — make it easier for a burglar to kick down your door. Replacing the short screws with longer ones will require a little more effort in knocking down the door, either tiring a burglar out or scaring them off with the noise they’re making. At the very least, it will allow you time to arm yourself.
13. Come up with a backup safety plan.
Do you know what you would do if your car broke down in the middle of the night and your phone was dead or out of service? I didn’t either when my sister first asked me. Here’s what my brother-in-law, the owner of a tow company, had to say: Stay in your car, lock your doors, turn your flashers on, and hope that a police officer sees you and stops. If someone else stops, roll your window down a crack and ask them if they have a phone you can use. If they do, have them slide it through the crack in your window, but don’t roll it down enough to allow them to fit their hand in.
As much as we’d like to think we’ll never need this information, that would be naive. Educate yourself, and be prepared for anything.
