People carry pepper spray, walk in well-lit areas, are aware of their surroundings and always have a close friend on standby via text. However, what if that is not enough to ensure that someone makes it to their final destination safely?
Enter the website Kitestring.
Created by Stephan Boyer to ensure his girlfriend's safety, Kitestring checks in with you after a specified amount of time and if you don't enter your check-in password, it sends a text to your emergency contacts that you selected alerting them that you may be in danger.
What's different about Kitestring from other phone safety services is that Kitestring doesn't require the user to activate a distress signal. There is no need to fumble with your phone when you feel unsafe, just set how many minutes you need for your trip and when time runs out, Kitestring will contact you to make sure you're okay.
The service sends you a text alerting you that your trip has ended and prompts you to text your check-in password to make sure that you've made it to your destination safely.
If it doesn't receive a text from you within five minutes, it alerts the emergency contacts you have selected that something may be wrong. Also, if you text in your duress code, it will alert your emergency contacts for you as well.
Before embarking on your trip, you can personalize the message you want sent to your emergency contacts in case you don't check in or in case you activate your duress code. You can let them know where you're traveling to and from and what you may be doing or who you may be meeting.
Although originally designed for his girlfriend, Kitestring is now heavily used by people in all walks of life from men to the elderly. It has grown past its purpose of alerting boyfriends that their girlfriends have made it to their cars safely. It alerts friends that the user is going to check out a couch for sale ad from Craigslist or is going on a hike. It alerts a mom or dad that their son or daughter is going on a blind date and he/she wants them to know where he/she is.
In today's society, you can never be too careful when you're out by yourself. The world can be a scary place, but Kitestring is working to let everyone breathe a little easier.
