Note: These are the suggestions of the authors; I don’t necessarily agree with all of them.
At the end, please read about these remarkable women who want to help others be safe.
"Although these safety tips are designed for women, they’ll help anyone who
wants to keep themselves safe.
1. Use your Safety Intuition by being aware of your surroundings. This is the most
important safety tip for everyone, but it's especially important for women. Pay
attention to who is around you, and if you feel uncomfortable, trust your internal
alarm, and immediately leave the situation.
2. Enhance your Safety Intuition by using your peripheral vision as you’re walking.
It’s easy, you only need to turn your head slightly to one side then the other while
you’re walking to get a good view if someone is following you.
3. If you’re going to be walking alone on a city street for a bit and talking on the
phone, use earbuds so you can have your hands free to hold pepper spray or
have a self-defense item accessible. Keep the earbuds in “Transparency” mode
so that you can still hear what’s going on around you.
4. Try to walk in well-lit areas and against traffic, this way you can avoid a car
pulling up alongside you, and the passenger grabbing you and dragging
you into their vehicle.
5. Make sure you carry personal protection, pepper spray, a whistle, a Taser,
a knife, a flashlight, or a firearm. Carry any of them or several of them to
layer for protection but always carry something.
6. When using ride share services such as Uber or Lyft: Do not accept a ride
from anyone that you don’t know or didn’t call. Many predators pretend to
be rideshared drivers, and seeing someone (especially a woman) alone is
prey for them. There have been many assaults when people make the
mistake of agreeing to accepting the ride they didn’t call, just because it
seems convenient.
7. Don't open your car window to talk to a stranger. You can talk through the
window. It sounds rude, but by being too polite, people (especially women)
become the victims of predators. If someone is trying to persuade you to open
your window, that’s a sign you should drive away. Don’t be afraid to say no. If
someone makes you feel uncomfortable, you can just leave. No explanation
needed.
8. Don’t stop and talk to a stranger that yells, “Excuse me, Miss?” That’s a favorite
ploy that a lot of predators use to get women’s attention, assistance, or their
perceived “help.” You should look back at the person with a confident look but
keep walking. Look back again, to be sure they’re not still following you, in case
you need to take evasive action.
9. Pre-Load Your Brain with Safety Info. This means that when you are out
and about, purposely notice your options in case an emergency arises.
This will be top of mind if your brain needs to retrieve the information, so
you won’t panic.
Here are some things to look for: Exits in a mall that can be used to
escape; examples include, the back of restaurant (employee door), rear of
food stores, concert venues (inside and out), large gyms,
schools/campuses or any other place of business that you frequently visit.
You never know when you may have to leave out of there quickly due to a
fire, power outage, a shooter, or any kind of disturbance where mere
seconds can mean the difference whether you and your family live or die.
10. Be Persuasion Proof. You always have the power to say NO. It’s a complete
sentence that needs no excuses attached. Don’t let anyone try to persuade you.
If you’re being pressured, say no and leave. Predators are aware that many
people (especially women) try to be polite and they try to take advantage of you.
Short of coercion, you have the right to say no to high pressure sales, donations,
up-sales, and anything else you don’t feel comfortable doing."
Laura Frombach was introduced to technology in the U.S. Army working on Pershing nuclear missiles. Having spent much of her career as a technologist and engineer with IBM, HP, FedEx, Coca Cola Enterprises, Lenovo and others. A turning point in Laura’s life was the ‘aha’ moment when she correlated her mother’s mental illness to domestic violence. She advocates for local domestic violence shelters. Laura was one of the featured speakers at the TEDx Eustis conference and speaks on women’s safety. Laura is an avid reader and fitness enthusiast, loves comedy and spiritual topics (not in that order, just in case...). She has been working on personal growth since the sixth grade.
Joy Farrow is a retired Deputy Sheriff with twenty-eight years of experience. She worked road patrol in Pompano Beach, FL, and faced every situation imaginable. After the 9/11 tragedy, Joy transferred to the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Int’l Airport with the Broward Sheriff’s Office to focus on the safety of air travelers. In 2017, Joy assisted with the aftermath of the mass shooting at the Airport. She has received numerous letters of commendations & several lifesaving awards. Joy was one of the featured speakers at the TEDx Eustis conference and speaks on women’s safety. Joy is a walking encyclopedia of murder and crime topics; an avid personal fitness enthusiast, enjoys stand-up comedy and has done a couple of open mic nights!
