11 Safety Tips All Women Should Know Inside Out

You could be walking down the street, ordering food to your home, or getting into your car when, before you know it, a stranger is getting too friendly. Of course, not everyone has bad intentions, but it’s important to know what to do when your instincts tell you something is wrong. Sometimes, it’s best to lie or double-check their identity to keep yourself safe.

Bright Side is sharing some top tips for thinking on your feet when you’re feeling uncomfortable or threatened.

1. Say you live close to Walmart.

Just because they share their personal information with you doesn’t mean that you have to. If you find yourself in a position where you don’t want to say where you live, you can say that you live near something there are many of. This could be Walmart, a hotel chain, or a gas station, as there are likely to be several in the area. You can change it to anything that works for you.

2. Say that your car is borrowed.

If someone approaches you and seems interested in your car, then they may be trying to get private information out of you. They may ask if the car is yours, meaning that they could follow you in the future with your number plate, car color, and type. You can tell them that it’s a rental or borrowed. This way, they probably won’t take the car details and leave you alone.

3. Tell the repairman you live with people.

If you feel that the repairman is asking too many private questions, pretending that you don’t live alone can help. Let him know that you’re not alone in the house or that you’re expecting people soon. This will mean that he knows that you’ll be with people if he tries to come back again later.

It’s also important to remember that you can always check their ID and call the company they work for to check that they actually sent them.

4. Always say you’re with or waiting for friends.

This is a very versatile and useful response for when you feel safer in numbers. For instance, if you’re sitting alone in a public space, pretend that you’re waiting for your friends. If you’re traveling alone, you can say that your friends are in the back/front row of the bus, train, or airplane.

Even when getting a taxi, you can say that you’re on your way to meet friends or family if you feel it’s necessary. This will alert the driver that people are expecting and waiting for you.

5. Cover your work or school ID on public transport.

It can be a good idea not to wear your ID on public transport because there’s a lot of information on them. Someone can probably learn your name, your place of work, and the company or school you’re a part of from your ID badge alone. Take it off completely or hide it under your sweater if there’s no obvious information printed onto the ribbon.

6. Use your car alarm as a personal alarm.

This can be a handy trick to bring attention to yourself if you need to. For instance, if you’re passing through a dark and empty parking lot and someone is hanging around your car, you can manually set off your alarm from your car keys. This will most likely startle the person because of the attention the noise may bring.

7. Stand between the elevator control panel and the door.

This means that you can easily get out of the elevator when you need to, giving you the power to leave if you feel uncomfortable. If someone you don’t want to share the elevator with enters, then you can press the button to get off at the next floor and leave. This can prevent you from getting into any uncomfortable situations when riding the elevator.

8. Hang bells on your hotel doorknob.

When staying in places like a hotel or dormitory, you can hang a safety alarm from the inside of your door on the handle. If you don’t have one on hand, you can use something else that will alert you, like bells or an ironing board. They will let you know if anyone is opening the door, as the alarm will ring or the ironing board will fall to the ground.

9. Give a man’s name when placing a food delivery order.

When unknown people come to your home, it can be important to make sure you do things safely, whether it’s a food delivery person or a handyman. When ordering takeaway, you can make the order in a man’s name so that the delivery person thinks a man lives there or at least that you’re not alone when they deliver the food.

10. Lie about your work schedule.

If you find that someone wants to know too much about your movements and schedule, tell them that you don’t have a fixed schedule. For example, someone may be asking when exactly you work or even where you work. You can tell them that your schedule always changes or that you often change offices. This means that they don’t know where and when to find you.

11. Pretend you don’t speak the language.

There are several ways to respond to street harassment, and sometimes this can be the best to get rid of unwanted attention. At times, it’s easiest not to engage with them at all, which is when you act confused and like you don’t understand a word they’re saying. Simply walk away, shrugging, saying a phrase or two in another language.

What tactics do you use to stay safe when you’re out and about by yourself? Please share any tips you have with us!