Thanks to BlogAdda, today I get an opportunity to share 10 safety tips I personally follow & have learnt over the years after getting into uncontrollable scary situations. My luck, karma, quick thinking & the sermons my parents have given me helped me make wise decisions & save my life.
Tip number 1:
Pepper spray.
Whenever you go out, even on vacations; always carry pepper spray. Carry a can in your purse or pocket. Spray it 2-3 times right in your attackers face. It'll work like a charm & he'll bawl his eyes out. (Thank me later!) And, if you don't have pepper spray, deodorant or moov/volini spray works just fine. (But use it only during an utmost case of emergency where your attacker can potentially harm you & be a threat to your life.)
Tip number 2:
Social networking.
It's a tip I'd describe as 'been there done that' & I'm writing on the basis of personal experience.
Don't ever make friends on Facebook/Twitter or any social networking site if you're not familiar with them or don't have a decent amount of mutual friends. Networking & keeping in touch is great but since technology has become highly advanced, it's easy to access all websites & download plenty of chat apps via your phone/tablet which in turn makes it easier to communicate with anyone in the world. I'd suggest you to highly refrain from speaking or replying to the 'good looking guy' who randomly sent you a friend request or the 'ultra sweet sugar coated beautiful girl' who messaged you out of the blue or a so called 'casting agent' who's sudden aim in life is to make you a movie star/model. These people will claim they know your friends, know someone in your neighborhood or just thought you were someone else & cheekily start a conversation. Don't give in & eventually become friends. Don't wait for the worse to happen & do not fall prey to anyone's sweet talk trap. Going out of your way to meet an unknown person you've just met "online" is a big no-no. Most of such individuals are either jobless or sick minded creepy online predators.
Tip Number 3:
Beware of intruders.
The crime rate in Mumbai concerning home burglaries has alarmingly increased hence we should be careful of thieves & criminals that try to invade the house by trickery or false claims of being a courier boy, electronics repair technician, a door to door salesman etc. by dressing up as one. The primary way to prevent a home invasion is to simply never, ever open your door unless you're certain you know who's on the other side or can verify that they have a legitimate reason to be there. If you unknowingly open the door to inquire or let them in & they appear shady tell them to leave or you'll call security. If the person tries to attack, run into your "kitchen" because that's the place you know where all the knives, forks & heavy objects are kept so you can counter attack the person. Also scream for 'HELP' in order to alert the neighbors. Most importantly, don't leave maids/servants alone to look after your house. Ask friends/cousins instead.
Tip Number 4:
Emergency speed dial.
This is a tip I follow without fail. In Mumbai taking trains is like getting packed in a can of sardines, it's very crowded. Easiest way to commute is obviously by cabs & rickshaws. So, if you're traveling alone late night in a cab/rickshaw or walking alone in a fairly deserted area, hold your phone in a way where your thumb is lightly placed near the green/call key to be ready to make an emergency call to your parents, friend or the police. Better preset the button to speed dial of the people you'd want to contact during emergencies, beforehand. You know there's an amazing app for android, namely - Smart Suraksha App. I highly suggest you to click on it to go check it out in detail & download it. It's a MUST HAVE APP.
Tip Number 5:
Traveling/vacations.
We all love going on vacations, right? But we have to beware of people looking for an opportunity to hurt us or steal our belongings. Use your phone to Google nearby places, use Google Maps or buy a book to get some knowledge of the place you're at BUT DON'T CARRY A MAP! It's a dead giveaway that you're a tourist & know nothing. If you're clueless about the locations share your queries with families around you. Don't wear expensive jewelry & count your cash in public. Do not flaunt your credit/debit cards & most importantly don't get too adventurous & wander off in unknown territories whether you're alone or with family. Always trust a registered tour guide with his ID proof in tow.
Tip Number 6:
Make sure someone knows where you are.
I won't deny, I've lied to my parents in the past & learnt the hard way. Always let your parents, friends or relatives know where you're going. Don't sneak out of the house or tell a lie in order to party with friends late at night or go on date at a far away or deserted/unknown location. It's not a clever thing to do because if you get in trouble, your car breaks down, you get mugged or kidnapped; no one will know your whereabouts which will make it difficult for your family & the police to track you down & your chances of survival may be little to nil.
Tip Number 7:
Trust your gut instinct.
The cardinal safety rule I follow is to trust my gut instinct. At first I used to go with the flow, take unneeded risks, say yes to people easily, ignore my gut feeling. I used to be quite adventurous when it came down to traveling alone & somehow meeting online friends wasn't strange to me. But after a few unfortunate incidents I realized how dangerous it is & how my gut feeling is almost always right that now to me it's like a super power. So always avoid a person you know you're not going to feel comfortable with & don't go a place that sounds shady or 'just not right' to you.
Tip Number 8:
Self defense.
If you have no time to attend self defense classes, look up video tutorials & articles online as to how to tackle an attacker in different ways & practice at home. Also try wearing spiked rings & fashion jewelry. Always carry a multi-utility tool that contains a pair of scissors, mini knife, nail filer in your purse. Don't walk timidly & have a lost look on your face. Professional criminals & wrong doers always recognize vulnerable people. While walking alone don't be engrossed in texting, looking at pictures or listening to music, be aware of your surroundings!
Tip Number 9:
Directions please?
I'd like to share an incident.
One morning my friend was on her way to the bus stop at 7am. Since not many people take the bus at that time she found herself to be the only one walking since her friend wasn't accompanying her that day. Suddenly a car honked at her from behind, a man shouted 'excuse me, directions please?' whilst holding up a piece of paper. She walked towards the car & explained the address. The man was with 2 other male accomplices & pretended to not understand, one of them slyly got out the back door, grabbed her hand & tried to pull her in. She managed to run & escaped with a few scratches.
So if you're walking alone & someone yells out "excuse me" to ask for directions or anything else, look at them from the corner of your eye but don't look directly, turn a deaf ear to them & start walking briskly till you reach the nearest shop, salon, school or anything you think would be safe. Remember, you're not obligated to help as unfortunate incidents can occur in broad daylight too, so you have to be extra careful. Besides, your name isn't hello or excuse me. :)
Tip Number 10:
Wear proper footwear/clothing.
Some feel wearing high heels is an added bonus if you're on the verge of being attacked as you can use it to counter attack. I strongly disagree. Firstly I'm a girl & know how painfully difficult it is to walk on Mumbai's uneven pothole prone roads with heels. The first thing in mind would be to run from the assailant who's probably armed with knives/guns rather than take off one shoe, be off balance, then try to attack. You won't have time & in most cases, the assaulter will try to catch you off guard. So heels are a big NO-NO. Me being a girl believes that no outfit is an 'invitation for rape' but you have to be careful of perverts; so try to be covered & comfortable when you go out, even to run errands.
Always be safe. Your suraksha is in your hands.
Take care.
I am sharing my Smart Suraksha tips at BlogAdda.com in association with Smart Suraksha App.
Tip number 1:
Pepper spray.
Whenever you go out, even on vacations; always carry pepper spray. Carry a can in your purse or pocket. Spray it 2-3 times right in your attackers face. It'll work like a charm & he'll bawl his eyes out. (Thank me later!) And, if you don't have pepper spray, deodorant or moov/volini spray works just fine. (But use it only during an utmost case of emergency where your attacker can potentially harm you & be a threat to your life.)
Tip number 2:
Social networking.
It's a tip I'd describe as 'been there done that' & I'm writing on the basis of personal experience.
Don't ever make friends on Facebook/Twitter or any social networking site if you're not familiar with them or don't have a decent amount of mutual friends. Networking & keeping in touch is great but since technology has become highly advanced, it's easy to access all websites & download plenty of chat apps via your phone/tablet which in turn makes it easier to communicate with anyone in the world. I'd suggest you to highly refrain from speaking or replying to the 'good looking guy' who randomly sent you a friend request or the 'ultra sweet sugar coated beautiful girl' who messaged you out of the blue or a so called 'casting agent' who's sudden aim in life is to make you a movie star/model. These people will claim they know your friends, know someone in your neighborhood or just thought you were someone else & cheekily start a conversation. Don't give in & eventually become friends. Don't wait for the worse to happen & do not fall prey to anyone's sweet talk trap. Going out of your way to meet an unknown person you've just met "online" is a big no-no. Most of such individuals are either jobless or sick minded creepy online predators.
Tip Number 3:
Beware of intruders.
The crime rate in Mumbai concerning home burglaries has alarmingly increased hence we should be careful of thieves & criminals that try to invade the house by trickery or false claims of being a courier boy, electronics repair technician, a door to door salesman etc. by dressing up as one. The primary way to prevent a home invasion is to simply never, ever open your door unless you're certain you know who's on the other side or can verify that they have a legitimate reason to be there. If you unknowingly open the door to inquire or let them in & they appear shady tell them to leave or you'll call security. If the person tries to attack, run into your "kitchen" because that's the place you know where all the knives, forks & heavy objects are kept so you can counter attack the person. Also scream for 'HELP' in order to alert the neighbors. Most importantly, don't leave maids/servants alone to look after your house. Ask friends/cousins instead.
Tip Number 4:
Emergency speed dial.
This is a tip I follow without fail. In Mumbai taking trains is like getting packed in a can of sardines, it's very crowded. Easiest way to commute is obviously by cabs & rickshaws. So, if you're traveling alone late night in a cab/rickshaw or walking alone in a fairly deserted area, hold your phone in a way where your thumb is lightly placed near the green/call key to be ready to make an emergency call to your parents, friend or the police. Better preset the button to speed dial of the people you'd want to contact during emergencies, beforehand. You know there's an amazing app for android, namely - Smart Suraksha App. I highly suggest you to click on it to go check it out in detail & download it. It's a MUST HAVE APP.
Tip Number 5:
Traveling/vacations.
We all love going on vacations, right? But we have to beware of people looking for an opportunity to hurt us or steal our belongings. Use your phone to Google nearby places, use Google Maps or buy a book to get some knowledge of the place you're at BUT DON'T CARRY A MAP! It's a dead giveaway that you're a tourist & know nothing. If you're clueless about the locations share your queries with families around you. Don't wear expensive jewelry & count your cash in public. Do not flaunt your credit/debit cards & most importantly don't get too adventurous & wander off in unknown territories whether you're alone or with family. Always trust a registered tour guide with his ID proof in tow.
Tip Number 6:
Make sure someone knows where you are.
I won't deny, I've lied to my parents in the past & learnt the hard way. Always let your parents, friends or relatives know where you're going. Don't sneak out of the house or tell a lie in order to party with friends late at night or go on date at a far away or deserted/unknown location. It's not a clever thing to do because if you get in trouble, your car breaks down, you get mugged or kidnapped; no one will know your whereabouts which will make it difficult for your family & the police to track you down & your chances of survival may be little to nil.
Trust your gut instinct.
The cardinal safety rule I follow is to trust my gut instinct. At first I used to go with the flow, take unneeded risks, say yes to people easily, ignore my gut feeling. I used to be quite adventurous when it came down to traveling alone & somehow meeting online friends wasn't strange to me. But after a few unfortunate incidents I realized how dangerous it is & how my gut feeling is almost always right that now to me it's like a super power. So always avoid a person you know you're not going to feel comfortable with & don't go a place that sounds shady or 'just not right' to you.
Tip Number 8:
Self defense.
If you have no time to attend self defense classes, look up video tutorials & articles online as to how to tackle an attacker in different ways & practice at home. Also try wearing spiked rings & fashion jewelry. Always carry a multi-utility tool that contains a pair of scissors, mini knife, nail filer in your purse. Don't walk timidly & have a lost look on your face. Professional criminals & wrong doers always recognize vulnerable people. While walking alone don't be engrossed in texting, looking at pictures or listening to music, be aware of your surroundings!
Tip Number 9:
Directions please?
I'd like to share an incident.
One morning my friend was on her way to the bus stop at 7am. Since not many people take the bus at that time she found herself to be the only one walking since her friend wasn't accompanying her that day. Suddenly a car honked at her from behind, a man shouted 'excuse me, directions please?' whilst holding up a piece of paper. She walked towards the car & explained the address. The man was with 2 other male accomplices & pretended to not understand, one of them slyly got out the back door, grabbed her hand & tried to pull her in. She managed to run & escaped with a few scratches.
So if you're walking alone & someone yells out "excuse me" to ask for directions or anything else, look at them from the corner of your eye but don't look directly, turn a deaf ear to them & start walking briskly till you reach the nearest shop, salon, school or anything you think would be safe. Remember, you're not obligated to help as unfortunate incidents can occur in broad daylight too, so you have to be extra careful. Besides, your name isn't hello or excuse me. :)
Tip Number 10:
Wear proper footwear/clothing.
Some feel wearing high heels is an added bonus if you're on the verge of being attacked as you can use it to counter attack. I strongly disagree. Firstly I'm a girl & know how painfully difficult it is to walk on Mumbai's uneven pothole prone roads with heels. The first thing in mind would be to run from the assailant who's probably armed with knives/guns rather than take off one shoe, be off balance, then try to attack. You won't have time & in most cases, the assaulter will try to catch you off guard. So heels are a big NO-NO. Me being a girl believes that no outfit is an 'invitation for rape' but you have to be careful of perverts; so try to be covered & comfortable when you go out, even to run errands.
Always be safe. Your suraksha is in your hands.
Take care.
I am sharing my Smart Suraksha tips at BlogAdda.com in association with Smart Suraksha App.
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