Walking Safely – Ten Preparations
Part 1: Walking Safety Crime Prevention Series
Walking Safely – Ten Preparations
“When we search for the beauty in life, the ugliness noticeably stands out.”
With thoughtful consideration, there are actions we can take to start off safer when walking, whether it’s a short walk to the vehicle, the subway or train, a parking lot or garage, or a longer walk while exercising, enjoying recreation, or sightseeing.
Although safety considerations must focus on a potentially harmful event, this series on Walking Safety will focus on the search for beauty. We should NOT let criminals ruin the joys we may find in life!
1. Search For Beauty In Life
We can discover the beauty in our environment by expanding our minds with safety information. Implementing safety tips allows us freedom from fear. Ironically, by learning how to harness the benefits of fear, we can find even more beauty in life.
(Sarah – Model Mugging Graduate)
“Before I took Model Mugging, I spent most of my life in hyper-awareness, conscious of all the possible danger around me, fearful and not enjoying life much at all, especially walking. Street thugs always let me know what they wanted to do to me, even when I was wearing baggy sweats with a hoodie on purpose.
I immersed myself in the martial arts, in self-defense. My mind was geared toward fighting all the time, and it became my normal state of mind. Not good. Overall, I did not feel prepared; instead, I felt panicked, and it clouded my mind.
We strive to be loving and caring individuals in our daily lives. However, if we encounter evil, we can respond with avoidance, deterrence, and, if necessary, use force to defend ourselves or others. We can find consonance between these two ideas, that I am a loving caring person, and I am willing to fight for myself and those I love if I need to.”
Opening up 360-degree awareness to beauty allows your eyes and ears to be more attuned to your surroundings.
2. Pre-Plan Your Trips
Pre-planning trip activities reduce your risk of being targeted for an attack, such as robbery, theft, battery, or sexual assault.
Moving about after dark and in areas with fewer people increases risks, so plan to avoid these areas if possible. However, realistically, there will come times when we need to move around at night or in empty places. At these times, it will be even more critical to plan ahead.
Pre-program your directions before leaving your location so you’re not distracted by typing into your phone or searching for street signs while walking to your intended destination. Take into consideration that satellite imagery may not be accurate depending on when it was last updated.
Criminals tend to target people who appear nervous and unsure of their surroundings. Take a few extra minutes before heading out to plan your route and identify your destination, especially in unfamiliar areas.
3. Consider What You Must Wear
Footwear: If you must wear dress shoes, consider wearing walking or running shoes to your destination while carrying your dress shoes in a backpack. This will give you better traction in case you need to move quickly or navigate slippery surfaces.
Clothing: Consider your clothing for the location you are visiting. Can you move freely, or does your attire restrict your movements? Does the color and style stand out? The idea is to blend into the environment and not draw attention when walking.
4. What Must You Bring
Do you need to carry a laptop, work files, sales materials, or school books that may weigh you down? If so, consider how to transport the items for improved mobility, allowing for faster movement. Also, consider what you would do with the items if you had to defend yourself.
If you need to carry heavier items, can someone assist you? Consider using a rideshare or taxi to and from the location to reduce your vulnerability, as cumbersome bags can be a mental and physical distraction from being aware of potential threats. Politely ask if the rideshare driver will wait until you safely reach your door with your bags. A folding cart may work well for grocery runs or other items and can be used as a barrier, ramming device, or easily dropped if you must defend yourself.
Always prepare for the loss of items that you carry in the event of a theft or robbery. Are your electronic devices password-protected, software data backed up, and are the files or paperwork copied and scanned? Assess what valuables you need and how you should carry them. Can you conceal them under your clothing, inside a purse or backpack, or in a similar location? Avoid taking “flashy items” of perceived wealth, such as expensive jewelry designer items, and limit your cash.
Consider wearing reflective clothing when walking in areas with more vehicle traffic to become more visible to drivers of vehicles and bicycles at night, especially at dawn and dusk. A flashlight or headlight can also be a warning of your presence to drivers. Always be wary of passing vehicles, which becomes harder with the increase in electric vehicles. Remain cautious of drunk drivers. That is more common at night because drunk drivers may veer toward your light.
Tools for walking: One of the best items for walking is a flashlight or torch. Do not rely on the cell phone light. Having a pocket or belt clip for both items provides you with more options and faster response if needed. Place the clips in front of your stomach area, not on your hip, which might inhibit your mobility in the event you must defend yourself on the ground.
If you walk a lot at night, a flashlight with a strobe light enhancement option is beneficial. The flashlight may be used to blind a threatening individual to improve your defensive options temporarily. Illuminating dark areas and shadows can prevent being surprised by criminals lying in wait. A key-chain light is another option; select one that is easy to turn on and off without having to look at it.
Overusing a flashlight prevents your vision from becoming accustomed to the darkness, which allows an assailant to approach you undetected from an area outside the illumination cone. Don’t rely on the flashlight as a crutch for visual dependency. Even though you are safer from being struck by a vehicle, you are also illuminated as an identifiable target for criminals both on foot and in vehicles. When necessary, use your flashlight for sporadic visual safety and as a warning signal to passing vehicles.
Defensive gadgets, such as pepper spray, have pros and cons when carried for self-defense. However, knowing how to use your personal weapons cannot be underestimated in projecting confidence, which decreases the likelihood you will be targeted.
5. Walk in a Group Whenever Possible
When possible, walk with others when leaving work, study groups, or using an out-of-sight restroom. Walking with others offers more eyes and ears, except when everyone is distracted in conversation. Walking in numbers can instill doubt in a criminal’s mind because others may intervene if they were to attack someone from the group. At night, consider asking for an escort or waiting for other people to leave the building before going to parking structures, parking lots, or transit stations. Ensure everyone safely reaches their car and drives off together so no one is left stranded, especially after it gets dark or deserted. Assess your location for additional transportation options or people who might be willing to take a couple of minutes and give you a short escort. However, also consider their safe return as they walk back alone.
It is not always convenient to wait for others to leave or arrive. Also, just because someone is with you does not mean they will not freeze in fear, which increases the vulnerability within that situation and impairs everyone’s safety. When walking with others and engaging in conversation, it is often harder to maintain a 360-degree environmental awareness.
6. Reduce Distractions
Stay off your phone while walking. The most common distraction when walking is the cell (mobile) phone due to talking, listening to music or podcasts, etc., because visual and auditory awareness suffers, making you more vulnerable to being surprised.
Don’t wear earbuds while walking. Earbuds are a sensory depriver, which takes away your sense of hearing and your focus from recognizing danger. Walking with a cell phone with earbuds or headphones on is dangerous, not only for being struck by a vehicle but being attacked by surprise.
Assess how backpacks and purses may become a distraction for you if threatened. Determine whether you absolutely must have them on your walk, as they may be targeted for robbery. Purses can limit the freedom of your hands. While straps can help, a purse can still be distracting. Additionally, the size and contents of your purse influence your options.
Backpacks allow for freedom of hands but reduce balance and maneuverability during a threat.
Safety gadgets and weapons are not always practical and should not be relied upon as a crutch for personal safety. They also require proficiency in using the gadget when under stress. If not, the chances of using it effectively when attacked are reduced. If you are not proficient in using your gismo or gadget, it becomes ineffective during an attack. Similarly to other safety devices, a whistle or pull-cord noise-making alarm may also be used to attract attention and possibly startle an assailant or robber. Furthermore, if you do not practice using these tools while under stress, you are unlikely to use them effectively when threatened.
7. Always Be Ready – Keep Your Hands Free
Except for a flashlight, keep your hands free. If you are carrying anything, put it all in one bag or backpack. This will make it easier for you to react if you notice someone following you. In a dangerous situation, carrying bags can hinder your ability to move quickly.
When carrying bags, even if both hands are full, place the key or fob on your index finger so you don’t need to dig through pockets or your purse. Also, put your bags down upon reaching your door, especially when carrying multiple or bulky items.
Key Knife Position
Carry keys or a fob in the dominant hand for faster vehicle entry. Keys can be used as an improvised weapon for self-defense when held in a key knife position.
Keep your hands as free as possible when approaching the door. Avoid fumbling with multiple keys on a key ring at the door. Consider using textured, shaped, and colored plastic key wrappings for quicker key recognition and entry. Your deadbolt and door handle locks should be keyed the same way for quicker entry rather than searching for the following key. If the porch or doorway light is not on, a mini-flashlight attached to a keychain can help you quickly locate the right key and insert it into the keyhole. Consider a number pad combination or biometric locks that use finger recognition to unlock the house door.
8. Cell or Mobile Phones
a. A cell phone is a tool with many safety applications, but don’t rely on them for personal safety. You may be in a poor reception area, the battery may be low or dead, or an assailant may take your phone during a theft or robbery, even breaking it to prevent you from using it. Cell phones require fine muscle movements, which, when frightened, can cause difficulty operating when adrenaline is flowing through your body. You may also not have much time when faced with danger. Most commonly, cell phones are a detriment to environmental awareness, resulting in tunnel vision that causes you to neglect safety precautions when focused on the tiny screen.
b. Set an alarm to remind yourself to charge your battery before you are supposed to leave.
c. Add preset phone numbers for local law enforcement, a security company, family, a distress app, or others who can help you quickly in areas you commonly visit.
d. Don’t rely on a smartwatch as a communication device.
e. Activate cell phone location app, tracking, or local alert notification app. If you are attacked or abducted, your phone is likely to be dropped, but people can start to look for you from your last known location.
9. Listen to Your Intuition
Let your spirit assess those around you in the vicinity, regardless of the time of day or night. Be sensitive to the body language of people moving about, watching others, and possible locations where predators may be lurking, such as behind buildings, bushes, pillars, or walls.
You may not recognize the danger signs directly, but you can feel unseen danger. You may recognize an uneasy feeling inside you. Trust this radar/awareness sensor. Immediately start moving to a safer position or location. Don’t attempt to rationalize that uneasy feeling away. Trust your spirit and immediately look for options to move toward a safer place.
“I was 20 years old and cocktailing. I was about a mile away from my apartment complex. For whatever reason, I felt like a person was following me. But I thought I was just being paranoid.
When I got home on that particular night, the gates were not working. They were wide open, so anyone could walk in and out. I drove into my apartment complex, and I parked. When I got out of my car, I saw a man walking from the gate. It was scary because I thought maybe he was going to follow me, but he could be one of the tenants who lived here too. People coming home late from the bar, I’m not going to be paranoid about it, I’m just going to my apartment.
Just as I walked behind this wall, suddenly, I heard running. And when I turned around and looked, the same guy came around the corner, rams me. I go back flying, hit the back of my head. Luckily, I wasn’t knocked out, and I saw the man hovering towards me. And I’m thinking, ‘This guy’s going to take off his pants, get in between my legs, and rape me.’ I’m wearing a dress at the time. He starts trying to grab at me, I’m flailing and yelling, “Get away from me.” But there was a moment I paused, and he grabbed in between my legs and ran away.”
The woman’s account shows how she intuitively recognized the above predator’s intentions that he leaked from his body language, even while she drove home and he had followed her, but she did not listen to her intuition and instead rationalized it away.
10. Confidence vs. Fearfulness
Confidence and fear come from the spirit. Both confidence and fear are natural reactions from life’s experiences, knowledge, background, and training. Confidence is often derived from positive and successful experiences. At the same time, fear typically intensifies when there is a knowledge gap in how to deal with a potentially harmful situation or when facing negative and painful experiences.
Criminals recognize individuals who are in a state of fear. They usually pass by those who demonstrate the appearance or aura of confidence. However, sometimes, even with the aura of confidence glowing from your inner being, predators may assault you for a variety of reasons because you might have other traits that fit a criminal’s desired victim criteria.
Graduates of Model Mugging naturally walk differently after completing the program. Their understanding of predator tactics provides a stronger awareness and more accurate situational assessment for faster recognition of potentially threatening individuals. Overall, their spirit radiates more confidence gained through personal fighting experiences of their Model Mugging course. The energy of confidence flows outward from the body while the head is scanning and making eye contact.
Personal and situational assessments can enhance our safety. Model Mugging skills provide a realistic pool of options when defending yourself, but most importantly, how to avoid danger, which is always the best self-care, planning for personal safety and preparation for self-defense. Those who are prepared to realistically defend themselves rarely have to use their skills.
Model Mugging gives graduates confidence while walking that enhances the “search for the beauty in life“, because the “ugliness more noticeably stands out“. We want to be aware of our surroundings and the realities of danger, but without living in fear. We want to recognize when the ugliness of danger arises, avoid it, and then resume our search for beauty.
Walking Safety Series
Walking Safety Series Future Crime Prevention Tips
2. Options when apprehensive
3. Maneuver Hiding Places
4. Being Followed
5. Exercise and Walking
6. Confronted with Danger
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