Pedestrians and cyclists are easy prey for abductors, robbers and rapists, but becoming a victim can be prevented.
Louis Grobler, safety practitioner at Security in Practice (Sip) believes this. He gave the following handy tips in the form of rules and questions to ask oneself, and to share with one’s domestic employees, school children, friends and family:
• Exactly who is walking behind me?
• Am I being followed?
• Why are those guys checking me out?
• Why is that vehicle driving so slowly near me?
• Why is that vehicle passing me for the second or third time in a row?
• That group of men make me feel uncomfortable – I must rather move away from them.
• Why is that person looking suspect to me?
• Why will this unknown person want to start a conversation with me?
• Why am I feeling uncomfortable with the situation I’m in at the moment?
• Is that ‘little voice’ or ‘feeling’ trying to tell me something?
• I must always take the safest road and not the shortest one.
• I must never take shortcuts through parks, fields, back streets or alleys.
• I must always walk in a group of three or more and never walk alone.
• Somebody must always know which road I’m going to take and also the estimated time of arrival.
• I must always let somebody know when I have arrived at my destination.
• I must always let somebody know about my change of plans or when I deviate from my original route.
• I must memorise safe places on my route like a shop or filling station, where I can run to when in danger.
• Is there enough airtime on my cellphone to phone in an emergency and is the battery charged?
• Do I have all emergency numbers saved on my phone?
• Do I know my parents’ numbers by heart? Also the Neighbourhood Watch/ CPF/ police emergency numbers?
• I must not show off or ‘advertise’ my tablet / MP3 player / cellphone / money in public.
• I must only use my cellphone in a safe place like inside a shop.
• I must turn down the volume of my tablet / MP3 player so that I can hear what’s going on at all times.
• I must not walk, ride or jog with headphones in my ears.
• If I’m attacked or abducted, I must yell at the top of my voice to get as much attention as possible from other people.
“Above all, stay vigilant and alert,” concluded Grobler.
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