Safety Tips When Walking Home Alone
By EVA CHAN, MACINSIDERS
I have noticed that after being in university and living on my own, there are a lot of times where I will be walking alone at night after class or from the library. It starts getting dark and its a long walk by yourself. Walking alone can be dangerous, especially at night. Over the years, there have been many incidences of assault and harassment that goes on around different campuses. It is almost inevitable to have to walk unaccompanied sometimes. Being alert and knowing how to protect ourselves for any situation is a big step when learning to be more independent.
These are some tips I have learned over the years and from a self defence class. Hopefully, this is helpful to some of you and you will start being aware of your own safety!
- Walk near crowded streets with good lighting. By being in a crowded area, if anything happens to you, you can scream for help and can be noticed quickly. In addition, you can use the shadows that are created by the lighting to your advantage. Periodically, look at the ground to check if there is someone else around you. Also, walk toward oncoming traffic to see where cars are coming from.
- Avoid walking on short cuts, unlit areas or near parked cars. Keep yourself visible on the sidewalk or street as much as possible. Avoid shortcuts that you know are unsafe. It’s better to use longer paths that you know are safer. Avoid walking near parked cars, because this may be a hiding spot for an attacker.
- Have keys ready in your hands and inside your pocket. When you reach your door, you should have had your keys ready in the proper position in your hands. This will avoid a situation where you are scrambling around in your bag. When this happens, you are at risk of being distracted. Also, your keys can be used as a weapon in case of an emergency!
- Do not walk with headphones on or talking on the phone. It might make sense to talk on the phone with a friend to let them know you are safe and to make yourself calm when walking home. However, this can be a distraction and you can lose your attention to your surroundings. Instead, make sure you have your phone ready in your hands to dial an emergency number.
- Walk with confidence. Keep your head up and do not afraid to make eye contact with people that are walking past you. If you get lost, do not walk around aimlessly as it might make you appear defenseless. Keep your pace steady and head for the nearest store or restaurant to ask for directions. Attackers usually look for people who appear vulnerable.
- Carry a noisemaker. Keep some sort of noisemaker on your keychain or in your pocket, such as a personal alarm or a whistle. You can use it when you want to let others know something is wrong.
- Dress appropriately. If you know you have to walk home at night, dress appropriately. Choose appropriate footwear and clothing that will make it conformable to walk in. Avoid carrying multiple bags as this can prevent your ability to reach for your cell phone and impede your reaction.
- Know what to do in a worse case scenario. Even with these tips, it is important to be aware and know what action to take in a dangerous situation. If you know you are being followed, get to a busy area and if necessary, call for help. Sometimes during the school year there are self defense classes you can take for free. Learn a few moves to help protect yourself. I took a 3 hour class once and felt much better that I knew a few ways to free myself from an attacker.
Overall, these are some general tips to help you when walking alone. If you need a safe walk home from campus, you can call
S.W.H.A.T at 905 527-7000 ext. 27500. S.W.H.A.T. operates from dusk to 12:30am for off campus walks (for walks over 30 minutes away from campus) and dusk to 1:00 am for on campus walks, 7 days a week during the September - April school year. If you are taking the bus, S.W.H.A.T. will walk you to and from bus stops, and will wait with you until you get on board! S.W.H.A.T. will also ride the bus with you as far as the downtown centre (Main and Hughson) and walk you fifteen minutes off the bus route. For more information about what SWHAT can do you for you visit:
http://www.msu.mcmaster.ca/swhat/index.php
If you find yourself in a situation that requires the help of the
Security Services and the Emergency First Response Team, call Ext. 24281.
Do whatever works for you.
BE SAFE!
