Which best describes your attitude to personal safety? Are you a Fearless Fiona who walks boldly about the streets, confident that nothing bad can ever happen to you? Or a Timid Tina constantly afraid when out and about, convinced that there is an attacker around every corner? In fact, both of these attitudes could cause you problems.
Confidence is a good thing, but over-confidence may put you at risk if you feel so invincible that you refuse to take precautions or follow certain codes of behaviour. On the other hand, if your body language says clearly that you are nervous and uncomfortable, you are more likely to be confronted by someone out to do harm. It's a truism worth repeating: act like a victim and you will probably become one.
It's important to state the good news first. All the surveys on people's perception of crime show that we tend to think it is much worse than it actually is. Most people manage to go about their day-to-day lives quite safely. It's true that street crimes are more common these days, but you may be surprised to hear that young men are at much greater risk of attack than young women, for whom society automatically offers more protection.
The key to keeping safe is to take sensible precautions and to be realistic about possible dangers. If you are walking home at night, keep to well-lit streets and avoid taking short-cuts through alleyways, footpaths or parks, or using pedestrian underpasses. Walk on the outside of the pavement so that you are as far away as possible from bushes or dark doorways, and face oncoming traffic, so you can see cars approaching you. Use a shoulder bag which you can wear across your body, or hold your bag against you with the fastening turned inwards. It's a good idea to carry your door keys or car keys and some cash separately in your pocket so that if your bag does get snatched, you don't lose everything.
Never listen to music on a Walkman while you are walking alone, as this will diminish your alertness. If you are alarmed by the sound of footsteps coming up behind you, turn your head for a look at the person, and cross the road quickly. If you continue to be followed, walk as fast as you can until you reach a place where you know there are likely to be people about. Be practical and wear or change into low-heeled shoes if you are walking home alone; stiletto heels and some other fashions are not the sort of footwear in which to make a quick getaway.
There is little public transport late at night, so having a night out will probably involve getting a lift or a cab home. Chances are that sometimes you will meet someone in a pub or club who will offer to give you a lift home. It's best not to accept a lift from someone you have just met, even if you fancy him like mad. You should always be cautious about whose car you get into. It is possible for anyone to pretend to be a minicab driver and tour the streets touting for trade. Being illegal does not prevent this, so never, ever accept a lift in a minicab which has not previously been ordered.
The safest way is to become familiar with a reliable cab company and always use that. Try to book in advance or phone the cab firm from the pub or club when you need it. Don't ever approach a car unless you are absolutely sure it's the cab you ordered, and ask for the driver's ID before getting in. Check the driver's name when you book and check that he has been told your destination. Wait for him to give you that information (don't tell him first) before getting in. Always sit in the back - although it may seem rather unfriendly, if you take the front passenger seat you could be giving out the wrong signals.
You may assume that the safest way to travel is by driving yourself. Even then you may come up against an aggressive driver indulging in a spot of road rage. If so, stay in the car and keep the windows closed and the doors locked, while making a note of the number plate or the make and colour of his vehicle. It's important that you keep calm and don't respond to the aggression by shouting back or making rude gestures. Your intention should be to drive away as soon as you are able.
Public car parks can also pose a threat, particularly at night when they tend to be quiet and often unsupervised. Make a point of always parking your car as near to the exit as possible and in a well-lit position. It's a good idea to reverse into the parking space so that you can get away quickly if necessary.
There are two items that you should carry with you whenever you go out. One is a mobile phone - there can be hardly a young woman in the land now who doesn't possess one - and you can keep down the costs by restricting it to essential calls. This enables you to keep in touch with friends if you fail to meet up as planned, and you can keep the people you live with informed if you are going to get home later than expected. Check that your phone is charged up before you go out for the evening. Remember, too, that there may be some places where you are unable to get a signal, so don't rely on the phone to get help if you are accosted or attacked.
The second item is a personal alarm that you should carry in your pocket. The purpose of the alarm is not to alert other people to the fact that you are in danger (think how often car and burglar alarms are simply ignored), but to distract and disorient your attacker long enough for you to get away.
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust recommends you buy a gas-operated alarm which emits one long loud burst of sound (see reader offer, left). Don't ever try out the alarm on yourself or friends, and certainly never on children as it may cause lasting damage to hearing - this is something for emergencies only. But research shows that if the alarm is held up to the ear it has a chemical effect on the brain which will momentarily shock and immobilise an attacker.
