How to Stay Safe as a Woman in living in NYC
There are multiple ways to stay safe as a woman in NYC. All of these techniques are effective, and you can utilize them in every dangerous situation.
1. Take crowded route: Take crowd passages to walk home and when going out to different places. The crowded spots include restaurants and other footpaths. The roads remain filled with a lot of people, and all of them combine.
2. Take a friend with you when going out. It is a preventive measure to protect you from accidental situations.
3. Never wait alone. Always select a crowded waiting point and never travel alone, and take the support of a family member. Never stay at one spot regularly, and it can give a hint to the robbers.
4. Don’t Make It Obvious that You Live Alone: You never know who is watching and who might be a danger to you. If you can leave a pair of men’s shoes on the outside doorstep or other items which would appear as though a man lives there, someone who doesn’t know you wouldn’t know you are living alone simply by watching you from the outside.
5. Get to Know Your Neighbors: Buddy up with other single women who can watch out for each other as an added precaution. As the old saying goes, two heads are better than one and that extra head gives you two extra eyes to be on the lookout.
6. Always Tell Someone Where You Are Going: When going out by yourself, other than to work which you do daily at the same time and usually on the same route, always let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return home. If you are inordinately late or incommunicado for any length of time, they can call in a missing person report so that your whereabouts can be tracked quickly. There’s nothing as difficult as tracking a cold trail days or weeks old.
7. Keep Emergency Numbers Posted in Plain View: While everyone knows 911, there are other emergency numbers you may want to keep handy. Some women post them on the refrigerator and some keep them tucked into the frame of a mirror in their bedrooms. In any case, always have fire rescue handy as well as poison control, an nyc lawyer, and any close neighbors who can get to you quickly in the event that you’ve been injured and need immediate assistance. If possible, keep them posted in more than one location so that you can access them quickly if the need should arise.
8. Regularly Check Smoke Alarms and Fire Extinguishers: Just one apartment fire can take down an entire building and even if your apartment doesn’t catch fire, that smoke alarm may pick up invisible smoke in time for you to safely evacuate. If a neighbor’s apartment catches fire, chances are your alarm will be set off long before you can detect it by sight or smell. On the other hand, you wouldn’t want a fire in your apartment destroying the entire block, so keep a fire extinguisher on hand and have it checked regularly by the appropriate testing service.
9. Pepper Spray: The age-old classic pepper spray is a magical weapon. It’s excruciatingly painful and can be used from a distance too. Many women carry it to protect themselves. It’s easy to carry and easier to use.
10. Taser: Nothing says, “don’t mess with me” like a good old electric shock. Tasers are one of the most common self-defense weapons that women carry. It takes a single button to send mini lightning bolts down an attacker’s body. They won’t dare to come near you, or any other woman ever.
11. Swiss Knife: The most multi-faceted tool, the Swiss Knife is famous for being an all-in-one survival kit. Right from having a corkscrew, tweezer, scissor to screwdrivers, it is very handy. The best part is, it has many blades and pointed extensions that can seriously injure someone (we’re talking bloody injuries). They’re the size of a finger and can be used to fend off any sort of assault very effectively. And, they make you feel super cool and independent, which is always a plus.
12. Folding Baton: Folding batons or rods are very effective in fighting off an assault. They’re easy to carry (they can easily be attached to your keys), they’re long-lasting and if you’ve ever swung a cricket bat or played badminton, you already know how to use it. Most important of all, they hurt. So very badly. One hit between the legs of your assaulter, and he’ll be on the ground… for hours.
13. GPS Tracker: Carrying a designated GPS tracker can be extremely helpful. It is always recommended to share your location using phone applications, but in event something happens, your phone can break, fall out or even be deliberately switched off or destroyed. A GPS tracker is very handy in such situations. They can be sleek and be attached to your clothes, wallet or even your shoes.
14. Basic Self-Defense: While this isn’t something that can be carried, it is essential to fight off any sort of assault. All women need to know basic self-defense techniques. Knowing how to get out of choke-holds, injuring men where it hurts and knocking someone out are just some things we need to learn.
15. Stay off the phone: It may feel safer to call someone on your way home, but resist the urge. Talking on the phone leaves you distracted, without peripheral vision, and with only one hand free in case of an attack.
16. Keep your bag on your less dominant shoulder. You don't need your strong arm to grip your purse — you need it to fight off your attacker.
17. Don't advertise your purchases. If you're using a luxe-looking bag to tote around your dry cleaning, you're potentially making yourself more of a target.
18. Use your voice. If your voice has some intensity, volume, and attitude, you can use it before an attacker lays a finger on you, and it gets others involved in your defense.
19.Review your building's lighting: While your property manager is in charge of the complex, maintenance may not know that there are dark spots in the hallways or that a few bulbs went out. Think about hallways, parking lots, storage rooms, stairwells, mailrooms and other common areas. Also ask management how often keys and key codes are changed across the complex.
20.Purchase a security system: You don't need a contract, a landline or a clunky security system that needs to be drilled onto the wall to set up a security system these days. Now, you can purchase an easy-to-install security system in a few steps without a contract, and it won't ruin your walls. Once you set it up, make sure that only a select few have access to the passcode. The more people who have it, the less secure your apartment is.
21.Add locks to your door: One straightforward way to increase your apartment security is to add more locks to your front door. You probably have some combination of locks already — most likely a deadbolt and locking doorknob. If you're looking for more advanced security in your apartment, consider adding new locks and upgrading your existing. Add a swing lock, use a portable lock or upgrade your current deadbolt to a smart lock.
22. Ask if security cameras are allowed: Just like security systems, cameras have come a long way. They're now quick to install, and subscriptions are also much more affordable than in years past. If you don't want to install a security system, many standalone security cameras send the video feed to your phone.
23.Get renters insurance: Renters insurance protects your finances more than your safety, but in the case of a harmful incident, you won't have to worry about your losses. Renters insurance may even protect a portion of the losses you incur because of theft outside of your apartment, just make sure you read your policy.
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