Take Care of Yourself, Dear!

Friday. 9 PM.

You get off the office bus that usually drops you on the main road and start walking to your house which is a ten minute walk from the bus stop through small lanes.

Suddenly you find a shadow following you as you walk. You start taking faster steps but the figure behind you is catching up to your pace.

You somehow manage to get to the last lap of your walk. That’s when you take to your heels to reach quickly to your apartment’s gate. Your pulse beats unstoppably as you shut the gate and enter the lift.

As the lift’s door closes, you happen to get a glimpse of that figure that followed you, walking across the road. A tall man with a beard clad in casuals. He (and you) could have been on the newspapers tomorrow if you hadn’t managed to get to your apartment’s gate as you luckily did.

You start thinking now. What could you have possible done earlier to avoid this panic?

•        Keep a pepper-spray or a pocket knife in your handbag

•        Learn some basic martial self-defence techniques through YouTube videos

•        Be bold and prepared to dial an emergency contact as soon as you sense something’s fishy

•        Have an alert app on your mobile phone to intimate an emergency contact about your whereabouts

Most of us women are bold and outgoing. But when it comes to situations like these, our presence of mind sometimes fails us. Here is an article that gives you 21 life-saving tips to protect yourself: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/advice/a4364/safety-tips-every-woman-should-know/

Protecting oneself while alone at home is as important as it is on the road/during a travel. So is it, to stay safe online. To be safe, it is essential to be alert at all times and at all places. Better be prepared than panic.

What is your tip for other women to stay safe in the city? Please share in comments. ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ this article if you found it interesting.

Warmth,

Haripriya