Be Alert . Be Aware . Be Safe .
Be Alert.
Planning ahead helps you to be alert. Plan ahead. Plan a route out and route in. How will you return from the late night party? If you are having a drink or two, who will drop you? Have you pre-booked your cab? Being alert to the situation will avert being in an untoward situation. Alert to knowing which are the Bank ATMs on my route (they’ve 24/7 guard on duty), police station, their number, emergency numbers on speed dial, ICE (In Case of Emergency) numbers – these are for the para medics to access should you be involved in an accident.
Be Aware.
Be aware of your surroundings. Make the phone call later. Walk briskly. Look around rather than walking with drooping shoulders, looking down. Your gut feel is correct; if you are uncomfortable, leave the place. Your sixth sense is telling you something, listen to it. Hone this skill with practice. Many women’s peripheral vision is up to almost 180 degree. Utilize this to forewarn you of danger. You can smell danger.
Be Safe.
Take measures to be safe. Majority of the times planning ahead can avoid such situations. Know certain basics of SITCON (situation control) and retain initiative always. Distract & disable. How to use your day to day things to protect yourself. Know the ‘soft spots’ that you can target. Bigger the person – larger the target, good! You can’t miss.
I’ll be posting my weekly tips on WOSAF here. My previous #77 tips are on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/colsengupta
Col Sengupta 
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