In the past 2 months, safety has been more of a concern around where I work. A school with behavioral adolescents is near and there are many fights that happen. Also, they have vandalized cars in our parking lot and have tried to open car doors. There has been an uptick of small shelters that are nearby. Many of the resident’s smoke and drink on the benches outside our door. Just last week a homeless woman came into our building through a back door that was being used for transport and went into our kitchen next to the entryway. All these incidents bring me to the questions…Do you believe you have good safety awareness? Do you feel safe in the places you go to regularly?
Everyday I go out into the world; I pray to get through the day and make it home safely. I also wish the same for those I care about. But unfortunately, there is no control over what happens around me. The only thing I can do is educate myself and make sure I am aware of what goes on around me. Living in NYC, we are within close range of each other just walking out of our home, so safety is key to survival. Here are examples of some things I do to get by…
When I drive…
- If I’m the first car waiting at the light, when the light turns green, I make sure the cars in the opposite direction stop first. I have seen more people running lights in the last few years.
- I get gas when my tank is between ¼ and ½ full.
When I go to walk across the street…
- I make sure the cars stop before I walk at the crosswalk.
- Even if I have the right of way, I look to make sure no car is turning the corner fast. I make sure the driver sees me before I walk.
- If for some reason I need to look at my phone for directions, etc., I look up from it as I cross the street.
If I am at work…
- My office is next to an entryway, my door stays open and when someone walks by I look up.
- I can’t have weapons, but I know which items in my office can be used for simple protection if there’s an intruder.
- I know where my closest fire hydrant is.
- I know protocol if there is a lockdown. If there is a door with windows, make sure to have something that can be used to easily cover it as an extra layer of protection when you must hide. Make sure to have a key for the door.
When I pump gas…
- I lock my car doors.
- I look all around as I’m standing at the pump; I make sure no one comes behind me and make sure no danger is going on in front.
When I walk the streets…
- If I feel someone too close behind me, I turn around and look at them as a warning. They can either back up or go around.
- I’m never looking down at my phone long enough to miss anything.
- I used to walk with headphones, and I made sure the volume was always low. Now if someone tried to speak to me, I may have pretended I couldn’t hear.
- I don’t walk down dark blocks by myself at night; if I can’t control where I park, my keys or pepper spray is in my hand or in my pocket with my hand on it.
- If there are 2 different roads to get home when I’m walking, I will take the one with more foot traffic.
If I take the subway…
- I look up at all doors to see when people get on and off.
- I never fall asleep.
The days of longer light hours won’t return until the spring, so darkness will come early. The places we go have people we can’t always say we feel safe around, so make sure you know where the exits are. And the drivers on the road don’t always care about others, so be more aware for road rage. Being as safe as possible is the main idea, so just make sure you are aware.