How To Stay Safe At Night As A Woman

1. Keep Your Keys In Your Hand: Ready-Made Weapon!

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Your keys make an ideal weapon in a pinch, because you're always going to have them on you. Instead of having your keys at the bottom of your bag, hold them in your hand with one or more of the keys sticking out between your fingers as you walk. This can then be used in self-defence!

2. Ditch The Ponytail (Even If It Looks Great)

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Hair gets annoying, and you wouldn't be blamed for tying it back. But it's not advised to have your hair in a ponytail if you're walking alone at night - this is because an attacker can easily grab hold of it, pull and use it to keep hold of you if they choose to target you.

3. Mute That Favorite Playlist

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You might be used to popping on music with headphones when you're walking anywhere alone, but this is a no-go when you're walking home at night. Even if you have your earphones in and you're not listening to anything, it might make an attacker think you're listening to music and can't hear them. Keep your ears (and eyes) open!

4. Always Tell Someone Where You're Going

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Make sure to let someone know where you're going before you go out, and what you're planning for the night. This could be a parent, sibling or friend. Just let them know the club or restaurant you're going to, or even just which area of town you're heading if you're not sure what you're doing yet.

5. And What Time You'll Be Back!

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This one's key because this is when people need to be alerted if you're not back when you said you would be. Of course, plans can change - so if you're staying out later, or running late, just let the person know with a quick text. But otherwise, tell them the time you're planning to head home.

6. Women Who Stick Together Stay Safe Together!

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The buddy system, or staying in groups, is important when you're a woman. If you can avoid being alone at any part of your night, then you should do so! Go to the bathroom with another woman (we do this anyway, because we know!) or stick in pairs or a group when walking down the street.

7. Keep Your Hand On Your Drink

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Women also have to think about their drink being spiked, too - which can happen all too easily when you're out in a busy club or bar. Always keep your drink with you - never leave it unattended - and keep your hand covering the top if you're turning to talk to someone. Make it impossible for someone to slip anything in it!

8. Do Some Google Sleuthing For Signs Of Being Drugged

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Unfortunately, despite best efforts, drink spiking can still happen - so it's important to know what to look for. Do some research on what your drink might look like if it's been drugged (changes in color, fizzing, change in taste etc) and also check what it feels like to be drugged so that you know when to get medical attention.

9. Stick To Places You Know

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There's nothing wrong with checking out the new nightclub in town or a new area of the city, but if you can, only go to places you know and love where you've been a million times before and know you feel safe there. This is also better because staff members will most likely know you, too.

10. If You're Trying Somewhere New - Research It Ahead Of Time!

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If you do want to try somewhere new, research is key here. You want to make sure a new place isn't in the dodgy area of town, and you should check customer reviews to see what other people - especially women - have said about the place. Also research travel routes, safe parking and safe streets nearby.

11. Keep Your Valuables Close To Your Chest (Literally!)

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If you're walking down the street alone and you're wearing headphones, holding your phone in your hand and looking through your wallet, all of this is just going to be a huge beacon for anyone wanting to attack or rob you. Keep them all out of sight - better still, in an inside pocket!

12. Don't Scroll Your Phone While You're Walking

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It's easily done, especially on a night out if you're trying to find where your friends are or update them, but just don't do it! It's not safe to do so. You need to be fully aware of what's going on around you, so looking through your phone while you're walking will only be a distraction.

13. Flag Down Staff If You Don't Feel Right

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If you're out on a date and you're getting strange vibes from them, or you just don't feel safe, know that you can always let the staff know. Say you're using the bathroom and then head to the bar to speak to the server, or flag down a waitress - just any staff member applicable to where you are! Tell them what's going on.

14. You Might Want To Consider A Backup Pair Of Shoes!

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If you've worn shoes which are difficult to run in, like stiletto heels, having a flat pair in your handbag to change into at the end of the night might help. This can make sure you can walk comfortably and safely to your car or other transport, and also means you can run much easier if you need to (but hopefully not!).

15. Avoid Late-Night Public Transport If You Can

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We get it - public transport is the easy option in the evening, and especially if it's only a short bus or train journey. But unfortunately, women alone on public transport late at night are easy targets, even if it's only a 5 minute journey - and especially on something like a train when you're not close to any staff. So if you can get picked up instead, or stay at a friend's house nearby until morning, do so!

16. Don't Post Your Every Move On Social Media!

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Posting a selfie captioned "standing alone outside (bar name) on (badly-lit street)" at midnight isn't a great idea - especially if your profile is public. Anyone can see where you are, what you're doing and the fact that you're alone - so you're basically advertising yourself as an easy target.

17. Take A Look At Some Personal Safety App Options

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While phones can be bad news in terms of distractions or potential theft, they can also be saviors in a bad situation! Personal safety apps are great if you want an extra safety net. Apps include ones that let you quickly connect with certain contacts, call for help or take audio or video of what's going on.

18. Don't Take A Quick Short-Cut!

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It's late and you're tired, so you just want to get home - short-cuts will let you do that, but even if it's the same one you take a million times during daylight hours, it can get more risky at night. Sticking to a well-lit route with other people on it, even if it takes longer, is the better option than cutting down a side street.

19. Take A Photo Of Your Rideshare Driver's Car (And Let Them See You Doing It!)

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Ridesharing is a popular choice for most people these days, but once again it's more difficult for a woman alone. Be sure to take a photo of your driver's licence plate and the car before you get inside - this means you have information should anything happen, but also if they can see you taking down their details it might deter them from doing anything. Bonus: send it on message to someone you know!

20. And Make Sure Their Car Info Matches What You Booked

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You should always double check the car matches your booking before you get inside - with so many rideshare cars on the street, you might think one is yours and hop in without double checking - or, there could be someone trying their luck who's not officially a driver.

21. Walk Near Well-Lit Businesses If You Can!

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Well-lit businesses areas, even after hours when the businesses are closed, will usually have pretty solid security systems in place, especially visible CCTV cameras. If you can walk in areas like this instead of darker streets with no security, it'll help you to stay safe.

22. Having Someone Meet You At/Take You To Your Vehicle Isn't A Bad Thing

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You might avoid this because you feel like an inconvenience or because your friends are going the opposite way, but they won't mind if it keeps you safe. You can walk in a group back to your car, or you can send a friend a quick text to meet you at your vehicle before you get out of the car - especially in a quiet parking garage.

23. Pay Attention To Your Surroundings - Always!

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It's very easily done to not pay attention to what's going on around you, especially if you're focusing on meeting someone, thinking about something else or looking out for a particular sign or bar. But always make sure you're constantly looking around, listening and flagging anything that doesn't seem right.

24. Having A Loud Conversation On Your Phone Isn't The Best Idea

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Some people might think that talking loudly on your phone to your friend, mom or dad might be a good idea, because people might then think they shouldn't attack you if someone on the phone will be alerted to it. But a loud conversation on your phone is just going to draw attention to you, as well as distracting you from someone approaching.

25. Walk With Purpose: Be Confident (Even If You're Not!)

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What makes a woman alone a very easy target is when she looks lost or confused - which can easily happen if you're walking in a new area or solo traveling. It also flags you up as someone who would be an easy victim. Instead, walk with purpose and confidence - head up, act like you know where you're going even if you don't! If you're going the wrong way, keep walking, and take a turn when you can - always with purpose!

26. If You Ever Feel Unsafe, Get Inside The Nearest Open Place

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If you're walking along the street alone and you suddenly get a weird feeling in your gut, just get off the street and head inside the nearest open place you can find - like a late-night coffee shop, gas station or a drive-thru fast food place. Just get yourself somewhere light and bright, and indoors.

27. If You Think You're Being Followed - Cross The Street

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If you've noticed someone trailing behind you for the last few blocks, it could be that they're following you. One way to check is to cross the street when it's safe to do so. If they cross the street after you, they definitely could be following you. You can then decide on your next options to get to safety.

28. Do NOT Be Worried About What People Think!

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A lot of women on their own might worry about being a nuisance, looking weird or having people think they're overreacting - but when it comes to your personal safety, who cares! Go into the nearest shop and tell the person you think you're being followed, ask them for help or flag anything up that doesn't feel right. It doesn't matter what they think.

29. Be Loud And Proud

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Don't be afraid to yell, scream or call for help when you need to - if you feel in danger in any situation in public, be as loud as possible. Not only will this hopefully get someone to help you, it can also help deter an attacker who doesn't want attention or freaks out when you start shouting.

30. Make Pepper Spray A Handbag Must-Have

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Pepper spray is a must-have self-defence tool if you feel like you need it. Carrying one around in your handbag is only going to be a good thing - but hopefully you'll never have to touch it. Make sure it's in an easily accessible place and not right at the bottom - or you may want to keep it in your pocket instead!