HOW TO: Personal-safety guidelines

Consider adding these personal-safety guidelines:

ON THE STREET:
-Keep your head up and walk with a purpose; make eye contact with people you pass on the street.

-Be alert to what's going on around you; keep your focus outward, not inward.

-Avoid alleys, deserted streets, and isolated public parks. Stick with the crowd but be very vigilant as a crowd is a terrorist target.

-Wear comfortable shoes you can walk or run in.

-Walk up to a residence, store, or emergency firebox if you believe you're being followed.

IN YOUR CAR;
-Keep your car well maintained and your gas tank at least one-quarter full.

-Keep car doors locked and windows rolled up.

-Have your car keys in hand when approaching your car.

-Park close to the building you'll be entering or near the center of a lot. Avoid parking around the lot's edges or next to an occupied vehicle.

-Before getting in the car, check the front and back seats to be sure no one is hiding inside.

-Park in well-lighted areas. Avoid back streets, alleys, and isolated parking garages.

-Don't go home or to your hostel if you believe someone is following you. Instead, drive to a police station, fire station, or a business with visible security personnel on duty.

Daily Routine;

-Inform security, peers, or a family member if you're going to work or study late and when you expect to be back.

-Leave the building/plot with a peer or security escort.

-Leave a record of your appointments with a peer; let someone know where you're going and when you expect to return when leaving for off campus activities.

-Be careful in stairwells and elevators. Avoid using dark or isolated stairwells. Stand next to the control panel while riding in an elevator with a stranger. If you're attacked, punch all the floor buttons so the door will open on each floor. Yell for assistance every time it opens.

-Trust your intuition. If someone in an elevator appears threatening or suspicious, get out and alert security.

-Use a buddy system. Tell a peer when you're going to the restroom or running an errand.


Thanks for reading!