Personal safety, Help!

[MattRooney06]

I must admit I feel a little silly asking this, but hey, all you Escapist guys and gals seem to be pretty good with everything so why not.

To cut a long story short, I work at a Game shop in the UK, hours are fairly low due to high staff numbers, but I love the work, and I love talking to people about video games. Recently I was given a shift in a town about a half hour/forty five minuet drive away, As I needed the money I took it, due to good performance they want to give me more hours there, which absolutely rocks, so already I'm going to be spending a few days of next week there, with a real chance of getting a position on the management team over there.

Now my problem is that this town I've been given these shifts in could be easily described as a terrible, terrible, place. The town is full of yobs, and angry drunks, muggings are more common than in other places in my county, and as a testament to how bad the place is their annual town bonfire has been 'indefinably suspended' due to the fact there is at least one stabbing every time it happens, one of my colleges used to be a bouncer at a fairly respected club there, and he got stabbed in the back by someone who mistook him for an enemy of there's (obviously he survived relativity unharmed, just a bit of stiffness here and there). Obviously I'm being a little dramatic, this stuff doesn't happen everyday, it's not a war zone or anything,there are no roving gangs of Fallout three-esk bandits roaming the town, but what I'm trying to say is it's not a great place.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Carry something threatening on your person, like a knife and try to appear confident. Pretty much do everything in your power to look like a bad target.

Edit: So, I remembered (and was vigorously reminded) that the UK has much stricter weaponry laws than the US. So, uh, don't listen to me.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

This is kind of US centric advice, but in my experience as long as you can see at least hobos around you, you're fine. It's when you stop seeing both the homeless and those fortunate enough to have homes that you have to worry. In any case, make sure you're aware of your surroundings at all times, walk with confidence, and look like you belong right where you are. I've been through some pretty rough areas at really weird times, and never had a serious issue. May have just been lucky, but still.

 

[stormeris]

Grow a beard.
Get a long coat.
Walk around with a frown.
See people run to the other side of the street after spotting you!
Having a telescoping baton helps, tear gas in a pocket and if all else fails, a pocket knife.

 

[Me55enger]

Desperately trying to work out the town.

Is it Luton?

Some dude above me had a point: You're in trouble only when you stop seeing folk around.

I used to be a Lutoner, albiet a few years back. Down here in cornwall the biggest news is horse mutilation.

Don't wear earphones whilst travelling on foot. You can hear more than you can see in the dark.

 

[Zeren]

I was going to recommend that you got a concealed carry permit, but seeing as you live in the UK, you can't do that. I'm not familiar with UK laws, but you could consider carrying a knife. It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

 

[Varrdy]

As much as it might tempt you, walking around with a weapon stashed could land you in more trouble than it's worth! If you can, try and work on your cardio so you can run like fuck if challenged. It might sound wimpy but running like your bum is on fire and shouting for help is the first thing they teach you in self-defence classes.

Speaking of, see if you can take a few self-defence classes - they are pretty common and if anything else might help you be a bit more confident.

Avoid walking around alone if you can and stick to well-lit areas where there are people around. As other people have said, if an area is oddly desolate / devoid of people then there is usually a good reason.

Walking tall / looking tough is all well and good but it could also mark you out as a target just as much as looking terrified and jumping at every little noise. Not what you wanted to hear, I know but I wont lie to you. Brainless gits who mug / pick on people will use ANY excuse to pick on someone.

I hope that your job goes well and that you stay safe!

 

[Megalodon]

If you're only goiong to be working there, is it such a problem? You'll only be around during the day, when there tend to be people around. Plus in my experience GWs tend to be in the town center, where you wouldn't expect massive amounts of crime during the day.

 

[Evilpigeon]

Don't show off any valuables and stick to crowded places, being armed is a terrible idea and isn't going to help you. You're mostly going to be working during the day so you're probably perfectly fine anyway.

 

[Use_Imagination_here]

Don't carry valuables around, but do carry enough cash to satisfy anyone who wants to mug you.

Guess what robbers want? Money. You give them money and they'll usually fuck off afterwards.

 

[b3nn3tt]

I'd just like to point out that carrying a knife around can get you arrested ([link]http://safe.met.police.uk/knife_crime_and_gun_crime/consequences_and_the_law.html[/link]). On top of that, it's very unlikely that having a knife would do you any good at all in the event that you were to get mugged or attacked.

As other people have said, trying not to draw attention to yourself is a good bet, as is being able to run really fast whilst creating a lot of noise. I would imagine that very few muggers would be willing to chase you while you're drawing attention to yourself, especially since they don't know how much valuable stuff you have on you anyway. Possibly invest in some form of personal alarm in order to create an even bigger risk for the mugger.

All of that being said, as far as I'm aware most high street shops aren't open past six-ish at the latest, and I'd say your chances of being mugged at that time are fairly slim, since there should still be plenty of people around.

 

[teqrevisited]

Walk with a determined, fast pace and an expression that says "I don't have time for this shit" and you should be ok. It's what I do to cut paths into shopping crowds and those groups of complete idiots who think walking side by side in a group of five is perfectly acceptable when the path is only about seven feet wide.

 

[Alexi089]

Well you can't carry any weapons without risking a prison sentence, so all you can do is get local advice on the mugging/ gang hangouts of the area; park your car somewhere well lit close to your work; take routes along main roads and busy areas. Keep your headphones out walking quiet places at night and ignore any gangs trying to start fight with you for no reason (cos we both know chavs never pick a fair fight). Chances are you'll be ok as long as you aren't carrying anything very expensive.

You may as well name the town or area within it and chances are there will be a local on here who can say if there's any really notorious areas. If it's really that dodgy, maybe consider applying for a 2nd retail job nearer home in different store instead. Anywhere will take you if you're good at the role.

 

[UniversalRonin]

Carry something threatening on your person, like a knife and try to appear confident. Pretty much do everything in your power to look like a bad target.

Yup, and get yourself arrested in the process. Good going there sparky. But the confidence is on the right lines. In fact, I'd say it's bang on.

Snip

When I was living around Lambeth, I always found the trick was to look confident, and don't be in stupid places. That lovely looking park at 02:00? you'll get mugged. In bed all tucked up and asleep at 02:00? You wont get mugged.
But really, walk like you're supposed to be somewhere, look confident, and act utterly unbothered about where you are and who else is there. If you look like you mean business, then people normally let you get on with it.

EDIT. if you look like you know what you're doing, then people normally let you get on with it. 'look like you mean business' was a poor turn of phrase and may sound more aggressive than I meant.

 

[Ryan Hughes]

OK. First, I am a martial arts instructor, so I hope my words carry some weight here. Second, I live in America, and grew up in a rather sullen place where I had to play games of 'dodge the meth dealer' on the way to school every morning. So, forgive me when I say you are making too big of a deal out of this.

Point one: If you act scared and think like a victim, the chances of becoming a victim increase. Muggers never randomly pick targets, they watch carefully for the right time and the right person. If you walk with confidence, your chances of being mugged are slim, even if you are alone. When people get mugged, it is often because they were sick, they had their head down, were pre-occupied, etc. Walk with others if you can, even try to schedule and coordinate walking to your car with other employees.

Point two: Carrying a weapon is a very bad idea. If you are not trained extensively in the use of that weapon in combat, it is far more likely to get you arrested or even killed than it is to save your life. I cannot stress this point enough: weapons are only for people who have learned to use them thoroughly, and have enough discipline to use them wisely.

Point three: If you still feel uncomfortable there, you still have some options. You can buy a simple, modern defense weapon like Chemical Suppressant or a Taser. You can also sign up for personal defense classes. But you need to be careful when doing so. If you go the route of spray, then buy some higher-end stuff, like what mail carriers and police use. Also, get some cans of bug spray about the same size as your can and practice drawing and spraying. If you decide to take classes, then shop around and ask questions about the lineage of the martial art and the training for the teachers. I could show you hundreds or thousands of YouTube 'self-defense' videos that contain techniques that can get you killed. you can never learn what you need to learn to win an actual fight from a video. Not ever.

In short, the first thing is to get your head in the right place. If you think like a victim, you will act like a victim, and the chances that someone will victimize you increase. Second, decide a course of action through careful thought. If you have any more questions about self defense, I would be happy to help.

 

[BishopofAges]

Not terribly much I can really say here, except that improvised weapons (large club-like stick or a large SEALED wine bottle) are totally within play.

Make sure that the company security cameras work, if they provide none, put up something that looks like one and refer to it often in conversation.

Stick to groups of people, if you end up working a shift alone, bring a friend (if they allow that sort of thing) and have them hang out with you during your shift. I've been known to hang out at my friend's jobs just to chatter on and laugh.

Make sure your car doesn't have anything valuable in it, or if it does (like your combat-wine bottle) make sure it is out of sight so drunk people do not break in your windows to raid your stuff.

Keep calm, keep composure, and keep your confidence. Do not act cocky like someone looking for trouble, do not threaten someone to try and get them to go away or leave you alone (cowards usually have friends).

Best of luck to you and I hope you keep safe even in places where safety is not guaranteed.

edit: aside from my improvised weapon suggestion, I want to make myself clear that my intent is to keep you from a fight/flight situation instead of trying to deal with one (why does everyone talk about weapons, good gravy. Its not like avoiding a fight is hard!)

 

[TheEvilCheese]

I'm going to echo what's been said already, but I feel I have decent input on the subject as someone who's lived in pretty rough areas of the UK and never had any trouble, even though almost everyone I know has.

Look the part. Confidence starts as an act. Thinking like a victim is the worst thing you can do. And carrying a knife is pretty high on the 'worst things to do' list as well. Walk with purpose. Basically, don't make yourself look like the easiest target. Look up the statistics, you're far more likely to get injured if you carry a knife.

If someone tries to mug you? Give them what they want. As horrible as it sounds your health is far more important than your cash or phone. If you absolutely are forced into a fight-or-flight, choose flight. It's the safest option.

What time would you be leaving the store? How far to your car? It honestly seems to me you're over reacting.

 

[Karma168]

Carry something threatening on your person, like a knife and try to appear confident. Pretty much do everything in your power to look like a bad target.

No, no, no. Worst advice ever. Police catch you with a knife and you're fucked, they don't care if it's for show and you don't plan on stabbing anyone. Police find a knife on you and you can kiss management chances goodbye, they don't take that stuff lightly because of how bad knife crime is in some areas.

 

[Whateveralot]

Now, here lies a threat and for you an upcoming manager -in my opinion- an opportunity.


What would you do if you were the manager? Is there anything you can do about this, to guarantee your personell's safety on the job (and on the way there and on the way back). Surely, there's only so much you can do, but if you at least suggest something, you'd be suprised of the outcome.

Recently, a shop of the company I work for received a high-end security system that floods the place with smoke when there's a threat. Jewelers already have this quite often, but as a shop for electronics, we couldn't miss out. Works like a charm.

Would you feel safer if you had a panic button?

 

[chadachada123]

Confidence. Walk with confidence. Also, walk with no visible valuables, and never let anyone see you take repeat sums of cash out of your wallet. Pull a $20 out once, and do it again, and they'll expect you to have more.

(I find it rather disgusting that telling you all this is not considered 'defending robbery,' but many people think that giving advice for avoiding being sexually assaulted is somehow 'defending rape,' but that's a discussion for another time)

Seeing as you live in the UK, I won't suggest that you actually, you know, DEFEND yourself, since that can get you arrested there. That said, if the law permits pepper spray or tazers or any other device to help escape, go for it.

And consider a large hoody or something else that hides your face. However, if you're going to do so, make sure to emphasize the confidence. There is a small but noticeable difference between a guy wearing a hood that's afraid and trying to hide, versus a guy wearing a hood walking without giving a single fuck.

That all is advice for the walk to your business. Once inside the shop, there is not a whole lot you can do, given that it's the UK and all. I suppose, just make sure that the back room can be locked, just in case you need to lock yourself away from attackers.