How to Stay Safe

The world can sometimes seem like a very scary and dangerous place, but fortunately there are some precautions you can take. While nothing can completely protect you from every danger, you can prepare yourself as best as possible to avoid potential dangers or to deal with them when they happen.

Steps

Staying Safe At Night

1. Be aware of your surroundings. While you can't avoid every problem that could arise by noticing your surroundings, it can definitely help you to keep aware and to look like you're keeping aware. This means don't talk on the phone, or listen to music.
   
   
   
   • Pay attention to the people who are around you. If there's a drunk yelling obscenities down the street, notice him and cross the street or choose a different route.
2. Wear brightly colored or reflective clothing. While this may seem counterproductive -- after all aren't you supposed to not draw attention to yourself? -- it actually helps you out in a couple different ways.^[1]
   
   
   
   • Brightly colored or reflective clothing helps lessen the danger from cars. This is actually one of the bigger problems you can run into if you're out and about at night. You especially want to make sure you're visible when it's foggy or rainy.
   • It also can make you less of a target. Bright colors have a correlation with confidence and while it won't protect you every time, it can make someone who was going to mess with you, less likely to do so, because you're so visible.
3. Avoid walking in unlit areas, such as alleys or parks. While unfortunate things can happen even in well-lit areas, someone can attack you much more easily in a darkened area and it will be much harder to get help should you need it.^[2]
   
   
   
   • Stick to well-lit, public thoroughfares, roads, and paths for walking. The more people around, the better.
4. Make sure someone knows where you are and what you’re doing. If something happens to you, you definitely want to have at least one person who knows what you were doing and where you were going.
   
   
   
   • If you have to walk somewhere at night, make sure that a friend or trusted person knows the route that you took. This way if something does happen to you they know where to start looking.
5. Have emergency phone numbers memorized. In this day and age your phone contains so much information that it's tempting not to memorize any of those numbers. You need to make a contingency plan in case you lose your cell phone, it gets stolen, or it runs out of batteries.
   
   
   
   • Along with the obvious emergency numbers (like the police or fire department) you should have a friend or two that you can call if you run into difficulty.
   • If you can, try and have these numbers be people who live in your area. While it can be tempting to call mom, she might live thousands of miles away and not be able to help you out at all.
6. Follow the buddy system. if you're going out at night, especially if you're going out clubbing or drinking, try and go with your friends. Make a plan before going out at night designating who is buddied up with whom. This way you'll only have to keep track of one other person and you'll know that someone is looking out for you, too.^[3]
   
   
   
   • If there is a designated driver, have them be in charge of making sure that all the friends are okay. You should also make sure that they get everyone's keys, so no one else tries to leave without them.
7. If you’re drinking, keep track of your drink. If you have to go to the bathroom, go outside for a smoke, or something, and you haven't finished your drink, leave it with a trusted friend. You can't tell if someone has tampered with your drink (like if it has been roofied).
   
   
   
   • Just remember that even if someone does tamper your drink, it isn't your fault. It's the fault of the person who tampered the drink.
8. Try and always have money for transportation. Whether it's cab fare to get you back home, or it's money for the bus or subway, make sure that you always have the right amount to get you back from wherever you are.
   
   
   
   • Keep your backup money separate from the money you’re spending at night. This way you won't decide to spend your money on the night out, rather than on getting home.
   • This is important even if you're just coming back from work at night. If something makes you uncomfortable or nervous you want to have enough money to get yourself out of the situation by taking a cab or bus, if you need to.
9. Know when the last bus leaves. If you're out late and you need to catch a bus, or subway make sure that you know when the last one leaves. This way if you do miss if you don't have to wait around at the bus stop or tube station.
   
   
   
   • Try and have a backup plan for if you do get stranded. Keep the number of a local cab company with you, or have a friend that you can call if you need to.
   • If you do take a bus late at night, sit near the driver. It's much more likely that you'll be robbed or harassed if you sit in the back of the bus than if you sit near the driver.

Staying Safe at Home

1. Have emergency numbers easily accessible. If you're at home, especially if you're by yourself, you need to make sure that you have any emergency phone numbers as accessible as possible, that way if something happens you don't have to go on the hunt for them.^[4]
   
   
   
   • Have the numbers of emergency responders like the police, the fire department, or an ambulance.
   • You might also have poison control centers, or a local consulting nurse number in case of an accident or illness that you're not sure constitutes an emergency.
   • Have the number of a trusted neighbor or local friend that you can contact if something happens.
2. Place emergency devices in an easily accessible place. If there's been a fire or an accident, or so on you don't want to have to dig through a bunch of stuff to find your emergency devices. Make sure everyone in the house knows where they're located.^[5]
   
   
   
   • Keep the first aid kit in the bathroom in the same place so that you don't have to hunt for it if it's needed.
   • Make sure that you have one or more fire extinguishers in the right places around the house: in the kitchen and by a fireplace are two good places. Also, you want to ensure that you and the people in your household know how to use the fire extinguisher in case there's an emergency.
   • Place a flashlight in an obvious place. If the lights go out or there's a problem, you'll know exactly where the flashlight is.
3. Make emergency plans. While you can't plan for everything, it's a good idea to have an emergency plan for the major problems that could happen while you're at home, especially if you're at home alone.
   
   
   
   • Have multiple escape routes for if there is a fire. Make sure that everyone in your household knows what to do and where to go.
   • Depending on where you live you might have an emergency plan for a tornado, a hurricane, an earthquake, and so on.
   • You might also try and make an emergency plan for if you ever had a home invasion: you might also figure out escape routes out of the house, where you might hide in the house, where you would go for help, and so on.
4. Install an alarm system. It's really important that you have an early alert system for any problems that might happen while you're in the house. This could be anything from a fire, a carbon monoxide leak, or a home intruder.^[6]
   
   
   
   • There are a variety of different alarm systems. Figure out which one works for you, or what your needs are. If carbon monoxide isn't a problem in your home, for example, then you won't need an early alert system for it.
   • Always make sure that your alarm system is set and that it has all the appropriate batteries and wiring. There's not much point in having an alarm system that's never functional.
5. Keep doors and windows locked. Unless you live in a place where no one locks their doors (many small towns) then you should keep these locked, especially if you're home alone. This is particularly important on the ground floor which can create easy access for any burglars or intruders.
   
   
   
   • Depending on the area you live in, you may need to install bars on your windows, especially at the ground floor.
6. Never tell someone that you’re home alone. If someone comes to the door and asks to speak with you about something, avoid telling them that you're the only one there. If you live in an apartment building and someone you don't know wants to buzz you in, avoid doing so unless you're absolutely sure of them.
   
   
   
   • You also don't want to post on Facebook or other social media how you're home alone.
   • This is especially important if you're a kid and you're at home alone. While things rarely happen the way they do in movies (like Home Alone, for example) you don't want to risk anyone deciding your house is vulnerable because you're the only one there.
7. Make sure the spare key is difficult for a potential intruder to find. The best thing to do with a spare key is give it to a trusted neighbor and get it from them if you lock yourself out. Otherwise you should make certain to hide the key really well.
   
   
   
   • This means, don't hide it under the front mat, or a nearby flowerpot. That's the first place a potential intruder will look.
   • An example might be hiding a key to the shed on a hook beneath the back porch and having to use the key to the shed to get the house key from a hiding place in the locked shed.
8. Don’t go into the house if it looks like it's been broken into. If you get home and see a broken window or the door open when it shouldn’t be, then you should not go and investigate. Instead go to a neighbor's house and call the cops.
   
   
   
   • If a light is on that shouldn't be on, call the home phone and check that it isn't a family member back when you didn't expect them.
   • Checking to see if the intruder is still in your home can lead to bad consequences for you, so it's best to call the cops and let them handle it.

Staying Safe While Traveling

1. Make duplicates of important documents. If something happens to your passport, or any important travel documents (like an identification card, any visa information, etc.) you want to have duplicates of those to show to police or to a consulate.
   
   
   
   • Keep your duplicates in a different place than your actual documents. For example, if you have a purse you're keeping all the important documents like passport and so on, keep your duplicates in a different bag.
   • You should also leave duplicates of everything with a trusted friend or family member. That way if everything gets lost or stolen you can contact them and get the copies of the documents from them.
2. Do research before you go. Know as much about the area you're traveling to as possible. Find out what places are safe and what places aren't safe, so that you know what areas to avoid.
   
   
   
   • Make sure you’re aware of local customs so you don’t offend people. There are certain gestures in the U.S., for example, that are extremely rude in other parts of the world.
   • Ask locals where is safe to go. The locals are the ones who are the most likely to recommend good places to go, as well as where to stay away from. There are lots of websites (like the one for Couchsurfing) where you can connect up with people from the area over the internet and they should be able to give you information.
3. Learn something something of the local language. While you're probably not going to be able to become fluent, you should at least make sure you can access enough of the language to communicate if you get into trouble.
   
   
   
   • Have a sheet of important phrases (not just "Where's the bathroom?") with things like: how to get to the train/bus station, where is the nearest police station/home country consulate, internet cafe, and so on.
   • Knowing enough to make basic communication with local people will make locals more likely to help you, because you have made an effort to be more than just a tourist.
4. Inform a trusted person about your itinerary. This is especially important if you're traveling alone. Somebody who is responsible should know where you are supposed to be and what you're supposed to be doing. This way, if you don't show up at the place you're supposed to be, someone will be able to start making inquiries.
   
   
   
   • If your itinerary changes make sure that you connect with your trusted person and let them know that it has changed.
5. Have a decoy wallet and phone. A decoy wallet is basically a wallet that has an expired credit card, maybe an old i.d. card, and a few smaller denominations of whatever country's currency you're using. If you have a decoy wallet and someone robs you, they’ll only get the decoy wallet.^[7]
   
   
   
   • Do not bring your fancy phone or wallet packed with money with you traveling. You'll be far more likely to be robbed.
6. Do not parade around flaunting your valuables. This ties in with the above step. Don't bring your expensive jewelry, watch, cell phone, laptop, and so on with you when you go traveling. While you can be robbed just as easily at home, it's more likely to happen when you're an obvious tourist in a place that you don't know well.^[8]
   
   
   
7. Keep an eye on your important items. Always stay alert when you're traveling. It can be easy to drop your vigilance for a moment, but that's the moment when someone can snag your camera, or your purse.
   
   
   
   • Make a mental checklist of your most important items (like your wallet, your phone, your passport, etc.) and pause every now and then to make sure they're still there. It's easy to get flustered or in a rush while traveling and that's when you tend to lose things.
   • Check around your area if you’ve been sitting somewhere for awhile or before you get off something like a bus.
8. Always separate your cash. Never, ever, keep all your cash in one place. Spread it out through your things. Keep some in your decoy wallet, some in your actual wallet, some in your bag, in your sock, in your other bag.
   
   
   
   • This way, if on thing gets stolen or you get robbed, you won't be completely without money.
9. Stay aware. When you're traveling it's easy to get into a different headspace, one that isn't very aware. You're stressed, you're hurrying, you're wanting too look at lots of things, it's totally understandable.^[9]
   
   
   
   • The reason people tend to be robbed while they're traveling isn't because other countries are more crime-ridden than your country. It's because you're more likely to be paying attention when you're home and you're more likely to notice when something is out-of-place.
   • Thieves can orchestrate or take advantage of a chaotic situation to rob you. If a bunch of people are swarming around you, pay attention for any little hands in your pockets.
   • The more alert you look, the less likely you are to be pinpointed as an easy target.
10. Be skeptical of anyone who is being overly nice. Thieves can orchestrate situations where they distract you by "helping" you while a confederate robs you. Be wary of anyone who is too nice.
    
    
    
    • Unless everyone in the area is super nice, then you should be skeptical of anyone who is going above and beyond, or is incredibly insistent about offering you some assistance that is very distracting.

Tips

• Trust your gut. If a situation or person feels unsafe they probably are. You might be picking up on subconscious signals. Even if they are perfectly fine, it’s better to be safe then to get into a bad situation because you didn’t trust your instincts.

Warnings

• Keep your valuables out of sight of any windows, especially on the ground floor, most especially if they're open. People can easily climb through the windows and grab the valuable item and run.

Related wikiHows

• How to Avoid Being Hit by a Train
• How to Keep Safe Around Abandoned Mines
• How to Avoid Food Poisoning
• How to Make a Knife Sheath
• How to Make a Survival Kit in a Bottle
• How to Get Rid of Weevils (Flour Bugs)

Sources and Citations

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