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Every environment has its threats. The urban one is no different. Only, the danger here usually comes in a form that's much more familiar to us than those in, say, a desert or the ocean. It's other people. However, when it comes to protecting ourselves in the city, most of us are still pretty bad at it.
But there's an online discussion that can help. A week ago, Reddit user u/LegalCriminal69 asked people with "street smarts" to share advice that can help to survive in our concrete jungle, and quite a few came through with useful tips. Continue scrolling and you will find some of the best ones.
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Know that criminals rely on their victims to be polite and not cause a scene or draw attention to themselves. When something happens to you, scream and shout. Make it known you’re in danger.
No shame in running away from a fight.
Always act like you know where you are going.
That is what I always do even if I have no idea where am I.
If someone grabs you and starts walking you forcefully, collapse like dead weight don't help them take you somewhere. Then scream bloody murder!
I saw a lady make a video on this and I feel it’s important information to share. If you are a parent and you are in public and somehow you lose track of your kid DO NOT BE QUIET! Searching Quietly to avoid judgment or embarrassment will only lead to the further endangerment of your child. Immediately in the loudest voice possible start describing your child. The color of their hair, the color of their skin, what they are wearing, etc… most likely people around you will start looking for the child that fits that description and all the commotion will most likely (if in the case someone took the child) that person will not want to be caught and will release the child.
Also: kids tend to wander away in the direction where they have the wind/sun in treir back. At least at the beach they usually do.
If you’re feeling uncomfortable or uneasy, trust it. Whenever I’ve felt uneasy while walking through my neighborhood I’ve always seen something or heard of something happening.
Yes! Always trust your instincts. That is what you have them for!
Don't talk to any strangers and don't let them stop you on the street. Just keep walking.
Don't ever have your eyes looking down at the ground. Keep your eyes looking what's in front of you and attentive to your surroundings.
Alrucards_R3dwr8th , Bacila Vlad Report
Don't ever? Sorry, people have dogs and dogs poop everywhere so I have to look down too. You can do that and be aware too.
Use windows and mirrors to check behind you when you walk places. Takes less time than pulling out your phone and using the camera.
If you find yourself driving in a bad area and getting stopped at a stop sign or stop light, always leave room to get around the car in front of you. Even if that has to be the sidewalk, leave enough room to get out. Pay attention to who else is around you and if suddenly doors open and people start moving toward you just start driving and don’t stop. They probably won’t chase you, at least not far. Easier to find another victim.
call_me_dopey , William Krause Report
If you're in a big town or a city and a group of kids surround you, keep your hands in your pockets and don't let them get behind you. Some will try to distract you while others pickpocket you.
Be aware, but not afraid, of your surroundings. S**t people look for the unwary and afraid, because they're easier to bully/rob.
Don’t cross a busy road 20ft from a crossing with a light. Live another day.
Walk with confidence, walk straight and SLIGHTLY faster than your normal pace
A_FamousNobody , Krzysztof Hepner Report
How does the wannabe perp know you're walking _slightly_ faster than your normal pace? What's the sense?
Keep your wallet in your front pocket
anon , Marko Blažević Report
And ur phone too. Tho us women it might be harder... (Curse these pocketless jeans!)
If you are buying something and someone says "wait here. I'll be right back with it" and they already have your money, they will not be back.
Foreign_Employer2771 , Karolina Grabowska Report
Grown men don’t ask women or children for help. They have an ulterior motive. Grown men, if you happen to be the 1% that does approach women on the street for help, stop doing it and please stop acting surprised when we’re afraid of you. This is how we go missing.
forgotteau_my_gateau , August de Richelieu Report
With all due respect, I honestly think forgot-my-cake needs therapy. Far too paranoid.
If you have to walk around a sketchy area don’t dress like you have anything worth taking.
black_flag_4ever , Marlon Schmeiski Report
Don’t ever let anybody take you to a secondary location.
1) If you have the opportunity sprint away to a public place with lots of witnesses in any sketchy situation 2) gunshots nearby (like a block or two away at most) find cover, get behind it and keep a low profile. Don't look like a threat, don't be a hero, try to find where the shots are coming from and quickly/discreetly get the f**k away 3) if you have to fight, assume you are fighting for your life. There is no honor, mfers aren't here to have an honor duel they are here to hurt you. Punch, kick, eye gouge and especially bite in a street situation with a stranger. Everyones a gangster til you bite a chunk out of them. 4) be familiar with the area. Don't go into the hoods if you aren't known there/know how to carry yourself in a rough area. After living in the projects, carrying yourself with confidence and moving with a purpose are much more valuable than tryna rep your s**t if you're not about that life. Know the best ways to get through/out of a bad neighborhood 5) don't trust street vendors (really just hustlers). The best response is "sprekenzy deutsch" or "Hablo espanol" depending on the particular hustler. 6) most importantly, mind your own f****n business
ALWAYS. Be attentive to your surroundings. The simplest, yet most important rule of them all. Don't have headphones in, making you unable to hear anything around you. Don't have your face up in your expensive phone, making you blind to your surroundings and showing off your easy-to-grabs. Do, look around. Make it a habit to always look around, or look at that noise and figure out what's going on around you. That way, you'll see those two dudes coming up to rob you, and you'll hear the third one sneaking up behind you to jump you. Another pro-tip. Have RBF. Resting b***h face puts people off. Most people looking to rob you are just trying to intimidate you and get you to hand over your valuables, not a fight that could land them in prison with an AWADW charge or 2nd degree murder charge. *and if you're South American, the prisons are notoriously s**t so if you do get arrested it will be really s**t, and if you don't get arrested they kill without discretion in certain SA countries. RBF can be the difference between looking easy and looking like a problem. And lastly, if you DO get robbed, and you have not been killed, cooperate. The coward pieces of s**t that kill to steal will shoot first and ask questions second. Its these F***s that make it particularly important to go back to the first rule. ALWAYS BE ATTENTIVE TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS. You'll spot a mugging a block away, and react accordingly. As for my credibility, I grew up in a particular South American Country. That's all you need to trust my words.
I've lived in the Bronx all my life. A lot of what I would suggest has been said already, so I'm gonna give two pieces of advice that haven't been said. First: have some cash on you. Not a lot, but enough to catch a cab home. Why? If you're ever in a situation in which you're running and hail a cab, a lot of independent cab companies (aka gypsie cabs) don't take credit/PayPal, etc, and some even legit use their machines to steal card info (happened to me once). Have enough cash to pay someone to get your a*s home FAST. Second: MEMORIZE. SOME. PHONE NUMBERS! payphones may not be a thing anymore, but if you a*s ends up in jail, in a hospital, in any s**t situation, and you don't have your phone, you better know at least 3 numbers by heart of people who are ride or die for you. The amount of people I have seen die at my job that we couldn't reach next of kin cause their phone was damaged beyond usefulness and we had to bury as John Does is way to high. HAVE THAT F*****G NUMBER IN YOUR HEAD AND TELL IT TO US BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!
Nothing good comes from a stranger approaching you and saying "can I ask you a question?" - you'll be locked into a long conversation that ends with a plea for money
Ok-Appointment-3716 , Vinicius "amnx" Amano Report
You are always going somewhere with confidence. Lost AF? Walk with confidence. Got dropped off too early by an Uber? Walk like you are the boss of that street. Do not stare at your phone looking lost.
florida_born , Jorge Vasconez Report
Stay THE F**K off your phone and pay attention to your surroundings. Best way to get knocked over the head and your pockets ran is with your nose in your phone and your earbuds in.
mediaG33K , Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 Report
Never show fear or nervousness when you’re female and alone. If a man tries to draw you in, it sounds counter-intuitive, but you’re better off being friendly and in control than hostile. “Hey hon! I am in a damn hurry - hope you’re good!” And laugh and walk faster as you wave and smile. - woman who travels alone and has walked some scary places at 3am
There's more than one way to get home. If you see something shady going on on your normal route you're better off taking the long way than getting involved with whatever is happening.
You didn't see anything. Keep moving.
nryporter25 , Raul De Los Santos Report
Mind your business. If you hear people talk or doing something keep your eyes where you’re going. Don’t look over to catch a peek.
Additional_Bear1981 , Liam Martens Report
Let’s say a guy pulls a knife on you to mug you. What do you do? You go fumbling for your wallet. And you go fumbling for your wallet. Well, in that split second, that’s when he’s going to stab you. So here’s what you do. You kids get yourselves a money clip. Okay, you can get these at any haberdashery. You put a $50 bill in the money clip then when a guy flashes a blade, you go, ‘You want my money, go get it!’ Then you run in the other direction.
Spaceforce6actual , Kenny Eliason Report
I would just hit him with a blunt object and run away.
If you enter a neighborhood with kids outside, or elderly people outside, it’s a safe neighborhood. If there’s no kids and just adults sitting outside, chances are it’s not safe
Not street smart, but I learned to avoid eye contact as much as possible. Making eye contact is a form of reciprocity. *I gave you my attention, you owe me*... just keep walking.
Be loud and show no fear.I was sitting behind a bar in the bed of my friend's truck at night with a couple of my gal friends, we were waiting for our boyfriends to close out and meet us (honesty - we had smoked a joint and my friends have low tolerance). A man and his lady companion got out of their car and were arguing about something, she was trying to pull him back to their car.He started approaching the truck and pulled out what looked like zip-tie loops. My friends were laying down and I was sitting up. Gut immediately screamed alarm bells. I stood up and shouted "Get the F-ck back! Get back to your f-cking car!" I always carry a knife, mainly for work and discretely pulled it out of my pocket, and also pulled out my phone in the other hand aggressively shouted "Get the f-ck back, I'm calling the police." (I had no cell service).The woman ran back to the car and started honking the horn. He ran back just as our boyfriends were walking up and they peeled out of the parking lot. Too dark to get a plate, but I still called in with their descriptions. This was 25 years ago and I still remember every second. Of course every situation is different, but be very loud and show confidence, *even if you don't feel it.
Not sure I understand what was happening here.
Always act like you know where you are and where you're going. Walk slightly faster than your usual pace and walk with confidence.
If you are in a group of people who are about to get in trouble or something is going wrong just casually walk away. This only really applies if you are a teen like I was trying to sneak in places with my friends or loutering or doings something delinquent. But I always stayed observant just out of habit, and i would see cop cars pull up or an angry looking person coming our way and literally just get up and walk away as casual as possible. This has literally never failed me.
Stay alert, and at night, try to remain in places with enough light
If you can before you travel use google streetview to familiarize yourself with the area. Befoe my 1st trip to Paris i did a streetview walk through from the train station to my hotel, remembering what the buildings looked like where i needed to walk, etc. And carry a money belt, not a wallet. I saw an older Amercan couple on the same train going to my stop get pickpocketed after the fact.
Don’t be the person to start a fight, it’s really not worth it
Head high in a comfortable, confident manner. Disdain for everyone/thing, and most importantly, pepper spray. The tactical kind that sprays a cloud.
If you don't act like you are in the wrong place, most people will ignore you. If you need to ask for help, being polite and accepting someone may not be able to help will get you what you need.
Always be aware of your surroundings, if someone looks or sounds a little off avoid eye contact especially on public transportation, and don't let nobody punk you. I carry a knife with me most of the time and depending on the situation ( like getting jumped or the dude is way bigger than me) I will use it. When I was younger I was always with friends so rarely ever ran into trouble but now that I'm older I'm usually out & about by myself or with my daughter and I'm to old to run so I gotta do what I gotta do to protect myself and if someone messed with my daughter you'll definitely see me on the news
At any place where you're stationary for a period of time (e.g. bus stop) assess the area and identify all possible escape routes. Also check if there's anything nearby that you could use as a weapon to even the score. I often do the escape route thing if I'm in a waiting room like a doctors surgery, probably just because I get bored easily. I'm a people watcher too so I'm always aware of how many people are around and the energy each of them bring into the room.
When walking somewhere, always look around and keep track of what could be used as a weapon if needed. If someone asks “what-chu-be-about?” The answers is always “nothing”. If you try and get cute you’ll probably get a bat over the head or a cap in your a*s before you finish your smart-a*s answer.
Not from a big city, but I’ve spent plenty of time in DC and NYC. I knew enough to just ignore people who are acting crazy, panhandling, or trying to sell you stuff. Walk quickly and with purpose, look like you know where you are and know where you’re going. Act like you belong too. It’s the people who look like tourists or like they don’t know what they’re doing who end up getting victimized.
Never go with a weirdo/drug dealer to a second location. There are no rules in a street fight. If you s**t in your hand during a confrontation, they will leave you alone.
If you s**t in your hand? I imagine that might make most people leave you alone... Unless you're unlucky enough to meet some fecalphiliac.
Don’t make eye contact and don’t stop walking. Keep moving. Don’t look down at the ground or your phone either, Try to stay on busy main streets when possible - the more people around you, the better. Look like you know what you’re doing and walk with purpose.
* Know where all your exits are * Be aware of who and what is coming towards you (even from a great distance) * Never let yourself be caught in a dead-end * Be deliberate about everything you do
When carrying a purse with a zipper on a female, make sure the opening end faces the front (where you can keep an eye on it). This stops anyone following you from opening your bag and stealing your wallet or other valuables.
Don't be super loud and obnoxious because people will challenge that
God, this is really depressing.
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Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 235 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.
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