SageTheRage
01-26-2005, 09:11 AM
Making safety a habit: Personal safety is a matter of awareness (http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2005/012005/01262005/1644704) - by Kathleen Lewis
The bad guys count on our not thinking about their intent.
They count on our unlocked doors and windows, our unshredded trash and our inattentiveness to our surroundings.
Through the years, I have developed a set of safety rules to protect myself from the bad guys. But after attending a two-hour women's safety awareness course last week, I realize that my safety net had some holes.
The course was offered at the Marshall Center. The instructor, John Wills, is a retired FBI special agent and former Chicago police officer. He says safety awareness is as important as self-defense techniques.
Self-defense can help you get out of a dangerous situation, but safety awareness can keep you from getting into one, he said.
Wills offered a plethora of ideas that I hadn't thought of, and I consider myself a safety-conscious person.
There are things I don't do: If I have to walk at night, I don't walk near dark spaces or where my view might be obstructed by bushes or other objects. I purposely create distance between myself and any possible hidden danger, even if that means walking in the street.
Wills called this practice "taking the corner wide." Used by law enforcement, he said, it gives an officer a visual advantage over a suspect who might be hiding around a corner ready to strike.
I learned the value of this practice the hard way when I was a teenager. I was grabbed by a bad guy hiding in the bushes on the corner of my block. He had startled me with a "Boo" when I brushed past the bushes. At first I thought he was a practical joker, but when he slapped hands over my mouth and dragged me backward into the the yard, I knew he was serious.
Fortunately, I got away when he took his hand off my mouth to let me catch my breath.
It's a lesson I won't forget.
I have other safety practices. I don't leave valuables or identifying information where they can be seen in my car. I don't give out unnecessary information about myself or family members over the phone, and I don't open the front door to strangers.
Well, I did once.
My son went out for pizza. It had been some time since he left. The doorbell rang, and without checking through the peephole--all I could think about was that steamy pie dripping with mozzarella--I opened the door.
The stranger held out his hand for me to shake, as if selling door-to-door in the dark were the most natural thing in the world.
He would take only a few minutes of my time. But I wanted something from time that couldn't be had--a chance to go back in time and hear that doorbell ring again.
I'll never know whether that encounter was an innocent one. I didn't shake the man's hand, and as quickly as I was able, I got rid of him.
Wills pointed out that the quickest reaction time to danger is between a quarter-second and a half-second. I know mine was slower. In fact, it felt as if time had slowed down. Wills talked about this distortion of time perception that can occur when your body is aroused by fear.
He also talked about the need to mentally rehearse the what-if situations, so that if they occur you won't panic but will be able to respond in the best interest of your personal safety.
Maybe a note on the inside of my door will do. A reminder to look before I open, even when hungry.
Principles of Protection is being offered tomorrow at the Marshall Center at 7 p.m. The course will be offered in February and March through Stafford Parks and Recreation. For more information, visit http://www.pop4women.com.
The bad guys count on our not thinking about their intent.
They count on our unlocked doors and windows, our unshredded trash and our inattentiveness to our surroundings.
Through the years, I have developed a set of safety rules to protect myself from the bad guys. But after attending a two-hour women's safety awareness course last week, I realize that my safety net had some holes.
The course was offered at the Marshall Center. The instructor, John Wills, is a retired FBI special agent and former Chicago police officer. He says safety awareness is as important as self-defense techniques.
Self-defense can help you get out of a dangerous situation, but safety awareness can keep you from getting into one, he said.
Wills offered a plethora of ideas that I hadn't thought of, and I consider myself a safety-conscious person.
There are things I don't do: If I have to walk at night, I don't walk near dark spaces or where my view might be obstructed by bushes or other objects. I purposely create distance between myself and any possible hidden danger, even if that means walking in the street.
Wills called this practice "taking the corner wide." Used by law enforcement, he said, it gives an officer a visual advantage over a suspect who might be hiding around a corner ready to strike.
I learned the value of this practice the hard way when I was a teenager. I was grabbed by a bad guy hiding in the bushes on the corner of my block. He had startled me with a "Boo" when I brushed past the bushes. At first I thought he was a practical joker, but when he slapped hands over my mouth and dragged me backward into the the yard, I knew he was serious.
Fortunately, I got away when he took his hand off my mouth to let me catch my breath.
It's a lesson I won't forget.
I have other safety practices. I don't leave valuables or identifying information where they can be seen in my car. I don't give out unnecessary information about myself or family members over the phone, and I don't open the front door to strangers.
Well, I did once.
My son went out for pizza. It had been some time since he left. The doorbell rang, and without checking through the peephole--all I could think about was that steamy pie dripping with mozzarella--I opened the door.
The stranger held out his hand for me to shake, as if selling door-to-door in the dark were the most natural thing in the world.
He would take only a few minutes of my time. But I wanted something from time that couldn't be had--a chance to go back in time and hear that doorbell ring again.
I'll never know whether that encounter was an innocent one. I didn't shake the man's hand, and as quickly as I was able, I got rid of him.
Wills pointed out that the quickest reaction time to danger is between a quarter-second and a half-second. I know mine was slower. In fact, it felt as if time had slowed down. Wills talked about this distortion of time perception that can occur when your body is aroused by fear.
He also talked about the need to mentally rehearse the what-if situations, so that if they occur you won't panic but will be able to respond in the best interest of your personal safety.
Maybe a note on the inside of my door will do. A reminder to look before I open, even when hungry.
Principles of Protection is being offered tomorrow at the Marshall Center at 7 p.m. The course will be offered in February and March through Stafford Parks and Recreation. For more information, visit http://www.pop4women.com.