Staying safe in the United states of America without a gun

Staying safe in the United states of America without a gun

When I told my family and friends that I will be moving to the United states of America for a while, most of them said: ‘You are going to get shot, people have guns there! ’, or: ‘It’s dangerous! ’. I am used to hearing such comments by now, because I travel quite a lot, and every single time before I go somewhere, I hear quite a few such comments.

I have to admit that, when I first started travelling, I was not as careful as I could (and should) be. Mainly because I used to believe that everybody in the world is good (sometimes I still do) and nobody will do any harm to you if you are not looking for trouble.

After a few years of travelling, I started to understand how wrong I was. But the good thing is that I never let my guard down completely, which is good. And I have to say that nothing bad happened to me yet. I do not know whether I am just lucky or I am being (too) careful. Either way, I should not complain about it!

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Travelling is not dangerous... if you know what you are doing.

Research before you travel somewhere new

And I do not mean just researching things to see and some good bars and restaurants. Also research which areas should you avoid. Also, be careful when booking accommodation, you might find a really good deal, but check the location - it might not be in a safe area.

Stay away from unsafe areas

This might seem like a no-brainer, but I would still like to talk about it a little. You know, just because. Crossing an unsafe area might be a shortcut, but why risk getting in trouble because you could save a few minutes of your life that way? If you absolutely have to cross an unsafe area, travel in groups, or at least in pairs. If you think of doing it by yourself, think again - you would be sticking out like a sore thumb. Do not make yourself a target.

Avoid dark and poorly lit areas at night.

I admit it, I have had a few ‘I will just walk home’ moments in the past, but then I always convinced myself into taking a taxi. I cannot stress this enough - If you are in doubt, take a taxi. Uber and Lyft are super cheap nowadays, and you might not save money by not walking, but you can save yourself potential regrets after something bad happens.

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This is the kind of environment that makes me feel uneasy. Well, luckily, you can get a taxi basically anywhere nowadays.

Do not wear expensive things in unknown areas

Walking through some areas with an expensive watch and/or purse is basically calling for trouble. When I travel, I usually dress like a not-so-rich person on purpose - to avoid the unwanted attention and potential robbery. Because I think the thieves would rather go for a $2000 watch than for a plastic watch from your local grocery store.

Take some self defense classes

Some organizations offer free self defense classes for women, where they will teach you the basics. Hearing of these free classes motivated me to join, and I am so glad I did! The instructors are not only hilarious, they will also do their best to prepare you to be able to defend yourself from an attack.

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Self defense classes are useful, and they are quite a workout!

I was thinking of buying a pepper spray for some of my past trips, but then I always decided against it. Why? First of all, pepper spray is not legal everywhere. Secondly, if I had to use it, I was afraid I would get in trouble, because the police might not see its use as appropriate. And last but not least, having a pepper spray on me would make me feel uneasy and I am pretty sure my inner voice would say that I am just looking for trouble.

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Pepper spray bottles are tiny and they fit everywhere (some of them are even in a form of a key chain, like the one on the picture above), but that still does not justify having one for me. Well, but I am weird.

But pepper spray is not your only option. You can also purchase a personal alarm, or a special, cat-shaped key chain. A personal alarm is basically just a button that makes an extremely loud noise when you press it and hopefully scare the potential attacker away. But it might also hurt your ears.

The cat-shaped key chain is a sharp object that you can carry in your hand and attack the potential assaulter. But again, if you are wearing your keys in your purse and someone attacks you, you would not have enough time to get the ‘weapon’ out and fight back.

So, the bottom line is - I still think that knowing some basic self defense moves is your best bet. You do not need to become a Kung Fu master, but trust me, you will feel much better and safer after taking a few self defense classes.

A few words for the end…

Sometimes, you will encounter dangerous situations while your travels. But that should definitely not stop you from travelling. And I found out that the dangers of certain places are usually exaggerated. I am not saying it is not dangerous at all, but again, if you exercise caution, you should be fine. Who says nothing can happen to you in your hometown?

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