For Your Own Safety

[wibblepig]

I got this in one of thsoe forwardy emails. Yup, this is serious. It's better to waste five minutes on something that could help you in the future, than to ignore it and wind up regretting so.

Comments

[wibblepig]

I think that's where the "may" came into it...

And yes, I agree that it is extreme, and that I wouldn't do it myself, but then again I wouldn't do the thing of getting into the passenger seat if a white van was on the driver's one. I also would hand the person my handbag, as most of the time people's common thinking is to obey the person taking power, then they'll escape uninjured and it'll be over quicker. I also wouldn't run from someone with a gun unless I knew I had a fair chance of getting away without him getting any sort of aim at me. And, to be honest, I'd probably be stupid and not have given a second thought to doing the things points 3, 8 and 9 highlight. And it's this sort of thing that can, and does, make people more vulnerable to being killed, injured or raped.

I don't think it's its aim to get people paranoid - I think it's trying to make them aware, and if it does this by being incredibly blunt about the risks that many, myself included, could be exposing themselves to without a second thought, then well done to it. Shock tactics may not be best, but I can guarantee that if it was worded differnetly, taking a softer approach to things, then the majority on my friends list wouldn't pay much attention to it. Not because they're silly nor ignorant nor careless, but because everyone has the "it won't happen to me/I would be fine if that happened/I'd know what to do if that happened" mentality.

Sorry if it sounds strong, it wasn't meant to, but this is something I feel strongly about, and the people on my friends list are those I'd do anything to protect. If this makes even one of them that bit more careful about things, then I'm more than willing to let any over-cautiousness slip.

On a more personal note, I have a similar email lurking about somewhere concerning the scenario of having someone follow you home, and this was worded similarly and took just as many precautions. However, had it not worded things as it had, it would not have stuck (admittedly because I thought it was ludicrous at the time), but the knowledge I gained from that has made me feel more at ease in more than one occasion - not least when I got the train back from the gig I saw with you.

I've rambled too much, but I'm sticking with the email all the way - it's encouraging people not to feel silly for asking for assistance or taking certain precautions if they feel they're needed. That can only be a good thing.

[estelio_veleth]

I think the point of this email is to at least in some part shock - it gets the message through. If it was all fluffy and vague nobody would take notice.
Some points are impractical and over the top but it makes you think - things could happen anywhere, when you least expect it.
And that thing about the serial killer is actually really creepy, do you know if it's real or made up? Or some random part of the world nobody's ever heard of?

[estelio_veleth]

Oh and a good thing to remember that this list missed is to always carry one of those personal alarms with you when you're going out alone or at night.

[wibblepig]

No, it really happened in South Africa. There's a big thing about it, apparently - been dragging on for months. If you can be bothered (I say that cos there seems a lot to trawl through at first glance), then you could dig through here for al lthe facts/developments, but if it's a quick glance thing then this pretty much sums everything up.

The gist: Someone asked her for a lift, kidnapped her, demanded ransom money, got it then shot her in the back of the head.