Family Defense Strategy - Walking on a sidewalk
Walking on a sidewalk
Stay within brightly lit areas. Swing wide around corners so you may see around them. If you see a suspicious group of people, move the other side of the street or even turn around and go another direction.
Be courteous to nice people but do not feel obligated to be courteous. If you do not feel right about a person or a situation, then leave. You do not have to be courteous about leaving, just leave.
Depending on the situation, where you walk on a sidewalk may be critical. If there are tightly parked vehicles on the street side of the sidewalk, stay away from that side. Attackers may hide between the vehicles or they may be inside a vehicle and, as you walk past, they may jump out and attack you or drag you into a vehicle. If there are alleys and dark nooks and crannies on the inside of the sidewalk, stay away from that side for the same reason listed above. If there are store windows on the inside of the sidewalk, you may use the windows as mirrors to checkout suspicious people without them knowing you are looking at them. If you are suspicious of someone behind you, you may stop act like you forgot something, turn, and reverse your direction of movement. This will allow you to get a good look at the person, let them know that you have gotten a good look at them, and will allow you to see just how serious the person is about following you. If they turn and keep following you, you must take further action.
- Walk at a steady pace.
- Look like you know where you are going even if you are lost.
- Do not pass through groups of strangers.