How do you stay safe..alone?

[Velobambina]

That's a good deal--$4.99 a bottle?

I carry pepper spray/mace and my cell phone--both in my jersey pocket. I ride alone & at times, either after sunset/before sunrise. MS-13 folks sometimes hang out along the trail where I ride, but aside from attempted arson to a wooden bridge & persistent tagging, there I haven't heard of any incidents to humans (not inside the beltway--apparently, there have been some attacks by gangs further west along the W&OD trail in the Ashburn/Herndon, VA area). The only annoying encounters have been cat calls from drunken cretins who drink/pass out in a park that abuts the trail. I just ignore them. My rule is be courteous, mind my own business, and hightail it outta there if I sense danger.

I agree with V, "Crummy things are going to happen to good people. Hiding away isn't going to keep them from happening. You have to keep living your life and doing what you love, otherwise, what's the point?"

[margo49]

I agree a lot of it is Body Language and looking like you're not to be messed with. But I dunno how a woman would cultivate that - being *born* with it myself if stories of my chilldhood are to be believed.
A friend of mine says there is a school of thought that a lot of people have an doggy/animal mentality. Whatever they perceive to be the power structure they accept and will fit in. So that if *you* project that you are the Top Predator *they* will be quite happy to fill in the roll of Bottom of the Food Chain, no questions asked. I think there is something in this but it is not the whole story 100% of the time.
I also agree that yelling and getting angry are good tactix.
I keep my eyes open 360 degrees, noting what cars are passing and especially u-turns.
I have done that pretend talking on the mobile phone thing once in the middle of absolutely nowhere while this weird guy was following me (me on the bike and him in his vehicle; he had even done a u-turn and was now following me from behind after I had "passed" him going in the opposite direction so I knew he was up to no good). It worked and he drove off as I described where I was and how I was "about 10 or 15 min away" which I dunno if he heard or not. I had quick-dialled the SO and stated talking immediately which was just as well because he dint answer and phoned me back only 15 min later to see what I wanted. LOL! I coulda been cut up in lil' pieces by then! Funny in retro only of course! I am an advocate of the phone on a clip to the bars for this reason.
Sad to say, I think age is a part of it. My Mother asked me worriedly once and I told her "Yes, people do sometimes look and even whistle or shout . But as I draw closer they become less and less enthusiastic" (to understate the case)

[Jenn]

All my jersey's have the zipper back pocket so I guess I just need to get one with open pockets at the back. I am DEFINATELY going to get the "halt" as you mentioned. I try to ALWAYS be aware of my surroudings and am constantly looking around me, it drives DH nuts, but that is just me.

Now if I could just learn how to look back without swerving into the road I'd be ok!

[mimitabby]

Hey Jenn, get a mirror! I have one on my helmet.

There simply isn't enough room in my head to worry about all this stuff. The idea of riding down a road where there is NO BODY is a little frightening, because if i crashed (not likely) no one would come to rescue me.. (especially if there's no cell signal)
Jenn, if your neighborhood is safe enough to live in and raise kids, it ought to be safe enough to ride your bike!
I live in a big crazy city. I don't have a problem walking the streets at night,
(the sidewalks ) or riding my bike in the daytime. I do even ride at night sometimes, it scares me because of visibility.

I am someone who fights fear all the time. You have to, or you'll end up locked in your house, afraid to go out.

[surgtech1956]

Bike Nashbar has a Halt Holder.

[kahnartist]

Mace is not that easy to find...but you can find it a gun shops and gun shows. Pepper spray is the 'weapon of choice' and that is EASILY found at any drug store chain or Sams Club possibly. I carry one in my purse, and you probably could keep in your tool bag. They are no bigger than a small cigar.
They can clip on your key ring...and come in all sorts of ways: a clip to carry it on your person, on a necklace (one of those convention types with the logo's on them). If that will give you some 'more' peace of mind, by all means, make the $9.00 purchase. Also, Pepper Spray (unlike Mace) does not expire....so you can keep it for any length of time. They also sell larger home/car ones...bigger like a can of hair spray.

Of course, laws vary in each state. You can't just 'spray' someone because they give you the creeps.

I'd also take a class in self-defence...as many have suggested. You can do this at community colleges or at a local Karate/Kung Fu/Ti Kwon do dojo. They're all in your yellow pages. Heck, even the YWCA has some.

Good luck and be 'viligant'. I'm not sure where you are located, but growing up in Los Angeles...I got 'street smarts' FAST being in a big city and taking public transportation most of my teen life.

I hate to say it, but you do need to be CAUTIOUS in this day and age...it could save your life.

[Jenn]

Hey Jenn, get a mirror! I have one on my helmet.

There simply isn't enough room in my head to worry about all this stuff. The idea of riding down a road where there is NO BODY is a little frightening, because if i crashed (not likely) no one would come to rescue me.. (especially if there's no cell signal)
Jenn, if your neighborhood is safe enough to live in and raise kids, it ought to be safe enough to ride your bike!
I live in a big crazy city. I don't have a problem walking the streets at night,
(the sidewalks ) or riding my bike in the daytime. I do even ride at night sometimes, it scares me because of visibility.

I am someone who fights fear all the time. You have to, or you'll end up locked in your house, afraid to go out.

Well, we live on the base, so we are pretty safe, but where I d my hill training, it is VERY isolated way out at the back of the base. Since I usually only get to ride on weekends while DH watches the little one, I'm out there alone. The erie thing, is last time I was out there this truck passed me 3 times, it DID make me pedal a heck of ALOT faster to get back to the main part of the base where there are "people". I've been thinking about a mirror I may have to get one.
Surgtech, thanks for the info, I love Nashbar, so I'll take a look!!

[Jenn]

I just read a post...."Mace" illegal?? Are you kidding me, that is ridiculous! Ohh, yea, we need to be concerned about people that are going to try and harm us!

[Trekhawk]

Well, we live on the base, so we are pretty safe, but where I d my hill training, it is VERY isolated way out at the back of the base. Since I usually only get to ride on weekends while DH watches the little one, I'm out there alone. The erie thing, is last time I was out there this truck passed me 3 times, it DID make me pedal a heck of ALOT faster to get back to the main part of the base where there are "people". I've been thinking about a mirror I may have to get one.
Surgtech, thanks for the info, I love Nashbar, so I'll take a look!!

WOW Jenn Im sorry you still feel unsafe even on a military base. I often take my bike down to the base here to ride as its nice to do some flat stuff for a change. I have done some longer rides out there (60-75 miles) and to manage this without riding the same roads over and over I ride every little road I can find including the ones that head out into the boonies. I have always felt completely at ease. My husband loves it when I ride down there because he doesnt worry about me at all. Im sad that it seems not all military bases are this way.

[onimity]

Amanda, that would definitely drive me crazy. I may be happily ignorant but I just don't think that a woman is necessarily in more danger alone. Yes, there are the psychopaths out there looking for a vulnerable victim but to my mind that's not terribly common. I could ride by a sniper or be on a bus that gets bombed. But the risk of these things has never been enough to keep me home. I can go anywhere a man can. I just figure that if I do what I can to ensure my safety and then happily and confidently go where I please things will work out OK.

In terms of rude behavior from cars and the like, I don't think that you are more likely to get that because you are female or riding alone. I have traveled a lot alone throughout the world. I went on a trip through Chile, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay last year and people freaked out when they heard I was traveling alone. I did occasionally travel with others throughout the trip but I honestly felt safer alone than with, particularly, a male traveling companion. With a male, I'd get ripped off, argued with, etc. Alone, people bent over backwards to help me and went to extraordinary lengths to ensure my safety. I think that males, excluding of course serial killers/rapists, are much more likely to be aggressive toward other males and they often feel sorry for and protective of a woman alone. I have nothing scientific to back that up, it has just been my experience.

Python, I trained in Taekwon-Do (ITF) up to my high green belt. I moved at that point and couldn't find a place to train. We had a strong self-defense bent to our training as well, we did self-defense as a part of every class and our belt testings. We practiced releases for all sorts of grabs and then more detailed routines for different scenarios. I had three at my rank, a grab from behind (bear hug and neck grab) an attack from the front (bear hug and neck) and an arm grab from the side or across the body. We used a lot of the things that you mentioned, but I think that the most important thing they drilled into us was to get your chin to your chest so that you can breathe and get blood to your brain. Our instructors would regularly come up behind us when we least expected it and go for a neck grab to drill it into us (with pushups if we failed). We learned a sequence of attacks with the idea that you took off whenever you got the attacker off of you. We learned some tactics that would potentially be deadly if executed correctly but of course those were further along in the sequence. We also did an elbow to the lower ribs for an attack from behind and practiced with boards so we knew we could break them. Also they taught us to slam the rear of our heads into their face as it is disorienting to the attacker. We followed that with a throw. The foot-stomping trick is a good one. A few times partners executed that too accurately and it really hurts. I can't imagine the pain of a full-force attack with a nice pair of heels on!

For those using mace/pepper spray, it is good that you are taking precautions to protect yourselves and it should go without being said but make sure that you know how to use it and when. I think it is important to practice scenarios and realize when it can help you and when it is pretty useless. What is the point where you use it? And remember that it can be taken from you, it can be used on you as well. The benefit of learning how to protect yourself and working through scenarios is that it gives you confidence that you can take care of yourself and that confidence in turn makes you less likely to be a target.

Anne

[Aggie_Ama]

Hey Jenn, get a mirror! I have one on my helmet.

There simply isn't enough room in my head to worry about all this stuff. The idea of riding down a road where there is NO BODY is a little frightening, because if i crashed (not likely) no one would come to rescue me.. (especially if there's no cell signal)

Mimi- This is why I have decided against riding alone. We did a ride last weekend where in 20 miles I saw 3 houses and 5 cars. Can you imagine? Even if it wasn't sinister, something could happen and NO ONE would know. I mean how many times do you hear about people wrecking with wildlife? The part of the county where I live it is safer to only ride with DH or an organized ride.

[mimitabby]

either mace or pepperspray would not be something i want in my face.
Here's the deal, you spray mean man in face. He grabs your spray and sprays you back!
Maybe he wasn't going to hurt you. maybe he just wanted to ask you directions, who knows. but now he's mad and bigger than you.

[Trekhawk]

Isn't it interesting how different we all are. I never worry about riding deserted areas on my road bike. I figure if I crash well sooner or later someone will find me and yes I do ride on roads with little traffic and sometimes not a single house for miles. Now mountain biking is a different story for me. I will not mountain bike out here unless I have someone with me. Between Cougars, drug makers and the fact that I crash nearly every ride it just doesn't seem wise.

[li10up]

A few years ago the mid-sized town I live in had the highest murder rate per capita in the country. I too am very aware of my surroundings when I am alone...either on my bike or out shopping, etc. But sometimes I think we are scaring ourselves too much; seeing crime and criminals in every shadow. Case in point: The other day DH goes to Wal-Mart to pick something up. He was in there about 15 minutes. He starts walking back to the car and is fishing for his keys and can't find them. He then thinks, "Damn, I locked them in the car." He gets to the car...the car is running with the door unlocked. He must have been distracted (seriously!) and just got out and walked into the store. Even in a town with it's share of crime nobody took off in the car.

I agree - know how to protect yourself. So, be aware but don't live in fear.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yep, pepper spray (mace) right on my bike stem (vertically) attached with a small ball-end bungee cord. I can grab it in an instant. I take it in inside with me if I go to a store, cafe, etc. (don't want some little kid grabbing it and spraying themselves and then sueing me!)

Also I take my cell phone handy, with 911, DH, and local police numbers entered into both voice dial AND speed dial.

I also tell DH where I am going on every ride.

Once when I was riding a secluded wooded country road, and pickup truck passed me, then pulled over to the side of the road and stopped up ahead of me. I turned around and went back the other way instead of going closer and riding past him. The next week a guy in town saw me getting on my bike and he said "Hey I was the guy in the pickup truck who pulled over to read a map and made you turn around and go the other way last week. When you did that I realized you must have been scared of me and I felt real bad, but I couldn't very well turn around and follow you to tell you not to be afraid of me- that would have been even worse! I'm sorry!"....it was too sweet.