self defense

[Becky]

Jess, check with your employer about self-defense classes. When the women here voiced concern about similar issues, our HR located some county and state police officers who taught self-defense and arranged for an in-house class specifically targeted to our needs. It was fantastic, and I'd take it every year if I could.

Good luck and be safe out there!

[OakLeaf]

One tangentially related thing -

I get the impression by what you said about weaponry that you have to travel by air. If that's the case, then you don't necessarily have much choice about rental cars.

But if you get to use your own car, you might think strongly about getting one with a "smart" key. I rarely park in places where I'm uncomfortable, so for me it's usually mostly an enormous convenience. But I'm very aware that not even having to look for my key - never having to take my eyes off my surroundings or open my purse - is a big safety advantage, too.

[Irulan]

Jess, check with your employer about self-defense classes. When the women here voiced concern about similar issues, our HR located some county and state police officers who taught self-defense and arranged for an in-house class specifically targeted to our needs. It was fantastic, and I'd take it every year if I could.

Good luck and be safe out there!

This is good. If it's part of your job and you don't feel safe, HR would be a great place to start. Especially if you mention the words lawsuit because you weren't' adequately protected by company policy. Or something like that.