Riding Solo - staying safe

[Crankin]

Yeah, I wanted to say that, too.
I have deer and turkeys crossing my property routinely. I must say I was a little "shocked," earlier in the summer when I was starting on one of my early AM rides. To leave my house, I have to go up a short rise in the driveway, which crests and flattens out before you go down about 600 feet to the street. Right when I got to the top, at the flat part a deer jumped across the driveway, scaring the sh*t out of me. It was kind of lit up like a picture by my headlight and it also triggered my neighbor's motion sensor lights to go on.
A little adrenaline at 4:50 in the morning.

[redrhodie]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/mickey-shun...9#.UC-D-KEtE9w

I saw this story on one of the morning shows today. Very sad. Weapons were involved.

[Tri Girl]

You can only do everything you know to do to be safe. Otherwise, it's out of your hands.
Mickey's murder makes me so sad. She fought as hard as she could, but it wasn't enough.
Could be any one of us in her situation (riding home alone in the dark- I do it). Scary, yes, but it won't stop me from riding my bike. When it's my time to go, it's my time to go and I'd rather it be on my bike doing something I love than from obesity sitting on the couch.

I stay as aware as I can- always looking around and keeping an eye on things. Carry my cell phone, let my hubs know the route I'm taking, check in periodically. It's all we really can do. I'm afraid to carry mace or a weapon (for my own safety). I'm so clumsy and don't react well in panic situations. I'm afraid I would mace myself or shoot myself instead of a predator. I do carry one of these while running, tho. I fully expect that one day I will stab myself unintentionally.

[velo]

I'm thankful that where I live is not so unsafe that I need to think about arming myself. Really, if it were to that degree, something more drastic would have to change. Mostly, I think that as solo female riders, we can take reasonable precautions and that was what I was really thinking about.

I like the idea of having a trackable GPS. We still have dumb phones, so I'll have to explore that as an option. Varying times and routes seems like smart, reasonable precautions to take, too. As I said, I do a lot to stay safe and always stay aware of my surroundings.

While I want to stay safe, I will not let any worries dampen my enjoyment and enthusiasm. I think if I felt so unsafe that I had to think about firearms, I wouldn't ride solo at all. It would take any joy out of riding.

[LovelyGirl]

Lots of thought-provoking responses to the OP on this thread! In turn, it has made me think more about the subject as I read the responses. The more I turn it over in my mind, the simple fact is: victims of violent crime didn't expect to BE victims of violent crime. Otherwise, they would not have been at that place or doing that activity or trusting that person. So, what happens if you can't just simply avoid an evil person?

I know people who have been attacked in broad daylight in grocery store parking lots in "nice" parts of town, and maybe you do, too. The undertone of some of the posts is that it is overkill or paranoid of a woman to be legally carrying a gun. Well, I don't know, is that really a fair statement? I know that it is highly unlikely that my house will burn down, but I have smoke detectors. I know that odds are I will complete my errands without being in a car accident, but I still wear a seat belt every time I go. I don't think that makes me paranoid. I think it makes me prepared.

Fear of firearms is also expressed - I might shoot myself, etc. I have big, huge kitchen knives that assist me to whip up a mean dinner for DH when he walks in the door. Do I worry that they are potentially lethal weapons and that I might hurt myself using them? No. Because I'm careful, responsible, and I know how to use the knives. And I feel the same way about my own gun. I'm careful, responsible and I know exactly how to use it.

The OP's original statement was this:" But I would want to do everything in my power to ensure my safety." We owe her an honest response. However we personally feel about guns, they are the great equalizer. A gun in the hands of a 75 year old woman makes her more powerful than a 20 year old violent man. Just like any other potentially dangerous tool we use (cars, knives, chemicals, etc), we need to know how to use them properly and safely and obey the laws that govern them.

The goal of my response is to provoke further thought and not emotional responses. 2012 was the year I had to confront my thoughts about firearms (never having had one or wanted one or needed one before). I realize a gun isn't the answer for everyone, but let's do try to consider all of our options to keep ourselves safe.

[kamikazejane]

Lots of thought-provoking responses to the OP on this thread! In turn, it has made me think more about the subject as I read the responses. The more I turn it over in my mind, the simple fact is: victims of violent crime didn't expect to BE victims of violent crime. Otherwise, they would not have been at that place or doing that activity or trusting that person. So, what happens if you can't just simply avoid an evil person?

I know people who have been attacked in broad daylight in grocery store parking lots in "nice" parts of town, and maybe you do, too. The undertone of some of the posts is that it is overkill or paranoid of a woman to be legally carrying a gun. Well, I don't know, is that really a fair statement? I know that it is highly unlikely that my house will burn down, but I have smoke detectors. I know that odds are I will complete my errands without being in a car accident, but I still wear a seat belt every time I go. I don't think that makes me paranoid. I think it makes me prepared.

Fear of firearms is also expressed - I might shoot myself, etc. I have big, huge kitchen knives that assist me to whip up a mean dinner for DH when he walks in the door. Do I worry that they are potentially lethal weapons and that I might hurt myself using them? No. Because I'm careful, responsible, and I know how to use the knives. And I feel the same way about my own gun. I'm careful, responsible and I know exactly how to use it.

The OP's original statement was this:" But I would want to do everything in my power to ensure my safety." We owe her an honest response. However we personally feel about guns, they are the great equalizer. A gun in the hands of a 75 year old woman makes her more powerful than a 20 year old violent man. Just like any other potentially dangerous tool we use (cars, knives, chemicals, etc), we need to know how to use them properly and safely and obey the laws that govern them.

The goal of my response is to provoke further thought and not emotional responses. 2012 was the year I had to confront my thoughts about firearms (never having had one or wanted one or needed one before). I realize a gun isn't the answer for everyone, but let's do try to consider all of our options to keep ourselves safe.

Great response.

[shootingstar]

Discussion among cyclists elsewhere ....many are men on whether or not they own a gun(s):

http://forums.bicycling.com/eve/foru...7/m/5121080767

I don't see myself as naive...I have lived in neighbourhoods where there were shooting or 2 just down the street or several blocks away. Did I move away from neighbourhood for that reason?

No. The reality is that crime does happen in the nice-looking/peaceful-looking neighbourhoods too.

For certain I'd rather live in areas where there are neighbours nearby, not in the middle of nowhere. But then, that's me, a city person all my life. (I was raised in an Ontario town of 2,000 people during lst 3 yrs. in life.)