Now the party's over...
The party's over for another year. It's late and you just want to get home. But don't be lazy about your safety - the Suzy Lamplugh Trust offers some smart advice about your journey, to make sure you arrive home safe and sound
By Suzy Lamplugh Trust
- Make sure you plan in advance (in other words, when you are thinking sensibly!) how you are going to get home from the party. Find out the times of last trains or buses and make sure you catch them, or better still, consider ordering a licensed cab or taxi in advance
- When it's time to go home, carry your keys and other essentials such as your travel card, phone and some money in your pocket, so you can give up your handbag and escape quickly if necessary
- If possible carry a personal alarm and know how to use it to shock and disorientate an assailant so that you can get away
- The ideal plan is to book your cab in advance. If that is not possible, then make sure you have the number of a licensed cab company with you. Alternatively ask your host or staff at the club/bar/restaurant to recommend one
- Before getting into the cab, check that it's the one you ordered by asking the driver for the name and destination he has been given. Do not, for example, ask if he is to pick up Mary for Ealing, as anyone could simply confirm this. Don't get into a cab you haven't ordered
- When ordering a cab ensure that no-one overhears your details. Do not hail a minicab from the street or accept a lift from a minicab touting for trade. These cabs are illegal and you have no guarantee that the driver is a mini cab driver at all
- If necessary walk to the nearest minicab office - keeping to well-lit streets and walking against the traffic, in sight of other people whenever possible
- Always sit in the back of a cab and if you get chatting to the driver do not give away personal details. If you feel uneasy with the driver, ask him to stop at a busy familiar place and get out. REMEMBER - You are getting into a car on your own with a complete stranger so take every precaution
- If using public transport, have your ticket, pass or change ready in your hand so that your wallet is out of sight. Always wait for the bus or train in a well-lit place and near other people if possible
- Take note of where the emergency alarms are and try and sit near them - there are alarms on every bus, in every train carriage and on every platform
- If a bus is empty or it is after dark, stay on the lower deck as near as possible to the driver. On trains avoid compartments that have no access to corridors or other parts of the train. If you feel threatened on any public transport make as much noise as possible to attract attention of the driver or guard
- Always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return
Suzy Lamplugh disappeared without trace in 1986. It soon became clear that accepted working practices had put her at unnecessary risk. Recognising the need for an independent organisation that addressed personal safety issues, her family established The Suzy Lamplugh Trust.
Now recognised as the UK's leading authority on personal safety, their remit extends far beyond the workplace, to encompass all areas of our society, and they also provide training in personal safety. For further information about the Trust, call 020 8876 0305 or visit www.suzylamplugh.org
Now recognised as the UK's leading authority on personal safety, their remit extends far beyond the workplace, to encompass all areas of our society, and they also provide training in personal safety. For further information about the Trust, call 020 8876 0305 or visit www.suzylamplugh.org
