Charita Runyan
Be it personal or professional, we are bound to meet people every now and then. Most times we are at our guard concerning new people. The person could turn out to be optimum while at the same time the same person can be a risk factor hindering your safety instincts. Hence here are a few safety checks to consider when meeting someone new.
- Meetings to be made publicly:
Something or someone new always carries the risk of uncertainty. As a result, it is preferable to meet in a public area. Meeting in a public place, such as a restaurant or a cafeteria, with a big number of people comes. In case it’s a formal meeting, the venue can’t be changed. Hence here you have to keep in check with the other safety tips given below. - Avail a family safety app:
Today there are apps built for individual’s safety and protection. Few apps like UrSafe allow users to alert SOS on trained safety words too. Technology today is not about tracking, it’s also about the action to be taken for the next steps concerning emergencies. Such safety apps are constantly brainstorming ways to bring protection near to you. Hence availing them can come in extremely handy. - Safety devices:
Other than tools like a security app, there are safety devices like personal alarms, purse hook, pepper spray & an emergency flashlight. These devices can come out in handy in difficult situations. - Back-up someone:
Let someone know that you are headed out to meet someone new. Sounds like paranoia but let’s believe the fact that risk is just a door away from you every second. Hence it’s better to have yourself prepared. Let someone know about your meeting itinerary. The venue, time, number of people should be updated to someone who is concerned about your safety. - Make your travel arrangements:
At times you are offered a lift to your home or just by the main street. You have the complete right to deny the offer even if it’s from somebody who is an official representative. There is no doubt that it could be a friendly lift but dodge lifts from new people. - Trust your guts:
Have you ever heard this: “I don’t get the right kind of feeling from that person” or “I get quite unsettling vibes from that man over there”. This is the job of your mind! Let your instincts settle in. Your mind works wonders in analysing whether a person is safe or not. Why dodge a weapon like this when it’s just a complete in-build strategy solely for your safety?
Lastly, meeting people online might be risky, but it is also a more common way to meet than it has been in the past. It’s similar to driving a car in this regard. We’re all aware that there’s a chance something may go wrong, yet it doesn’t stop us from trying.
