Running Safety,
Walking Safety,
&
Biking Safety
FAQ

Is a predator lurking on your path without you even knowing it? Learn Running Safety, Walking Safety, & Biking Safety: what you should never do outdoors – and what could keep you safe.

In hindsight, Melanie Gable should have listened to her intuition warning her when she saw Robin Carter in his truck watching her intently. He drove up behind her at full speed, smashing her legs and sending her flying. Carter got out of the truck, smiling at her on the ground, then drove off.

Runners tend to ignore safety. Feeling invincible, addicted to the exhilarating “runner’s high,” they run on icy pavement and in lonely areas without a care in the world. But if you are the victim of a violent crime, you might not ever run again.

Running Safety & Walking Safety:
PREDATORS’ FAVORITE TARGETS

A man jogged past her as she was walking over a footbridge, then lay in wait, pulled his knife, and pushed her into the bushes to rape her. She knew about the recent rapes in the park but didn’t think twice about it.

Easy prey:
• Anyone talking on a cell phone or wearing earphones – unaware of surroundings for running safety.
• Anyone looking friendly, timid, lost, or absent-minded – she's more easily stalked.
• Anyone unaware she's being followed until she's isolated.
• Anyone enjoying a secluded countryside, beach, woods, or park.

A woman was strangled in the city park. It’s a peaceful place, but also full of peril. If you scream no one's going to hear.

Running Safety, Walking Safety, & Biking Safety all involve the risk of being isolated with few, if any, witnesses around. Know the law of the wild: predators feed on the prey that stray from the herd.

At the very least, be with as many friends as possible, all of you carrying pepper spray in plain sight – alert for a surprise ambush (though that won't help against a gunman).

You can lessen your risk by staying only in a more populated area. If the crowd starts thinning out, go with them or go home. Gamble in Vegas – not in your life.

Running Safety & Walking Safety:
“Safe” Neighborhoods are Illusions

A woman walking alone along a bike path at night in New Jersey was tackled from behind by a man with a knife, dragged off the path and raped. Neighbors are shocked that such a violent crime could pierce the quiet and safety of the upscale area. Bikers, joggers, and dog walkers use the unlighted path around the clock.

The woman was jogging on the trail in early afternoon in Illinois when Christopher Hanson grabbed her from behind, dragged her off the trail, raped her then stabbed her in the neck three times. He covered her with fallen leaves, checking to see if she was still alive. She held her breath and pretended to be dead until he left.

If Darrell Arthur had screamed, nobody would have heard. Four teenagers lay in wait as Arthur pedaled his bike along the trail in Indiana. They jumped and beat him to death.

Running Safety, Walking Safety, & Biking Safety:
ISOLATED PREY

On the bike path in Pennsylvania, Jason Finken asked one woman for the time, and gave directions to at least two others. Later, he knocked a woman off her bicycle and raped her at knife-point.

Joan Diver was murdered on a bike path in suburban Buffalo’s wealthiest community – where the "it couldn't happen here" attitude is widespread. It was the second such murder in the area recently yet few have changed their ways. Near where Diver's body was found yesterday, two women were running separately with few others around. One was wearing headphones, and the other was talking on a cell phone.

A couple was attacked while out for their routine early-morning walk on a riverside path near Washington DC. William Bennett, 57, was found dead. His wife, Cynthia, 55, was critically injured.

Running Safety & Walking Safety:
MYTHBUSTERS

Police warned the public after a woman was raped while walking through a park after midnight. The police outlined safety suggestions including:
• Walk with a partner
• Carry a cell phone
• Stick to well-lit routes
• Let someone know where you are.

Let’s look more closely at these “safety suggestions”:

• Walk with a partner. [ML: Why? Both you and your partner can be bound and raped at gun or knifepoint – or worse. See Hostage/Slave on Survival Options - Hostage Taking]

• Carry a cell phone. [ML: Well, IF you can possibly manage to call for help while being attacked (unlikely), the average police response time is NINE minutes (even worse in a park). So, yeah, carry one, but know its limits.]

• Stick to well-lit routes. [ML: Why? Predators attack in sunny daylight, too. They don't care about light – they care about witnesses seeing them. That's why they choose isolated ambushes – regardless of the lighting.]

• Let someone know where you are. [ML: Why? Like the police, any help will likely arrive far too late.]

Instead, here are the walking and running safety tips you need: DON’T go to isolated places, especially after dark, and especially alone. If you must go to an isolated place, go only with a group of friends – all armed and ready with Pepper Spray and a Personal Security Alarm (a.k.a. noisemaker or screamer).

However, it’s FAR better for biking, walking, and running safety to simply always avoid lonely areas. Mother Nature won't lift a finger to help you.

And do you know how to deal with a Dog Attack on you or a loved one?

Running Safety & Walking Safety:
When It's Do or Die

Candice Moncayo was running on the trail in Colorado when she was attacked by a man without warning. Moncayo fought, elbowing hard him in the nose, making him pause, allowing her to run away.

Pages related to Running Safety, Walking Safety, & Biking Safety:
• Street Crime
• Purse Snatching
• Outdoor Safety - Dog Attack
• Outdoor Safety - Predators' Favorite Targets
• Outdoor Safety - Spotting Danger
• Outdoor Safety - Facing Danger
• Survival Options - Kidnapping
Go from Running Safety to Outdoor Safety - Overview
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