Outdoor Safety Tips for Women
Rescuing a Victim Safely

How to be a hero to the rescue - for your outdoor safety as well as the victim's.

Terence Lionel Martin was driving past when he saw a teenage boy assaulting a pregnant woman on an Oakland street. He stopped to help her and was shot dead.

What should you do if you witness a crime with a victim in danger? Your rushing to the rescue may save the victim – or may instead get you killed like the valiant Mr. Martin. A less risky and possibly more effective strategy for outdoor safety in a populated area is to make lots of noise. Keep a safe distance, yet keep the criminal in sight (in the case of kidnapping), and yell repeatedly for someone to call the cops while pointing at the crime scene.

For outdoor safety, if you’re in your car, blow the horn and flash the lights. Perhaps ram into the car of a kidnapper (at a very slow speed) to prevent him from leaving with the victim. However, if the criminal is fleeing without a victim – let him get away - but try to get his license plate number and call the police. Let them deal with the danger of capturing a criminal.

The Road to Hell May Be Paved with Good Intentions

A Good Samaritan stopped on a Chicago-area highway shoulder to offer a ride to two men and a woman in a car that was stalled there. The three went with him but soon tried to carjack his car. He stopped on the highway and a truck struck his car, killing the woman. At this point a couple stopped to help, whereupon one carjacker stole their minivan.

In Birmingham, England, car thieves stabbed Hirachya Sinanyan as he tried to stop them. Tushar Makwana chased burglars from his home and out into the road where they killed him with their getaway car. Henry Raybould was killed while trying to stop car thieves.

Two brothers took pity on a hitchhiker and invited him to dinner with their family in Devalls Bluff AR. After he ate, the drifter went on a rampage, killing the two young brothers and vanishing into the night in their pickup truck.

A college student stopped his car to help a man seemingly stranded on the roadside with a disabled car. He was murdered by the man.

Two men followed a woman out of a store after she cashed a check, and grabbed her purse. Three people tried to help her but were shot by the robbers.

A woman was about to enter her parked car when three teenage girls with a toddler asked for a ride. She obliged. During the drive, the girls pulled a knife and forced her to drive home, where they looted her house and stole her car.

A Chicago woman approached a half-dozen female drivers, said she locked her keys in her car, and asked for a ride to a locksmith. Once inside their cars she pulled a knife and robbed them.

A man and woman were outside a store when a car came screeching into the parking lot. As they scolded the woman for letting her son drive so wildly, the boy shot the couple. Instead, for outdoor safety, it's better to just call the police.

James Early opened the door to his Arizona home to rescue a neighbor who was being attacked by her son, Brian Hermes. The son burst in behind his mother and took Early's wife hostage and shot Early to death.

A Birmingham, England tutor tried to stop a thief stealing a laptop computer. The thief got into a car and ran him over, killing him.

Two men fired shots during a robbery at a Bluffton SC restaurant/pool hall and fled into the woods. Employees and customers chased them, some carrying pool cues. They caught up to one robber and began beating him with tree branches and pool cues until sheriff deputies arrested him. Luckily, they weren’t shot.

A man walked into the Hilton Head SC restaurant with a shotgun and demanded money. When he pointed the gun at a customer, the owner, Archie Hardison, grabbed the gunman in a chokehold and held him until police arrived. It could have gone either way.

A 14-year-old girl walking home after dark was grabbed by a man and forced to the ground by the roadside. As he began trying to undo her pants, a family driving past noticed “something amiss,” stopped, shone the headlights on him and blew the horn. He was distracted enough that the girl broke free and ran to their car as he fled.

A 10-year-old girl walking to her school bus stop was grabbed by a man and forced her into his station wagon. Three bystanders heard the girl scream and chased the car on foot. They closed in when the man stopped at a red light. The abductor then shoved the girl out and sped away.

A woman told a British court how she was in her bedroom with the window open and heard a woman’s high-pitched shriek. Seconds later, she heard a screeching car roaring off. She thought nothing of it until she learned that was about the time a teenaged girl disappeared. The girl’s body was found five days later.

Breann Voth’s was ambushed and murdered in suburban Vancouver. She’d screamed repeatedly but nobody came to her rescue. They have to live with their guilt.

See Bystander Apathy: how to get help when you need it. Also see the Kitty Genovese Syndrome

A frantic man on the Port Moody BC roadside waved down Don Miller and pointed wildly at a bloody Martina Seymour struggling with a gunman. The hero drove alongside her, pulled her into his car despite bullets flying and shattering his window, and roared away with her. Talk about a knight in shining armor. But it could have gone either way.

There’s a fine line between heroism and foolishness. All you’ve got to go on is your intuition.

Rescuing a Battered Woman from Relationship Violence

Chris and his wife, arriving in a parking lot of a farmer’s market, saw a man chasing a woman around a parked car, slapping her. Chris stepped between them and said, “Try slapping me, tough guy!” Well, the bully tried, and Chris knocked him silly just as the police arrived. The cops saw Chris as the aggressor, took him down, then handcuffed him. Luckily, other witnesses vouched for Chris. Despite his bruises, Chris said he’s ready to step in again in the future – unless he sees a weapon. Then, for outdoor safety, he’ll call the cops.

As Domestic Violence points out, a battered woman is often bewildered by seemingly hopeless circumstances even though they could lead to her murder or suicide. Oftentimes no neighbors even call the police during obvious battles nearby because they each think or hope someone else will do so. Or afterward, injuries are passed off with flimsy excuses. Bystanders may be afraid to get involved, but if nothing else, you can at least make an anonymous call to the police. Give them enough of a foothold to very possibly save her life – even if she currently refuses to help herself.

Rescuing a Woman at a Party or Tavern

Watch for a male leading a drunk (or drugged) female somewhere or "taking her home." Get others (preferably females) to help properly take care of her and make sure she’s not about to be raped. Be ready to call the police.

Rescuing an Abused Child

What should you do if you see a child being abused in a public place? The degree of abuse varies, as do the possible responses of witnesses. The more confrontational responses range from scowling at the abusive adult to scolding him/her. But know that that could make matters worse. The more diplomatic responses are:

• Empathize with the adult with something like "My child makes me crazy, too."
• Look for a chance to praise the child or adult.
• If the child is in danger, offer to help.
• Call the police if you see signs of neglect or physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. You can remain anonymous.

If you’re unsure the child is truly being abused, contact the police for guidance. But if you see a child left unattended in a parked car – a blatant outdoor safety risk for a child – call the cops immediately.

If you’re a victim or an eyewitness:
• During the crime, notice clothing and hair, though they can be changed. Especially notice things a criminal can’t change, such his lips, teeth, eyes, nose, and walk.
• Afterward, write down a description to fix your thoughts before you talk to anyone.
• Insist on open-ended questions from police interviewers. Don’t allow visual aids like photos or logs of facial components if you’re questioned for a composite sketch.
• Tape-record your police interviews to ensure that you’re not misquoted. You have the right to obtain the written police reports to compare with your tape.

See After Being Attacked – Immediately Call the Police in Victims Options - Fighting.

It’s impossible to fully anticipate the panicky chaos of a sudden threat forcing you to make split-second life-and-death decisions. Nonetheless, understanding your outdoor safety options now will help your Intuition choose an option then.

Outdoor Safety Tips for Women: TOOLS

Outdoor Safety Tips for Women: street crime, stranger danger, and dog attack defense:

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