There is always another monster out there. Don't jog alone. This is not to blame the victim. I have, though my friends and I vow not to. I live on the opposite coast, though things are no different here. We are safe until we are snatched.
I jog and hike alone all the time. While these abductions of joggers and rapes and assaults happen, I don't believe they are common enough for it to be a risk worth me giving up something I need to be mentally and physically healthy. Going with others doesn't do it for me because I need the peaceful solitude.
How to Keep Safe
But there are many things women can and should do to keep safe. All of which I do:
1. Let someone know where you are going, your route, the time and when you plan to be back.
2. Stay super alert. Do not wear earbuds or be on the phone, distracted. Pay attention to people behind you and approaching. If you run with a dog, pay attention to their body language - if they alert on bushes, there is something or someone there. If you feel that someone's movements or body language or actions seems off, trust that damn instinct and veer away from them, and go to where you are highly visible, even if it is in the middle of the road, as long as you can safely do so.
3. Carry protection. I wear a karambit, similar to the one at link below, around my neck. It's easy to pull out with one hand if danger approaches or you are struggling with an attacker. I also carry mace. If I sense someone approaching or something seems off, or I just have a bad feeling, I have the mace in my left hand, with my finger on the trigger, so I can turn and spray in an instant. This is also because I hike in mountain lion country. Although the human predators are much more of a risk. See link below for how that works. I think it is imperative that women have two forms of easy to carry and use weaponry. One that can be seen and one that cannot.
4. Do not be a victim. Women need to learn this and there are many ways to do so. Learn to use your voice. We don't have to be polite all the time. We don't have to give up our space to men all the time. Walk or run, not like a wilting flower, but with power and confidence. Claim the space you are using. I keep my body language strong and aggressive. I keep my head up and I make sure to make grim eye contact and stare down any male approaching or lurking around. If they lurk behind me, I turn my body to face them, not timidly, but with a strong chin up, and with strong, intent eye contact. I will walk defiantly facing backwards if I know no one is in the direction I'm walking, staring at the threat and letting them know I see them and they cannot take me by surprise.
Understand this - no man ever has a right to approach a woman alone anywhere, to ask for help or directions or a light or whatever. Even during the day. I have learned to be impolite and not act like women are typically taught - to be accommodating and helpful. If a man approaches me when I'm alone, broad daylight or not, I use my body to keep him away from me, and my mouth. I put a hand up in the stop motion and loudly say, in an unfriendly manner, "What do you want?" If they persist, I tell them, "Go ask a man, dude." On a few occasions I have done this while working on my car or my property at my house and have probably offended or scared off neighbors. One man came up to me as I was sanding, when no one else was around. I stopped, turned to face him and said. "What's going on?" very unfriendly. He asked if I had seen his dog. I coldly told him, "No" and signaled the conversation was over. He actually was looking for his lost dog, which turned up. I don't care. No one can mess with me and everyone knows it.
On another occasion, when I was alone at night years ago when I was young, a man tried to approach me from across the street to ask for a light. I yelled at him, "Fu%% you!" He stopped in his tracks and stayed on his side of the street, retreating the other way.
Keep a bike or bench or wall or anything you can in between you and he. And do so obviously but without fear. Predators look for victims they can target based on body language. They don't want a noisy fight. They want prey.
Take a self defense or assertiveness training class if this seems hard to do.
The Three T's - Test, Threaten, Transport
And most important, know well the Three T's.
My dad taught me this as a child. The Three T's are what predators always do when they attack.
First: Test. Predators always test their victim before the attack to see if they are good prey. That's where innocuous things like driving slowly by their prey, or asking a polite question come in. Do you have a light? Do you know the time? Do you know where this address is? If you smile politely and answer, you have passed their test. If you avert your eyes or smile at them as they pass by, you have passed their test. Don't pass their test. Be vigilant and defiantly unapologetically aggressive when you are being tested. Chin up, squinty, angry glare, absolute refusal to accommodate.
Second: Threaten. Predators after you pass their test, will threaten you in some way. They might make a scary comment or joke about how they like to harm people (this could be someone you know). They may simply get too close physically or touch your body or car or dog, whatever. They invade your space. They pull a gun. Every single one of these things is a threat to you. You must react with aggressive rage.
Do not acquiesce. A man makes a joke or comment about hurting someone? You respond, "I'd love for someone like you to try something like that on me. I'd cut off your balls and shove them..."
A man touches you or your belongings? "HEY! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!" Shout. Loud and angrily. I don't care if you think they're harmless, or they bumped into you on accident or whatever. Do it. Note that they will sometimes threaten you when others are around before following you to attack you elsewhere so be prepared to make a scene in public if you have to.
Someone pulls a gun on you and tried to force you to go with them? Scream, fight, yell, "Go ahead and shoot me! HE'S GOT A GUN!! I;M BEING ATTACKED!" You have a better chance of survival if shot in a public place than you do if you allow yourself to be transported. Which brings me to...
Third: Transport. A predator will never rape or kill or torture you where they found you. Whether by gun or force, they will always transport you to another location, even if it just behind a wall. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE TRANSPORTED. YOU WILL DIE.
Predators are not going to be merciful. If you allow yourself to go with them or be bound or carried off, your chances are over. I would much rather bleed out in the street than be repeatedly raped and tortured for days before being decapitated. I am going to choose the manner of my death and not allow them to choose it for me. Chances are, if you struggle hard enough, they will run. Do not allow yourself to be transported, whatever you do. Drop to the ground, claw their face, bash them in the head with the claw hammer you should always have in your car. Run them over. Mace them. Knife them. Do not be transported.
I hope you all enjoyed this lovely public service announcement. Peace.
Here is the knife:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-5-MTECH-T...d66bb48&pid=100623&rk=2&rkt=6&sd=191238675962
Here is how to use mace effectively:
[video=youtube;jpB7jrJ7Zds]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpB7jrJ7Zds[/video]
