Running Safety

demoiselle2014 wrote: »

How do you judge whether it is safe to run in a certain area?

By how recently it's been since I've been taser raped there and if the person that has been caught

beemerphile1 wrote: »

Being male I imagine that I am much safer to start with.

It amazes me the people that walk/run/bicycle with zero situational awareness. Get rid of the earphones, lift your eyes from directly at your feet, and be aware of what is around you. That practice alone will make your runs substantially safer.

Agreed.
However in this situation I think it best to avoid the area all together.

I run with pepper spray (it attaches by keychain to my phone case), along heavily trafficked roads, mostly in the early morning (but always when the sun is out). Doing all of this hasn't stopped from being harassed and feeling unsafe, though. Once, after a particularly bad incident--a guy following me in his car for several blocks--I called the police, and shouted at the guy that I was calling. He backed off. So, I guess, try to have your phone on you, too. It's tough! I think the only thing you can do is prepare, do a little research, and hope for the best.

It doesn’t matter if you are raped if just the threat of it makes you retreat from living your life. When I was preparing for a solo trip, it was the unspoken and sometimes spoken fear that I would be raped. We don’t make a woman take a man with her; we just keep her in fear so she doesn’t want to venture out alone. The joys of being a woman…taught to be fearful and that strength is masculine and ugly. For the record, I was not harmed on my trip. Although, I was constantly reminded of all of the dangers and threats from people who meant well.

williamwj2014 wrote: »

I don't understand this thing about safety.

Probably because you're male.

Right. I've seen plenty of females out in open trails, on their own. Please. I guess they were scared for their life the entire time though.

Are you that sensitive to what I'm saying? All I'm saying is that if you let fear hold you back because of what may have happened in the past, then good luck in life.

Well, I live out in the boondocks and the worst things I encounter on the trail are aggressive geese and Snakes (Copperheads). Well, so far anyway. I've also seen evidence of bear in the area too. Basically, be prepared. There are a few things I've learned to do:

1. Tell somebody you're going out alone.
2. Tell them where you're going
3. Tell them when you expect to be back
4. Always carry a fully charged cell phone. Disable any battery sucking apps before running. In most jurisdictions you aren't considered missing for 24 hrs. I run w/ my ringers muted and its hidden from view. As long as that battery is alive on that cell phone, there are technologies that can ping it and find out where it is. But time is not on your side in that regard.
5. Don't run solo where there is no cell signal.
6. Take self-defense courses and be prepared to use them with common sense (meaning you can't outrun a bullet). The advantage you have over an attacker in most cases is that you know the area. If you can use those self defense tactics to get away and to a populated area, go for it with gusto.
7. You're probably in better physical shape than your attacker. Take the shortest route you can, handle to a populated area. Go over the river and through the woods if you have to, but get to civilization!

As you can tell by the way I've written this, I've pretty much already decided that nobody will take my freedoms away from me and I ain't going down without a fight. That's part of surviving right there.

So, as far as the taser rapist goes...as long as the taser is discharging current, he can't do anything to you either, otherwise, he'll be shocked. A taser only temporarily disables you. (Do some research on how tasers work!) You'll have opportunities for escape.

Now that I've typed all of this up, I guess the most important things are the first 5 bullets...the rest is all up to your comfort level.

williamwj2014 wrote: »

Right. I've seen plenty of females out in open trails, on their own. Please. I guess they were scared for their life the entire time though.

Have you read the responses?! Most women are afraid and do it anyway. We are taught to be afraid. We are taught to see victims as having made some mistake that if we study and learn from we can avoid making.

OP, my comment was in support of you going back and enjoying something you enjoyed before others told you to be afraid. Don't let the rapist take something from you before he has even touched you.