Today, women are working shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. In fact, many a times they are the ones to leave the house before their spouses are up and awake. Many young ladies are now actively working in night shifts at call centres, malls and even in corporate offices. There are many companies who provide their own transport at designated pick-up and drop points for the ease of these workers.
However, the real test lies when these ladies alight from the comparative safety of this transport and board a public transport to reach home.
This is not only prevalent in the night but even in the daytime, which sees a massive rush of people and women rushing to reach their respective places of work. This tremendous movement during the peak hours in the day are ripe times for criminals to work their deeds and get away unnoticed or if noticed by the victim, harm them and melt into the crowd.
Thus, Fortify Security Consulting brings to you A FEW TIPS that women should follow while travelling by public transport during the day, and night.
Tips for Working Women Travelling by Public Transport by Day
- Plan your next working day the night prior. It seems exhausting to even think about it but it takes less time if you are organised.
- Do not stuff your purses and handbags with your meal tiffins, snacks and water bottles. It not only makes it heavy to carry around but exposes the contents of the bag openly to bystanders whenever you dip into it for refreshments. Try and carry a separate small carry bag for the same so that the purse/handbag is never opened for such occasions.
- Mobiles should either be secured in a pouch or a strap which should be tied by a strong cord to your handbag loop or the cord should be stitched within the inner compartment of your purse or handbag. Even if it disfigures the beauty of the purse, it remains a handy tool to keep the mobile secured to your purse and the criminal will have to physically pull the purse which will attract attention or will have to get close enough to cut the strap with a sharp object, causing discomfort to the intended woman victim.
Tips for Working Women Travelling by Public Transport by Night
- Make it a habit to catch your designated train to reach your home station every day. This habit about keeping this goal in mind allows oneself to arrange one’s work affairs in the same order before leaving the workplace and en route to the train station.
- Make it a habit to stay within lighted spaces while walking towards your destination. Avoid shortcuts, back alleys or dimly light footpaths to the train station.
- Wherever possible walk or travel to the train station with a friend, office colleague which deters offenders from targeting lone women.
JOIN OUR WORKSHOP Security of Women Travelling Alone TO KNOW MORE PRACTICAL AND INVALUABLE WAYS TO ENSURE YOUR SAFETY!
These are just a few tips to ensure your security while travelling, which has become such an integral part of many women's lives now. Personal security starts with our own selves. Yes, there will be guards and police to help you but that will be ‘after’ a crime occurs. Why not fortify yourselves with simple tips and habits so that crime never catches you at all?!
Sign up for our workshop, to enable your women groups and/or women employees take due care of themselves while travelling. We can help you with many more such practical, but often overlooked ways to be safe and travel without fear.
-Lt. Col. Omar S. Pathare (retd.), Founder, FORTIFY SECURITY CONSULTING
