My mum forwarded this to me so i thought i'd post it here. Not too cheery but maybe useful.
SAFETY FOR WOMEN
Safety for women - Not a joke please read it and pass on
Some sound advice for us all. This is from Bedfordshire police.......... their web details are at the bottom
Women..... In light of the recent kidnapping and now murder of Leigh Mathews I think it is important to read the following info for your own safety.
Things women should know to stay safe: Please take the time to read these pointers. There may just be one or two you hadn't thought of.
- Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
- If a robber asks for your handbag, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you.... he is probably more interested in your handbag than you and he will go for the handbag. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
- If you are ever thrown into the boot of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm through the hole and start waving. The driver won't see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4.Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their cheque book, or making a list).
DON'T DO THIS! Someone could be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, and attack you.
AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
- A few notes about getting into your car in a car park:
A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and check the back seat.
B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most attackers surprise their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the shop, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
- ALWAYS take the lift instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot.
- If the attacker has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! They will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; andeven then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
- As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help"into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
- A woman heard a crying baby outside at night. She called the police because it was late and she thought it was odd. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." He told her that they think an attacker has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes when they're alone at night. Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby.
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE POLICE - Visit us at www.northants.police.uk