Personal Safety
Good Habits Keep You Safer
By Mark Grobbelaar
There are many things we can do to keep ourselves safe , in terms of layers of safety , but these simple and easy to implement measures that you can do daily will go a long way to increase your personal safety .
Once-off Measures
These are deterrents and safeguards that you could use in your place of business , your home or community , which can foil and discourage break-ins . There are many , ranging from burglar bars and security systems to a dog ( which is shown to be the greatest deterrent to house break-ins in this country ), a community watch programme , and an anti smash-and-grab film on your car windows .
These may be visible deterrents , warning a perpetrator to steer clear , or hidden traps that cause them to abort . Doing a personal protection course is also a once-off measure and another layer of safety between you and those who seek to harm you . The more layers you have , the less attractive you are to criminals .
Good vs Bad Habits
It cannot be stressed enough how dangerous bad habits can be ! Ask yourself whether you are guilty of the following bad habits :
• When you arrive at a red traffic light , you immediately look at your phone , instead of being alert and looking at your surroundings and identifying potential threats .
• You keep a handbag , backpack or laptop bag on the front seat , instead of in the boot .
Little things like this can make the difference between you being selected as a target or not . And avoiding or cutting out these bad habits can stop us getting into situations that could have been avoided , but we are often in a hurry … and then often default to the absolute worst excuses , like “ I have always done it this way , and nothing has ever happened .” When you do something stupid one day and nothing happens , that does not make it a good idea the next day !
I was chatting to a group of women the other day and mentioned that keeping windows up at robots was a good idea . One of them replied , “ Mark , I feel so guilty when I arrive at the robots and my window is down , then I wind my window up while the guy at the side of the road is looking at me . I worry that he is thinking that I am thinking he is a mugger !”
Really ? Are we really concerned about what other people think when we are putting our safety and the safety of those we love first ? If I offend you when I put my wellbeing first , I really don ’ t care . It ’ s not about being rude . It ’ s about not putting yourself in a situation where you can be hurt or taken advantage of – and if this offends people , then it ’ s too bad !
Need Another Example ?
We recently did a talk at a wellness day at a well-known company whose offices are in downtown Joburg . Now , apparently , the people who work there either arrive early and leave early , or arrive late and leave late , to avoid sitting in traffic at the robots in that area , where brazen criminals basically walk among the cars and help themselves to valuables in cars , with absolute impunity . One of the women at this company , who seemed visibly shaken , shared the story of what had happened to her just the previous day .
She had left work later than normal and was sitting in her car in traffic , with the window slightly down , when a hand came in through the small gap and put a knife to her throat , and the attacker demanded her cellphone , rings , purse , etc . She handed over whatever she could , and the assailant casually walked away . While sitting in the car in tears , two more men walked past . She pleaded with them to help her , as she had just been robbed . And they put a gun against her head and asked , “ What else have you got ?” She was robbed twice in the same spot , and her car had not moved an inch !
Could this have been avoided ? Definitely ! Keep your windows up at traffic lights . It ’ s a good habit ! And better yet , make sure they are anti smash-and-grab . Because your safety , above all else , should be your primary concern while driving . And the more layers of safety you have , the less attractive you will be to criminals .
Mark Grobbelaar is the founder of INpowered , incorporating WIP ( Woman INpowered ) and GRIP ( Guy Responsibly INpowered ), an organisation dedicated to giving people the essential tools to protect themselves . Mark holds a sixth dan in karate , and is also an avid runner and cyclist . He hosts INpowered programmes for corporates , schools and small groups . More info at www . inpowered . co . za .
Images : Pexels
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