Originally Posted By: Jeanette_Isabelle
Stay out of bad neighborhoods, stay out of dark places even in the good part of town, seek safety in numbers and know your area or at least know what to look for. If you drive, don’t let your tire pressure drop below 30 p.s.i. [this avoids a blowout], know your engine [your engine light should not have to say you are low on oil, you should already know it] and keep a flashlight, tools and engine fluids in your car.

  • Stay out of bad neighborhoods -- I'd add that you won't always know where the bad neighborhoods are, so keep yourself in a relaxed state of alertness and pay attention to the places you are driving through. Stores with barred windows, boarded-up buildings, gang graffiti, obvious prostitutes, and particularly gangbangers "posting" -- standing around in the street looking around like sentries -- these are all signs that you should be taking yourself elsewhere.
  • Stay out of dark places even in the good part of town -- Agreed. Bring a flashlight but allow your night vision to be undisturbed and keep from calling attention to yourself by not using it unless it's warranted.
  • Seek safety in numbers -- I like being where there are many small groups of people but I don't like being around big crowds. Big crowds have their own psychology and may attract robbers and other violent criminals as much as abandoned areas do.
  • Know your area -- Agreed. Seek a native guide when you're not in your area.
  • Know what to look for -- Pay close attention to the state of the buildings and the people around you, and you'll start to see and understand the signs.
  • If you drive, don't let your tire pressure fall below 30 PSI -- The correct tire pressure for your car is normally listed on a sticker inside the driver's door. Below 30 PSI is definitely too low for most vehicles.
  • Know your engine -- Amen.
  • Keep a flashlight, tools and engine fluids in your car -- My car has about 70K miles on it and is meticulously maintained, so I actually do not keep oil, transmission fluid and the like in it. With regard to flashlight and tools, I definitely agree. I would add a small assortment of fuses and ten feet or so of galvanized wire. A tire plug kit and a compressor would not be amiss.

Most importantly keep your eyes and ears open. I'm looking for very different things in the city than I do in the suburbs, and different things again when I'm in the backcountry.