DES MOINES, Iowa — New numbers from a 2017 record display there are more than three million phone packages to be had for purchase, that is up approximately a million from 2016.
Some of those apps are used for personal safety and goal to maintain customers secure in risky situations. By giving customers a manner to call for help with the touch of a button, a few packages are marketed as a protection resource for predators.
Some humans, like Drake University freshman Samantha Bayne, marvel approximately the effectiveness of such apps.
“There became a person strolling in the back of me, so I was a little worried, so I had the app open if necessary, however, I didn’t come to be urgent it because campus became in view,” she stated.
Bayne is spoken me approximately urgent a button on a personal protection app called Drake Guardian that Drake University rolled out in 2014. The University Department of Public protection describes it as “a digital safety escort” for college kids walking on campus.
Drake Guardian is the listing of other apps like Circle of Six, Red Panic Button, Guardly, Safety Genie, and bSafe. Each has its very own appearance, but comparable features. When activated, the apps notify multiple human beings in the person’s smartphone contact list, which include police, telling them they need to assist and sending the smartphone’s GPS vicinity. The apps promise on the spot help on the occasion of an emergency.
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Safety Genie says, “If you ever sense threatened you really set off your protection genie app,” even as bSafe advises “in case you are ever in danger really press the bSafe SOS button.”
These are the guarantees Bayne is predicated on: handy approaches to call for assistance to get her out of chance.
“It’s an excellent returned up plan and a way to make you sense secure even in case you aren’t the usage of it due to the fact you realize there may be constantly an option to press the button or to call public protection if anything risky has been to arise,” she stated.
But Bayne is aware of private safety apps can’t be the simplest form of protection whilst push involves shove. This is also what Amy Ratekin is coaching students in her fight fashion self-defense elegance. It’s a lesson certainly one of her college students learned the hard manner.
“That’s why she became taking our class, she had an app and the smartphone were given taken from her, and he or she nevertheless were given assaulted,” said Ratekin, who teaches C.O.B.R.A Self-Defense.
Ratekin says the apps create a false experience of protection that speedy fails while it counts.
“What in case your pals and family are not near their telephones, what if they’re downstairs watching tv and their phones are upstairs?” Ratekin said. “Well that’s type of nugatory due to the fact there may be nobody that is aware of you’re in the problem now.”
Rather than reaching for a smartphone, Ratekin teaches students to attain for something they are able to protect themselves with, inclusive of a hard and fast of keys on a lanyard that can be swung, a warm cup of coffee, or even a vintage C.D.
“What you do if you break it, the center isn’t sharp, but the ends are sharp, and so I can diminish somebody’s armor throughout their face or something, and it sounds brutal to mention that, however it’s either me or them, and that they’ve determined to assault me,” Ratekin stated.
Ratekin has spent almost two decades teaching self-defense to people of every age, and he or she stresses the importance of self-reliance. She describes this as the potential to shield yourself whilst there’s trouble, in place of counting on a cellphone. Her message is sinking in, in particular along with her younger students.
“If someone is going to come back up to you and try and assault you, tackle you, kidnap you, something, you’re going to should know the way to push them away, kick them, away, bite them,” scholar Owen Bucklin stated.
Bucklin stated the class offers him the real equipment he can use. These are gear Bayne believes should study to everybody, because it takes more than the touch of a button to overcome an attacker.
Check out some demonstrations on a way to use self-defense strategies to fight off an attacker.
How to Have a Safe and Pleasant Taxi Ride
Even in case you are most comfortable at the back of the wheel of your automobile, from time to time you do want to lease a cab. After a night out partying with pals and having crossed the permissible limits to power or have numerable halts for your schedule and do not want the hassle of parking: in such instances, a call to ebook a cab might be a sensible decision. With their metered fare you may e-book a ride at a click in your smart app – every time everywhere.
It is usually used to hold in thoughts those hints to have a secure and comfy taxi ride.
1. Confirm and Inform:
On arrival of the taxi verify that the taxi is for you by way of checking the motive force is aware of your name and vacation spot. Ask for a picture identity evidence from the motive force before boarding. Take an image of the Taxi showing the Number Plate and if possible, of the motive force too. Call a member of the family or pal earlier than entering the taxi, ship them the images and inform them wherein you are taking the taxi from and to in which. Before coming into the taxi, a test which you have to manipulate over the hole and final of the window and door.
2. Use GPS and Safety Apps on your Mobile:
Always maintain the GPS ‘ON’ for your mobile, until you attain your vacation spot. This guarantees that the taxi is taking you to your vacation spot and not veering off the song. There are several apps that will let you join instantly with the police and other emergency offerings. Phone numbers of family participants & near pals need to be for your pace dial listing. In the case of emergency, you could press a button and speak to them without delay.
3. Opt for busy routes:
Do now not permit the motive force to take a shortcut for any cause. Remain resolute and insist on taking secure, excessive traffic routes. Take care that isolated routes are averted especially at night, even if its method accomplishing a bit late. The adage ‘better overdue than in no way’ is the guiding principle.
Four. Safety in the Taxi:
When returning from a cocktail birthday party or traveling overdue at night, it’s far better to pool than tour on my own. Avoid sporting steeply-priced jewelry and starting your purse to matter your coins even as in the taxi. For your safety constantly bring a stole or jacket to cover any revealing clothes even as inside the taxi.
