Staying safe while using public transportation begins before you even enter whichever mode of transport you are choosing. Whether you are at a bus station, waiting for a subway or train, safety starts as you wait for your transportation. Robberies and muggings happen at these venues frequently.
Try not to focus on your phone, device or book too much. You should be aware of what those around you are doing. That means you should be able to perceive what is going on around you and be able to react if someone is paying too much attention to you or aggressively approaches you.
Do not stand too close to the edge of a platform. We’ve all seen security camera footage of people pushing unaware people onto the tracks of subways and trains. I usually like to stay 10 or 15 feet back, and if it is crowded, at least five feet or a couple of steps back from the edge. I want enough space to put my feet out to counteract a push and regain my balance or fight back. It is best to stand perpendicular to the platform edge with your feet shoulder-width apart. This forms a strong base and makes it more difficult to be knocked towards the edge. Do not stand behind columns or anything that obstructs you from the security cameras. Do not seek an isolated area to wait for transportation; remain close enough to other travelers to dissuade would-be attackers or robbers.
When I get on a subway or train, I do not choose the seats closest to the door of the car. If a perpetrator wants to “grab and go,” he will choose a victim near the door. I like quiet and not being jammed up against others while commuting, but I do not want a car that is empty or nearly empty, especially when it is late at night.
I choose not to get too involved with a phone or book on a daily commute. I want to be able to observe those around me. You do not have to stare at people the whole time, but you cannot become so absorbed that you cannot perceive a threat as it unfolds. I recently saw a YouTube video of a robbery at a bar where a gunman enters, and people dive on the floor as the gunman walks behind the bar and robs the cash register. Meanwhile, a guy sits at the bar, absorbed in his phone, and never reacts as the perpetrator enters, walks right by him, waves the gun at the bartender almost directly in front of him, and then exits. If he had been the target of the crime, he’d never have seen it coming.
- Do not set backpacks, purses, or phones on the seat beside you. Keep them on you or hold them.
- Do not sleep or close your eyes while commuting! It is an open invitation for a perpetrator to choose you as a victim.
- If someone suspicious enters the car or starts paying attention to you, stare directly back at them. Put away anything that is in your hands except perhaps a phone to dial 911 if needed. If you find yourself alone in the car with someone suspicious, you may opt to get off at the next stop.
Those are the basic techniques I employ while using public transportation. Taxis or Ubers are different animals and require different techniques.
