5 Tips: How to Increase your Safety – Dark Hours

After staying for a week outside Delhi’s tourist centre, I wrote these safety tips -safe at night. I was in Dwarka Sector 13, which is not exactly a tourist district. Very interesting because that is precisely why I saw the normal Indian daily street scene. I was advised not to be on the streets after dark, which I took to heart of course. Nevertheless, I was still sometimes outside at dusk. My work as a police officer taught me ways to keep myself safe. Happy to share these with you!

5 Tips: How to Increase your Safety – Dark Hours

Streetview early morning Dwarka Sector 10, Delhi

Be Safe in the Evenings in India

First, let’s talk about security in India, Delhi. Everyone knows the stories of rapes and violence against women in India. For this reason, I was naturally very cautious about using the metro or walking on the streets in the dark evening hours. Big cities are always less safe, and if you are not staying in a tourist area you have to be extra careful.

So the rule you should always follow is: Be Careful and Alert!

In the evening hours, the world looks different from during the day. Other people are on the streets like drug users or alcoholics so because of that you have to be careful. But what is different here from most countries is that in India, many men are less able to control themselves. Of course, it is very difficult to judge men on looks whether they are of good sense or not. But you can pay attention to how they look at you or maybe even start following you physically.

Travel Safe in the Dark Evening hours

Streetview 2015 – Chandni Chowk, view on the famous Red Fort

Be Careful and Alert when Walking on the Street when it is Dark

Of course, you have to apply this rule in every country. As a police officer, I also have this experience from my work. Night shifts are totally different, you see other people on the streets, generally people with criminal backgrounds or at least with bad or unhealthy lifestyles. But of course there is still a difference between being dark at night and being dark in the evening. I won’t go out on the streets after 10pm in the evening, where I don’t know the surroundings. The atmosphere changes around that time. That is also often the time when the normal, hardworking people don’t walk the streets and those other people do.

Are you in a tourist area?

In very touristy areas, it is best to walk the streets later. There, a large number of people will still be walking on the street including security and police. But also people from tourism, hotels or shops, they have a link with tourists and will generally help you if something happens. Then if something weird does happen and you shout once, a whole number of people will help you.

The city of Jodhpur, India that I visited was e.g. such a city. In the small tourist centre, many people were on the streets and I walked there late at night still feeling as safe as during the day. This way, your safety is partly ensured.

Only a Holy cow walking the streets of Jodhpur late at night

Metro platforms female only

Sunset is early in India. Around 6pm, it starts getting dark and, of course, I was not always back at my hotel around that time. So I also found that it is not at all as bad as your family, friends would have you think based on media reports. There are of course horror stories, I will never want to imply that those situations are not there. I also see on the streets of India that all sorts of measures have been taken to prevent those situations. For instance, the platforms at the metro for only female passengers and the associated metro sections also meant for women only. All to keep those grabby men away from you.

But besides that, I can also tell you that if you do walk on the street while it is already dark you are not immediately raped and/or assaulted. The streets were not crowded in the Dwarka Sector 13 area where I was walking. The people I met did not look up or back as I walked past them. I always try to make eye contact so that I can see who I have in front of me but for the most part this did not work.

It is not necessarily less safe at night in Delhi or other cities of India.

Warning – Safe in the Evenings

If you don’t feel comfortable walking down the street in the dark, don’t feel confident, then definitely don’t do this! Definitely don’t do this because you are eager to put this as an experience on your list. Of course, this always has risks, you can always just run into that wrong person who does not have good intentions. I know that my view of the world has changed in the 20 years I worked as a police officer. I have acquired a different attitude and outlook towards the outside world and that is noticed by others. Just as you have to rely on your gutfeeling, so do the criminals and based on that they pick their victims.

So make sure your appearance and the feeling that goes with it is the right one and deters ‘criminals’.

Guarantee your own safety in part that way.

Be Safe in the Dark Hours

Platform: Women Only (Dwarka Sector 13)

5 Short and Simple Tips to Increase Your Safety in the Evening Hours

Increase Your Safety

1. Walk with an attitude!

Head up high and look fierce. That maybe sounds strange but most, of course not all, victims are a bit timid and tend to look devious. Let them think you know it all, can fight the world and are not afraid of anybody!

In Holland we have a saying like: audacious people have half the world. And they do!

2. I walk fast, I don’t hesitate and don’t wander around after dark.

It is very good to show clearly what you intend to do. That you know where you are going and that you are pursuing that goal. People will then not think you have time for a chat or that you might need their help. You give another person less room to address you that way.

3. If you see someone walking by who you don’t trust listen to that feeling, your gutfeeling.

If you feel that another person is not sincere, does not mean well and may have a double agenda. Trust your intuition, trust your gut.

Try to avoid this person by going to the other side of the street. Look far ahead so that you can make this choice well in advance, then it won’t look like you are going across the street for that person but simply because that is the direction you need to go. Suppose this person goes across with you, just make another tactical crossing to see if you should be alerted or if it is a coincidence. Just don’t leave it to chance and rule these things out for yourself.

A lot of victims say afterwards: I had a feeling even then that something was wrong but I waved it away. I didn’t listen to my feeling but it was right anyway.

4. Wear your bag across your body

Carry the bag properly so that it cannot just be pulled off your shoulder in 1 action. If you cross the strap of the shoulder bag over your body, it can never just be ripped off. This also makes walking a lot easier because the bag is tighter around your body and doesn’t wobble back and forth so much.

Just don’t make it easy for purse snatchers. Read about that here in my tips to protect yourself from pickpockets.

5. Every now and then, look behind you to see if someone is walking there and if they might be following you.

If you detect early on that someone is following you, you can anticipate this by doing what I said earlier by walking on the other side of the road. Or perhaps go and have a phone conversation with someone so that an acquaintance/relative knows where you are.

Also let the person know that you are alert, alarmed and have seen the person. This alone can prevent unpleasant situations. It may be that if someone thinks they have been seen, is afraid of being recognised afterwards or estimates that they will not make it because you reacted alertly and quickly, they will change their mind and turn around.

Emergency whistle for personal safety

Do you want to carry an emergency whistle when travelling? Suppose you do find yourself alone in a street alone then you can strike distress. The sound of such whistle carries far and will alert people in the area. Hang this on your holiday day bag so you always have it with you. In some whistles you can also put some emergency information such as name, address or blood group etc.

If you found these tips helpfull please share them for others too

Want to read more about safety during your travels?

5 Tips to protect yourself against Pickpockets

What to do when you get Robbed?

5 Tips to drive Safe in Foreign Countries

How to Travel Safe as a Solo Female Traveler

I too am not always as alert as I would like to be….
I was robbed when I was in Namibia…. But don’t think they could get away with the loot!

Safe Travel – Getting Robbed in Otjiwarongo – Namibia