what to do if you think you are being followed

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It can be extremely creepy and unnerving if you sense that somebody's following you. Fifty-fifty though it may be tough in the moment, stay at-home and endeavour not to panic. Luckily, there are a lot of precautions you can take to prevent another person from targeting you. We'll cover some basic strategies to aid you lose the person without any conflict and get somewhere prophylactic. Just remember, never hesitate to call the police force if y'all feel threatened or uncomfortable.

Annotation: This is not a substitution for a cocky-defence force class––it's a guide for deflecting someone following you with as little interaction as possible.

1. 1

   Change directions if you're suspicious of someone following you lot. Fifty-fifty if you think y'all're existence followed, it might be a coincidence that the person is only walking the same management as you. If you want to find out if they're truly following yous, alter directions at the next street corner or crosswalk even if information technology takes you out of your style. Every bit yous plow, speedily glance over your shoulder and get a look at the person and so y'all're able to recognize them. Keep calculation more turns to your road and watch for the person to run across if they're nevertheless following you.^[one]

   • If the person is following you in a vehicle, turn effectually and go back the way you came.^[ii] That way, the person has to make a quick turn to find yous again and will be easy to notice.
   • If you retrieve you're being followed but aren't certain who information technology is or where they are, trust your instincts and immediately find somewhere safe to go, such as a crowded store, police station, or area with a lot of foot traffic.^[3]

2. 2

   Go into a crowded public surface area or store to try and lose the person. Walk into the nearest concern that's open and has a lot of people. Once you lot're inside, keep your eye out to see if the person post-obit you stops also or walks in after you. If they do, notice an employee or security guard to let them know you're being followed. They may let you lot use their telephone to contact the police force or lead you to a different get out then you can lose your attacker.^[4]

   • If at that place isn't a public place that you can go within, go along moving and so your attacker doesn't take hold of up.
   • Larn the hours of the businesses in the area where y'all normally walk so yous know where yous can go in example you're followed belatedly at dark.

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3. 3

   Plow and wait at the person once you know they're following you. Nearly attackers use the chemical element of surprise, so prove them that you know they're there. As yous're walking, await over your shoulder and make eye contact with them. If they but happen to exist walking in the aforementioned direction as you, they may requite you a dislocated wait back. However, if it was someone truly following you, yous've let them know you're wary of them and ready to react if something goes wrong.^[5]

   • As you're looking at the person, make mental notes of their appearance so you're able to report them.

4. 4

   Contact the police equally presently as you feel threatened. If at any point y'all feel like y'all're in danger, don't hesitate to call for help. Dial the number for your local emergency services and requite them your proper noun and location. Let the operator know which direction you're heading and do your best to describe the advent of the person post-obit you.^{[half dozen]} Follow the operator'due south directions while they transport someone to assist or escort you.

   • While you're calling, remember to watch where yous're going and pay attention to your environs.^[7]

5. five

   Scream or blow a whistle to draw attention to yourself if they get closer. If the person approaches you and you lot feel like they're going to attack, start yelling equally loud as you can and running away. If y'all have a personal warning or whistle, apply information technology to make even more noise. One time someone else comes to your aid, let them know that someone was following y'all and reach out to the authorities.^[8]

   • It might feel embarrassing if you yell and the person wasn't actually post-obit you, just it's better to be safe than sorry.
   • Loud noises might be plenty to deter your assailant since they don't want to draw any attention to themselves.

6. half dozen

   Drop your purse if the person quickly approaches y'all to see if they become distracted. Sometimes, an attacker will be satisfied taking your belongings and stop up leaving yous alone. If the person is budgeted you lot apace and yous've determined they've followed you for a while, accept your wallet and keys out of your handbag. Let go of your handbag and let it autumn to the ground then you lot accept a complimentary hand. Walk away as rapidly as you can to put some distance between you and the other person.^[9]

   • Remember, your safety is more than important than what'south in your pocketbook. If you truly feel similar y'all're in danger, you lot can always drop your material possessions at present and replace them afterwards.

7. 7

   Aim for the person's optics, throat, or groin if you need to defend yourself. Hopefully, you lot won't have to resort to it, merely if worst comes to worst, y'all may need to protect yourself from danger. React rapidly by pushing your thumbs into their optics, hit them in the throat, or kicking them in the groin to stun them. As before long as you country a accident, make a lot of racket and get to somewhere condom as fast as possible.^[10]

   • Simply defend yourself if you absolutely demand to.
   • Avoid resisting a robbery if the person has a weapon.^[11]

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1. i

   Lock your doors and roll up your windows. Even though it might only exist a coincidence that the person is going the same direction, double-check to make sure you locked your doors. Keep your windows airtight to make information technology more than difficult to get into your vehicle. Be sure to shut the sunroof besides if you have i. That fashion, if you're caught in traffic, no one can get in your vehicle.^[12]

   • Virtually newer vehicles lock your doors automatically once you beginning driving.
   • Lock your doors right away when you go in your vehicle so y'all don't have to worry nigh information technology subsequently on.

2. 2

   Stay calm and maintain your speed. We know that you lot're probably freaked out, but exercise your best to focus on the road and drive safely since they may non exist post-obit yous. Avoid accelerating or braking suddenly too as swerving around the road since you're more than likely to lose control of your vehicle. Follow the rules of the road so y'all don't cause any confrontations.^[xiii]

   • Never pull over if y'all're being followed by an unknown vehicle, even if they flash their lights at you.
   • You might be tempted to lookout the other vehicle in your rear-view mirror, simply focus on what's in front of you so yous aren't distracted.

3. 3

   Make a few unusual turns when you think someone is tailing y'all. If you notice the same car behind you for a long flow of time, don't panic yet since they may truly be going the same direction as you. To run into if they're actually following you, take a route that stands out against normal traffic. In a residential expanse, make 4 right turns. If yous're on the highway, accept the next exit and immediately get back on the entrance ramp. If the vehicle is still tailing y'all, so there's a skillful chance they're following yous.^[fourteen]

   • Avoid going down remote roads without a lot of traffic since information technology gives the person following you a gamble to attack.

4. 4

   Make a mental note of the person and the vehicle's appearance. Briefly glance in your mirror and do your best to recall what the vehicle looks like. Pay attention to the color and type of vehicle and commit it to memory. Then exercise your best to see the person driving. Try to remember their estimate age, gender, and any other defining characteristics. When yous take a chance to safely pull over, write everything downwards so you don't forget it.^[15]

   • If y'all have a passenger, ask them to write things downwards for you so you tin can focus on driving.

5. 5

   Phone call the police to report the person and vehicle as soon as you can. Punch the number for your local police department and permit them know who and where you are. Let them know that you're being followed, and exercise your all-time to draw the vehicle and the other person.^[16] Expect inside of your locked auto until the police show upwardly and so they can check out the state of affairs and safely escort yous domicile.^[17]

   • You tin as well call the police force while you're driving then they tin come up tail the vehicle that's following you to see if it poses a threat.

6. 6

   Drive to the nearest police station or populated area correct abroad. Stick to well-lit roads that have a bit of traffic so you lot're never solitary with the person following you. If it'south rubber to do so, like if you're stopped in traffic, look upwardly the nearest constabulary station and head directly at that place.^[18]

   • Avoid going back domicile correct away, or else you may atomic number 82 the assailant there.^[19]
   • If y'all don't know where the closest police station is or if y'all don't have plenty gas to get there, pull into a busy gas station or well-lit parking lot and stay in your vehicle.

7. 7

   Honk your horn repeatedly to get someone else'due south attention. If the vehicle even so follows you, apply your horn or turn on the vehicle's alarm to draw attention to yourself. Hopefully, the noise will be plenty to deter the person. Otherwise, look for someone else to arroyo your vehicle, slightly roll downward your window, and let them know about what's going on.^[20]

   • Turn on your emergency flasher lights as well to let other people know there's something incorrect.

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1. 1

   Walk at a steady pace with your head up. Act confident and maintain your step so you don't look similar an like shooting fish in a barrel target. Stay alert and act like you know where y'all're going fifty-fifty if you're new in the area since attackers are more likely to strike people who look lost.^[21]

   • Maintain adept posture to bear witness that you're warning and gear up for action in case something goes wrong. This might exist enough to deter an attacker from targeting you in the kickoff place.

2. 2

   Stay in well-lit and populated areas. While you may get tempted to have shortcuts to become abroad, avoid going downwards alleys or dark streets alone. Stick to sidewalks and areas that have a lot of foot traffic since attackers are less probable to strike if there are witnesses. Even if you take to accept a longer fashion to your destination, you'll feel a lot more comfortable and safer surrounded past others.^[22]

   • Allow some other person know that you call back you're beingness followed and ask if you lot can walk with them for a footling while. People are less probable to attack if you're in a group.
   • Avoid going home if you're existence followed since you could lead the attacker there.

3. 3

   Be mindful of your surroundings at all times. Whenever y'all're walking somewhere alone, go on an heart on the people in front of and behind you and so you're able to notice any suspicious behavior.^[23] Avoid looking at your phone or down at the ground since a potential assailant may detect that you're non paying attention and think you're more vulnerable. The sooner that you recognize someone is tailing yous, the more fourth dimension you'll have to react and become away safely.^[24]

   • Avert wearing headphones or playing loud music if you're walking alone.
   • Brand brief eye contact with strangers as they approach you. That way, you lot convey the message that you tin identify them afterward on if they attack.^[25]

4. four

   Stay aware of other people and vehicles when you're in a parking lot. Before you get to a vehicle, take your keys out of your pocketbook or pocket so you don't become distracted looking for them later. Keep your head up and pay attention to any other people to watch for suspicious behavior. If y'all see anyone that makes you feel uneasy around your vehicle, get back to where y'all came from and enquire someone for assist.^[26]

   • Park in well-lit areas so yous're able to see other people easily and to deter someone from breaking into your vehicle
   • Look for exits if yous're in an hole-and-corner or enclosed lot then you know where y'all can escape if you feel threatened.

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Add New Question

• Question

  How can you cease burglars from targeting your home?

  

  Saul Jaeger, MS
  Police force Captain, Mountain View Police Section

  Saul Jaeger is a Police force Officer and Captain of the Mountain View, California Police force Section (MVPD). Saul has over 17 years of experience as a patrol officer, field training officer, traffic officer, detective, hostage negotiator, and as the traffic unit's sergeant and Public Data Officer for the MVPD. At the MVPD, in addition to commanding the Field Operations Sectionalization, Saul has also led the Communications Center (acceleration) and the Crisis Negotiation Team. He earned an MS in Emergency Services Management from the California Country University, Long Beach in 2008 and a BS in Administration of Justice from the University of Phoenix in 2006. He also earned a Corporate Innovation LEAD Certificate from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 2018.

  

  Police Helm, Mount View Police Department

  Adept Answer

  There'southward certainly things you lot can exercise. Yous can invest in proximity alarms, cameras, and fake cameras that blink ruby lights and deter possible burglars. There's besides things like leaving your car in the driveway instead of in your garage and leaving your lights on.

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• Ask a buddy to go places with you so you aren't alone.^[27]

• Keep your automobile fueled up and in working condition so you don't take to worry about getting stranded.^[28]

• Practise your all-time to stay calm and effort not to panic. That way, you lot look more confident and it could forestall an attack.^[29]

• Switch which routes y'all take oft and so it's harder for someone to follow your routine.^[30]

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• If you always don't experience safe or comfy, trust your gut and try to go away as soon every bit you can.^[31]

• If someone attempts to rob you and threatens you with a weapon, requite them what they asked for and then yous're less likely to get injured. Immediately go somewhere safe and contact the police afterward.^[32]

• Be careful of people who enquire yous for the time or for directions since they may try to have advantage of y'all when you let your guard down.^[33]

• Avoid wearing headphones since you could lose focus and won't be able to hear someone approaching.^[34]

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