Personal Alarms for Women

Whatever your age, you should have a personal alarm with you at all times. I'm pulling no punches here as it's something I strongly believe in. These are cheap to buy and can save your life. If you don't have one then I urge you to take a look at the selection below.

Guys, do the women in your life carry one?

If not, they should.I'll tell you why I'm so adamant about this. Recently I wrote an article about the Yorkshire Ripper - a serial killer who operated in the area I lived in. This was back in the late 1970s and these items weren't available in those days.

We carried knives in our handbags. although I'm pretty sure this wasn't legal. Many women would get a metal comb with a handle and sharpen the handle to a lethal point. We improvised to protect ourselves.When I was writing about living in those times, it occurred to me that even though the Yorkshire Ripper is safety locked away, there are still many dangers facing women on their own. Just walking down the street we are in danger from crazies.

We need to protect ourselves.

• Today, they don't look like security devices. You can get versions that are key rings, they come in various shapes and today, they are attractive as well as life-saving.
• Even though we carry cell phones, we're not safe when we're in our cars. These devices can hang from the rear-view mirror on you car.
• If you're jogging or walking, you can wear your device around your neck so that you can easily reach it if you need to.
• Be sure to have it with you if you're traveling or staying in a hotel.
• The huge benefit is that they will draw attention to you if you're attacked but your attacker may well be scared off by the noise, leaving you safe.
• These aren't for just used when you're out and about. Keep it handy when you're in your home too. Burglars or attackers will run away when they hear the noise.
• Rape and sexual assault statistics show that it can happen to you. Prepare yourself inexpensively and easily.
• Teenage girls are particularly in danger for reasons that I won't go into. If I had a teenage daughter I would insist on her carrying one of these every time she stepped out of the house.
• Older women are very vulnerable. Often they live alone and they aren't as able as younger women to run away from danger should it arise.
• Statistics show that women under twenty four years old are at the greatest risk of rape and sexual assault. And there's no nice way of putting this; there is no lowest age limit. Our girls need protection.
• Most young women and girls at least have the advantage of being able to flee but any woman who has restricted mobility must have a device with her at all times.
• If you've ever been attacked, you know that often you simply can't scream. Your throat tightens in fear. Use on of these models - they'll do the shouting for you.

Many years ago I used to be a kitchen designer which means that I would go to homes, often at night, to design clients' kitchens in situ. I'm happy to say that I never had any problems but I certainly had a few situations when I felt distinctly uneasy. If I'd had one of these, I would have felt a lot safer and more secure.

My granddaughters aren't old enough yet to go out on their own. But as soon as they are old enough to use public transport or to go to the local shop on their own, I'll be getting one of these for them. I don't want to scare them of course, but I believe they'll feel more secure and I'll have greater peace of mind too.

For some of us, our jobs put us in vulnerable positions. Even in the workplace we can be in danger.

There was a well-known case in England several years ago. A young woman who was a real estate agent was abused and murdered when she was doing her job - simply showing what she believed to be a potential client a property for sale.

For many years I worked as a kitchen designer. This meant going out to people's homes and measuring their rooms so that I could design new layouts for them. These appointments usually took place in the evening - this was more convenient for clients who were working during the day.

And in the UK during the winter months, it can start to get dark in the middle of the afternoon.The companies I worked for knew where I was going, of course. Had anything happened to me, they would have been able to tell the police the address I'd been to but that would have been after the event. And many times, appointments were at empty houses. Customers told me that they had just bought the house but there was no proof of that.

On some occasions, customers said 'Oh, the house is too hard to find. I'll meet you at the junction and you can follow me from there.' In those cases, there would have been no clues.If you are in a similar job - don't hesitate. Order now.

Women, girls, men, boys - everyone should carry one of these inexpensive devices at all times.

Lead image from stock.xchng. Product image from Amazon.