Do you use your common sense to prevent yourself from falling into vulnerable situations? Check out What's Going On? to get some simple safety tips.

I know I’m guilty of not playing it safe and I regret every instance that I put myself in danger.

I’m from a very small town so I was bred into believing the small town stereotype that nothing bad would ever happen in my small town.

What a load of crap.

I’ve made many bad decisions that could have cost me my life. I’m much more paranoid about my safety now as a result. I’m lucky that I can regret my mistakes, there are many who never lived to.

~KristiNOISE

I live in a suburban town that isn't very dangerous, but sometimes I visit my dad in NYC. Sometimes when we're out of milk he'll send me to the corner store to get some. I always walk quickly and make sure I look like I know where I'm going, and I look up instead of at my feet.

If you are attacked, I've heard it's better to start swearing really loudly instead of yelling "Help!" because people will get curious and want to look, while sometimes they don't want to get involved in a dangerous situation, and run away when someone says "help".

Also, headphones are dangerous because it's harder to hear someone sneaking up behind you, and they could strangle you with the cord.

When you're at a public place or a party, always watch your drink and keep your hand over it if possible so nobody can slip something in while you're not paying attention.

Finally, always tell someone where you're going and when you expect to be back. If you're not back by then, they'll know something is up. You could even carry a cell phone so they can check and see if you're all right.

That's what I know about keeping safe. I'm not trying to scare anybody, but just be aware of where you are, trust your instinct, and make sure people know where you are.

Hopefully, nothing bad will happen to any of you.

Peace out,
~Cb526

My absolute worst fear is being abducted or putting myself in a situation where this could happen! Although I'm older I am still a fairly petite girl...I have just grown up being extra careful about not putting myself in bad situations. I would consider myself pretty smart, and anything that I feel is not a good idea I don't do...so I think I do play it safe!

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I’m from a very small town so I was bred into believing the small town stereotype that nothing bad would ever happen in my small town.

What a load of crap.

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HA! i love it.

I've alwys been told tips of saftey and self defense(no weapons nessesary!:)) so i can take care of myself and with all the kidnappings last year my mum stays firm about the "taking a walk alone at night" rule.I'm not really afriad of being hurt or killed'cause i knnow where i'll go but I know how much it hurts to lose someone that way and will do my best to never put someone through that same agony.

I play it safe, sometimes maybe a little too safe. It drives my dad nuts sometimes, like when I constantly lock the car doors when it's in the driveway, or lock our house doors all the time. It's because when I lived in southern CA someone came to our door with a gun and almost killed my grandma and probably the rest of us. Long story, really scary. I was 7. The result was me being a paranoid for the rest of my life. Now where I live, people rarely lock their front doors at night. I don't think it's very smart, but I'm working on easing up a little. And I am knowledgeable about dangerous situations and how to make myself a little safer in them. I'd say I'm pretty safe.

I figured that is what you meant just added that neways. But I think kristi is right. I would be more likely to accidently stab myself than to do something useful with it. and the only crime in my neighborhood is drug making and my one neighbor did punch the other neighbor in the face but that was about drugs and by neighbor i mean half mile down the road so there would be very few instances of me needing one.

Granted, smart desicisions are more important than weapons, but better to be armed and not need it than to need it and not be armed. A knife is also far from an adequate weapon, especially for most people, but due to useless authoritarian laws, a concealed carry permit for a firearm is hard to get in most states, and of course one needs to be over 21 to receive one. Should you get into trouble its better to have a means of defense rather than wishing you hadnt gotten into trouble.

I didn't mean to imply a sort of paranoia about being safe, like being too afraid to do things. What I meant was to just think about things before you act and make sure you're not putting yourself in a dangerous situation like jogging at night, alone, in an unlighted area or something along those lines. Be smart, not scared.

I don't agree with carrying weapons, even if it's just a little knife. I'd rather keep myself safe by making careful decisions and not by carrying a knife that could potentially be used against me. Besides, I'm a bit of a clutz and I could just see me somehow stabbing myself with it or something.

Thanks for responding to my board guys!

In most states, its legal for minors to posses foding knives so long as the blade is under 5 inches, and though not as useful as other weapons, if you know how to use the knife it could help you out itf you are unable to extricate yourself from a problem.

i'm pretty good about staying safe. besides, i can kick some major butt if people mess with me. i guess i was taught when to leave a situation or when to not get into one. guess i'm one of the lucky ones then.

And I do take most of those steps if not all of them. Many things that happen are avoidable but lot of htings are not (like the quote about the girl molested in the bathroom) avoidable by the victim.

I do think i know how to keep me safe, I also know i am learning more everyday. But on top of that I know i regret so manythings in my past because I didnt do them. I played it safe and now wish I would have taken a chance. There are so many things that have the stereotype of bad written all over them but they are just against the social norm. I know there somethings called bad because they are but you shouldnt just not do anything because somepeople say its bad. Like my little cousin wont go on airpplanes (and never has) because he thinks they are not safe. This is a watered down example but my mom and grandma like to take airplanes so he has given up the chance to see many things because he is afraid of them. This analogy can go for manythings, like people. not getting to know a person because they are thought to be dangerous makes you not know the world (and a lot of people). I might not be talking about what you are, so if im off target, tell me.