Cyprus-Forum.com

[tessintrnc]

Problem is - being too scared and shocked to do anything but freeze!! I was involved in two armed robberies at the building society I worked in and some of the staff were literally rigid with fear and shock. Thats why I trained as a post traumatic stress councellor. It was bad enough being in a group, so to speak - but being alone and vulnerable with an attacker is a terrifying thought.
Tess

[Svetlana]

Walk quickly, avoid eye contact and if attacked just scream!

lana

[JimB]

We cannot carry CS or pepper spray in UK as it hurts the feelings of criminals. A Jif lemon though, popular around pancake day, is an excellent alternative. I find the lemon juice a little bland though so mix it with heavy dose of Tabasco. Really nice on smoked mackerel but for heavens sake do not get it in your eyes.

Bit of a daft suggestion fella

The police are doing random searches on passengers using the tubes, trains, buses, airports and in public places in general as a response to the increase in knife and gun crime and the ensuing public outcry.

In the UK you'd get nicked for carrying an offensive weapon. Very hard to formulate a lawful reason to be carrying around a doctored Jif lemon in a public place.

Then again, quite hard to justify carrying around a Jif lemon at any time unless you've got some other shopping and a recent receipt.

Don't carry a weapon. It usually gets taken off you and used against you unless your well prepared and well trained.

Jif bottle against knife / gun wielding maniac or gang of thugs .... don't even try it. You'll just p*ss them off, then again they may just collapse laughing.

Best suggestion here - scream your bloody head off and run.

Don't be afraid to scream before anything happens to you - that gut feeling you've got that something is wrong is there for a reason. Rather be safe and in one piece than worry about hurting some strangers feelings.

Do a google on the stats for armed police officers who get shot by their own gun - makes scary reading.

Best weapon you have is your common sense and staying alert.

[purdey]

Good advise. Trouble is in the UK most people will ignore your scream, turn away, walk away. Society today does not want to get involved, to many people could not give a toss.

[GorillaGal]

Interesting stuff Denizaksulu but I note that a lot of the information is specific to the States.

Times of day and locations aren't the same in the UK and most other parts of Europe.

Vast majority of rapists in the UK routinely carry a weapon. Usually a knife, screwdriver or similar. Same goes for France and Spain though guns become steadily more prevalent the further east you go.

Most rapists are known to the victim. Stranger rape is a rare occurrence in any country.

Opportunistic stranger rape (spare of the moment) is even rarer. A large percentage of rapists will spend a significant amount of time carrying out reconnaissance and following potential targets. If you notice a strange chap loitering in the park / car park / outside your house then phone the police. They will check take you seriously and they will check it out.

POINT 12 - The carrying of pepper spray or CS is illegal in the UK (classed as a section 1 firearm) and in a lot of other countries. You could face a custodial sentence in the UK if you have this on you or use it (even in self-defence). Don't ever try to take this on an aircraft as you potentially risk being viewed as a terrorist in some parts of the world.

POINT 6 - Elevator .vs. stairs. Use your judgment here. If the lift doors open onto an open walkway (commonly found in council housing blocks in the UK, France, Netherlands etc.) and you can be seen entering the lift by someone looking down from the block then it's not a great idea. The criminal only has to hit the lift call button to stop the lift on his / her floor and the only exit you have is through them. If in doubt phone ahead and get someone to meet you e.g. the person your visiting or a next door neighbor etc. etc.

General - self defence techniques and tips are great but when faced with a high adrenaline / pressure situation which is unfamiliar most people will revert to basic instinct. Your vision narrows, blood rushes to your head, the hearing goes and you can't breath properly. The defence suggestions are only any good if you train to use them, over and over again until they become second nature. This is what police officers and the armed forces do day in day out. Best way to practice is to join a self defence course and keep practicing. If you can join with a friend then even better.

For the UK and a lot of the EU a good source of info is the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

http://www.suzylamplugh.org/index.asp

Good info for the main part though and thanks for passing it around.

Point taken JimB, but GG for one lives in the USA. Mostly good advice.

Maybe GG will tell us if she carries Pepper-spray.

It is still a reflection of times we live in.

Regards

nope, i don't carry pepper spray.
i don't feel the need to.

[Niki]

I don't want to belittle the advice but a friend just sent this reply...

If approached by a rapist in Cyprus, do the following:

- shout out that you know his mother, his auntie and his cousins, who just live around the corner

- tell him your boyfriend is Turkish


Some of the advice sounds very strange but then again it comes from the experts.

[Get Real!]

- tell him your boyfriend is Turkish

That may well be the surest way to get raped...

[Get Real!]

Walk quickly, avoid eye contact and if attacked just scream!

That is so gay...

[Svetlana]

Don't worry GR, I doubt you are likely to be the vcitim of a sexual attack...

[Niki]

- tell him your boyfriend is Turkish

That may well be the surest way to get raped...

Hello GR, it's been ages since you responded to a post of mine. Must have been the word 'Turkish'!