Also, keys out. Held really tightly. But that's more due to the fear that they will maliciously leap from my hands and find their way into a storm drain or gutter. I'm convinced they will. Never have, but someday....
And when parking in a lot at night, I forgo my first spot available, changing it to first nearest spot under a light.
HELL yeah.
Please do tell. I suddenly feel unprepared to teach self-defense¹, since I had no idea.
I do walk to my car with my ears extra open, but I wouldn't have anything I can call a routine.
¹ Tonight, since the neck is getting better due to Dr. Greg and his magic.
I have a carefully random routine. One of the things the pros tell you is to not be predictable, because a stalker will count on your routine. Random's easy for me, I can do random. It's random and aware at the same time that's hard.
Because random=absentminded and carefree, right? Not so much.
I would also recommend that women not follow people around and stare. FYI.
A couple of my co-workers were a bit put out that they'd honked at me in traffic and I hadn't looked over.
Oh god, me too. So annoying. When do I know people in cars? Hardly ever is the answer.
Oh, and if I'm creeped out, keys are in a fist with them pointing out between my knuckles. But don't swat at the huge bug flying into your face like that or you end up giving yourself a nasty scrape....
It is weird that sometimes what seems either completely normal OR just confusing to you as a child is just downright weird and creepifying when you think of it as an adult. When I was in sixth grade, my best firend had an inground pool. When I used to go over to swim, her mother was all "Sophia has boobies. J___, why don't YOU have boobies?' Her dad was all" Wow, Sophia looks REALLY good in a bathing suit!" and her older sister (who was a lesbian) used to make me sit there while she brushed and brushed and brushed my hair. And I thought little of it at the time, but... Weird. Also, the best friend J. not only went to Harvard, but spent at least a semester as a call girl.
I was going to say...I thought not having a routine was the safe thing?
Or, you know. PUT OUT AN EYE.
Oh wait, wait. Nice Guy Backlash.
Actually, "Nice Guy, But..."
Women have routines? Do women here have car-reaching routines?
If it involves going down an alley, I usually have the "eyes and ears wide open" switch turned on, and my keys sticking out between my fingers--learned that in college, when I walked home from work after midnight on a regular basis.