Note by KC: The Runner’s World Book of Running was bought by Steven (aka Penguin-5; works in Hong Leong Bank). He was kind enough to lend his book to me. There is one chapter on women’s safety when running, and it is most appropriate to share with you.
The most thought-provoking idea was that a woman must never get into the car of an attacker. When you do, it is over. This sounds a resemblance with the few incidents that happened in Malaysia: First, the most recent case of Miss Choo Gaik Yap – she was raped and killed while jogging at around 6pm in Sungai Petani; second, Canny Ong’s, and third, a Chinese national girl student who took a taxi and was later raped and killed.
Text is extracted from the Runner’s World Book of Running
The safety question is the most troubling issue that women runners face. On the one hand, simply raising it restricts women runners. Instead of thinking of their workouts as a time of freedom and release when they can expand their horizons, they see limitations – the kind of shackles that women have long had to fight against. On the other hand, not to consider the safety question is sheer insanity.
At Runner’s World magazine, we encourage women to run by pointing out all the positive things about running. And we do this often and easily. After all, our women readers are constantly telling us about the many benefits that they have received. We get testimonials in the post nearly every day.
But we can’t stop there. Women have also been attacked, raped and murdered while running. Writers and editors can’t stop violence against women, but we can tell women how to be vigilant and how to protect themselves. That is the purpose of this chapter: to inform women runners while still liberating them.
Q: Is there a profile of potential attacker?
A: No. Because they look like you and me and your father and uncles and brothers and neighbours. Because that’s who they are. Don’t assume that someone dressed like a runner won’t pose a threat, either.
Q: So what do you do if a runner comes up alongside you and begins running with you?
A: It is all right to talk to him and run with him, if you want. Just don’t leave your normal running route. If he suggests going somewhere else, refuse.
On the other hand, if you feel scared right away because this guy is staring at your breasts or making crude remarks, you say, “Don’t talk like that. Leave me alone.” If he moves too close, use your personal alarm. (Note: Personal alarm will be discussed in Part 2 of the posting).
Q: What if you are being followed – should you confront the person and say, “Are you following me?”
A: No. Don’t ask questions. If you are suspicious, forget your normal route and take off for an area where there is more traffic or people. Never, ever ignore your instincts. When you feel the hair rise on the back of your neck, that is a few million year’s worth of evolution at work. Don’t ignore it – ever.
Q: What if somebody is trailing you in a car or stops to ask directions?
A: If anybody ever stops to ask, “Do you know …?” or “Have you got…?” or “Can you spare…?” just say, “No”. Don’t enter into a conversation. If he keeps it up, you should yell “No” again and “Leave me alone. Get out of here.” And believe me, you will be inspired to run away, even if you are at the end of your workout.
Q: What if someone grabs you? What can you do?
A: Flee if you can, but use the alarm if you can’t get away. If for some reason you have dropped it and he is trying to grab you, you have to use your legs to fight off the attack. Women don’t have the upper-body strength necessary to keep a man’s body off them. But you – especially runners – have the strength in your legs. If you get knocked down, start kicking hard.
Meanwhile, yell, but don’t yell for help. Too many people tune that out. You have to yell, “Fire! Fire! Fire!” and keep on kicking, yelling and using the alarm if you are able to. Don’t ever get on your knees during this struggle because he could get you in a choke hold, and then it is all over.
Q: Let’s make the scenario more threatening. What if someone is trying to force you into his car, and he has a knife or a gun? How should you react?
A: First of all, remember this: you must never get into a car. When you do, it is over. Many criminals use cars. And women whose bodies are found in woodland – they weren’t out there hiking in the woods when they were attacked. They were taken there in a car.
You must resist quickly. You must run away. If he gets hold of your jacket or shirt, you rip it off or pull it over your head and break away. Remember: the first few seconds of contact between a victim and offender are crucial – the offender has the least amount of control at that time because he is not sure how you are going to react. The more time you spend with him, the more he has got control.
Q: But what about the weapon – won’t you risk being hurt?
A: So what? It is better than getting in the car. Believe me, if you get in the car, you are dead. Just run. Say your assailant is brandishing a gun. If you run for it, you will have a 50 per cent chance of being hit. And if you are hit, you will have another 50 per cent chance of being seriously wounded and then another 50 per cent chance of being killed. Well, that is only 12.5 per cent of being killed. Pretty good odds compared to the car.
Q: Have you ever interviewed a runner who has been the victim of an attack?
A: No. but I heard recently about a woman who was running around a lake at dusk when she was attacked. Two young men slashed her. They weren’t trying to rob her because she had no money with her. They wanted to rape her, but she resisted, and they ran away. A taxi driver passing by saw her lying on the ground and took her to the hospital. She survived because she fought back.
Q: Unfortunately, rapes occurs. What does the victim need to know about reporting the crime?
A: the first thing you will want to do is to go to hospital. And I realize that this may be extremely difficult, but you must not bathe or clean yourself in any way. I know it is the first thing a woman instinctively believes she must do, but the fluids retrieved during the physical examination are what enable police to positively identify the offender through DNA analysis. And he will go to jail.
Q: How would you describe the woman runner who presents herself as a tough target?
A: She looks self-assured. Her head is up, and she looks straight ahead instead of down at her feet. She doesn’t wear headphones. She carries an alarm in her hand and she pays attention to everybody and everything, even cars that are traveling around her. If she hears somebody come up from behind, she makes a point of turning round to look at who it is. And if she is the least bit suspicious, she makes sure that the man sees the alarm in her hand so that he knows she could make things difficult for him.
Part 2: Other important questions in the next posting:
Do women runners need to be constantly aware that they are potential victims?
Is there anything that a woman can carry with her while she is running that she can use if someone threatens her?
Should runners carry money or identification?
We tell runners not to wear headphones. Do you agree with this viewpoint?
What time of day should women run?
What if a stranger is approaching a woman – should she ignore him or acknowledge him?
Do you advise that women run with dogs?
The most thought-provoking idea was that a woman must never get into the car of an attacker. When you do, it is over. This sounds a resemblance with the few incidents that happened in Malaysia: First, the most recent case of Miss Choo Gaik Yap – she was raped and killed while jogging at around 6pm in Sungai Petani; second, Canny Ong’s, and third, a Chinese national girl student who took a taxi and was later raped and killed.
Text is extracted from the Runner’s World Book of Running
The safety question is the most troubling issue that women runners face. On the one hand, simply raising it restricts women runners. Instead of thinking of their workouts as a time of freedom and release when they can expand their horizons, they see limitations – the kind of shackles that women have long had to fight against. On the other hand, not to consider the safety question is sheer insanity.
At Runner’s World magazine, we encourage women to run by pointing out all the positive things about running. And we do this often and easily. After all, our women readers are constantly telling us about the many benefits that they have received. We get testimonials in the post nearly every day.
But we can’t stop there. Women have also been attacked, raped and murdered while running. Writers and editors can’t stop violence against women, but we can tell women how to be vigilant and how to protect themselves. That is the purpose of this chapter: to inform women runners while still liberating them.
Q: Is there a profile of potential attacker?
A: No. Because they look like you and me and your father and uncles and brothers and neighbours. Because that’s who they are. Don’t assume that someone dressed like a runner won’t pose a threat, either.
Q: So what do you do if a runner comes up alongside you and begins running with you?
A: It is all right to talk to him and run with him, if you want. Just don’t leave your normal running route. If he suggests going somewhere else, refuse.
On the other hand, if you feel scared right away because this guy is staring at your breasts or making crude remarks, you say, “Don’t talk like that. Leave me alone.” If he moves too close, use your personal alarm. (Note: Personal alarm will be discussed in Part 2 of the posting).
Q: What if you are being followed – should you confront the person and say, “Are you following me?”
A: No. Don’t ask questions. If you are suspicious, forget your normal route and take off for an area where there is more traffic or people. Never, ever ignore your instincts. When you feel the hair rise on the back of your neck, that is a few million year’s worth of evolution at work. Don’t ignore it – ever.
Q: What if somebody is trailing you in a car or stops to ask directions?
A: If anybody ever stops to ask, “Do you know …?” or “Have you got…?” or “Can you spare…?” just say, “No”. Don’t enter into a conversation. If he keeps it up, you should yell “No” again and “Leave me alone. Get out of here.” And believe me, you will be inspired to run away, even if you are at the end of your workout.
Q: What if someone grabs you? What can you do?
A: Flee if you can, but use the alarm if you can’t get away. If for some reason you have dropped it and he is trying to grab you, you have to use your legs to fight off the attack. Women don’t have the upper-body strength necessary to keep a man’s body off them. But you – especially runners – have the strength in your legs. If you get knocked down, start kicking hard.
Meanwhile, yell, but don’t yell for help. Too many people tune that out. You have to yell, “Fire! Fire! Fire!” and keep on kicking, yelling and using the alarm if you are able to. Don’t ever get on your knees during this struggle because he could get you in a choke hold, and then it is all over.
Q: Let’s make the scenario more threatening. What if someone is trying to force you into his car, and he has a knife or a gun? How should you react?
A: First of all, remember this: you must never get into a car. When you do, it is over. Many criminals use cars. And women whose bodies are found in woodland – they weren’t out there hiking in the woods when they were attacked. They were taken there in a car.
You must resist quickly. You must run away. If he gets hold of your jacket or shirt, you rip it off or pull it over your head and break away. Remember: the first few seconds of contact between a victim and offender are crucial – the offender has the least amount of control at that time because he is not sure how you are going to react. The more time you spend with him, the more he has got control.
Q: But what about the weapon – won’t you risk being hurt?
A: So what? It is better than getting in the car. Believe me, if you get in the car, you are dead. Just run. Say your assailant is brandishing a gun. If you run for it, you will have a 50 per cent chance of being hit. And if you are hit, you will have another 50 per cent chance of being seriously wounded and then another 50 per cent chance of being killed. Well, that is only 12.5 per cent of being killed. Pretty good odds compared to the car.
Q: Have you ever interviewed a runner who has been the victim of an attack?
A: No. but I heard recently about a woman who was running around a lake at dusk when she was attacked. Two young men slashed her. They weren’t trying to rob her because she had no money with her. They wanted to rape her, but she resisted, and they ran away. A taxi driver passing by saw her lying on the ground and took her to the hospital. She survived because she fought back.
Q: Unfortunately, rapes occurs. What does the victim need to know about reporting the crime?
A: the first thing you will want to do is to go to hospital. And I realize that this may be extremely difficult, but you must not bathe or clean yourself in any way. I know it is the first thing a woman instinctively believes she must do, but the fluids retrieved during the physical examination are what enable police to positively identify the offender through DNA analysis. And he will go to jail.
Q: How would you describe the woman runner who presents herself as a tough target?
A: She looks self-assured. Her head is up, and she looks straight ahead instead of down at her feet. She doesn’t wear headphones. She carries an alarm in her hand and she pays attention to everybody and everything, even cars that are traveling around her. If she hears somebody come up from behind, she makes a point of turning round to look at who it is. And if she is the least bit suspicious, she makes sure that the man sees the alarm in her hand so that he knows she could make things difficult for him.
Part 2: Other important questions in the next posting:
Do women runners need to be constantly aware that they are potential victims?
Is there anything that a woman can carry with her while she is running that she can use if someone threatens her?
Should runners carry money or identification?
We tell runners not to wear headphones. Do you agree with this viewpoint?
What time of day should women run?
What if a stranger is approaching a woman – should she ignore him or acknowledge him?
Do you advise that women run with dogs?
2 comments:
nobody wants to run with me because im so slow...btw, ill be running kl half marathon next month. i havent join a 10km race before. will try my best to finish it in 2hr 45mins.
kc, can u pls email me chee wee's email address? thanks.
Hi Wendy,
Wish you were in Kuala Lumpur. There are more runners here, whether gals or guys.
Cheers,
KC :-)
Post a Comment