A Word Here About Safety.
You may be thinking, ‘Safety? Walking?’ And I would agree. What could be the risk? And what could be more natural than stepping out and taking in the air on a leisurely stroll somewhere? Absolutely nothing, but it’s a sad state of affairs when I feel compelled to mention safety. In this day and age, we have to be aware that the world we live in isn’t perfect, and harbours many unsavory fools and crazies. Okay, we can’t allow them to dictate what we do and curtail our freedoms and enjoyment, but it doesn’t mean that we should go about our lives blindly oblivious; to not be aware of our surroundings and the situations we find ourselves in. Here are a few points I personally think are worth your consideration.
Firstly, it’s always a great idea to walk with a friend or in a group. If you have a dog, that’s great too – go out together.
As much fun as group-walking can be, I also love to walk alone but I’m not tempted to press earbuds into my ears and pump loud music into them. I see it so often, folks who have no idea of what’s happening around them because one of their senses is otherwise occupied. I have seen folks who are completely immersed in their smartphones as they walk, and have literally stepped out into the road to cross without looking, or hearing traffic approaching in either direction. Not a good practice. I’m not saying I don’t listen to music on a walk when the mood strikes, but I keep low enough so as not to drown out everything else around me.
Try not to walk in unfamiliar areas unprepared; areas you know nothing about and end up getting lost. Nothing worse than that, especially if you are alone, under-dressed, or not dressed appropriately. Or you are ill-equipped to help yourself should you be in such a situation.
Walk on the opposing side of the road whenever you can, so the flow of any traffic is coming towards you on your side, rather than behind you.
I don’t recommend walking late at night, but if you have to, invest in high visibility attire, walking lamp or torch, and a means of making a loud noise should you need to attract help, it takes time to use a mobile phone, but just a second to activate one of these devices!
I don’t want to deter anyone from taking part in such activities, or to put them off altogether, on the contrary. But I do feel it would be a little remiss of me not to bring this to everyone’s attention, and allow them to make informed decisions. We all take risks every day in everyday life, it’s just good to try to minimise those risks whenever we can.
It makes sense, to be sensible!
