Women Commuters
 

Earlier this year my best friend and I did some commuting to work before the temperatures and humidity got way out of hand. Here in North Texas it can get ridiculous. However, now that Ike has moved through and the temperatures are back to normal I want to get back to commuting.

I started combing through this site for information on how others make commuting work for them, ect, just looking for some tips, especially in the area of safety. On a few posts there were questions about why people do or do not commute and why there are so few women that commute. I was shocked at some of the answers. The most given answer was laziness? On the issue of why women don't commute, only ONE person posted personal safety. Now from the female perspective, I felt this was a little heavy handed but that's a post for another day. :mad:

I live in fairly large city, Fort Worth, TX. I am fortunate in the fact that I can ride nearly the entire distance to my work using the Trinity Trails. For the last few miles I ride through the Southside of town. Where I exit the trail is very a nice area near the TCU campus. But shortly afterwards things get sketchy. The deep Southside area of Fort Worth is no where for a lone woman to be. This is why my friend and I ride together. And let me state that even though there are safety in numbers, that still does not make my husband rest easy.

So, just to clear the air and the "laziness" comments, my #1 reason for not commuting full time is personal safety. This is something that quite frankly, men don't have to worry about like women do. Yes, you may get mugged and robbed but men generally do not have to worry about getting overpowered, ***** and murdered like we do. I found it odd that the majority of posters to that particular thread were men and few of them seemed concerned for the safety of the women riders in their lives.

Based on this, I would like to ask the readers out there who live in large metropolitan areas or have to ride in less than safe areas, how they go about protecting themselves. What is your plan if something happened?

Do you carry pepper spray?
A firearm?
Are you trained in martial arts?
Do you think you could just out ride someone chasing you?

As I started to think about this, I realized I did not have plan and that's sorta unlike me. As winter approaches, there will be less people on the trail and the days will be shorter. I really need to give this some thought and I bet there are a lot of other women out there facing the same issues. Let me know what's worked for you.

Oh Christ, not again......what is it with you Texans are paranoia about personal safety?

Having been sexually assaulted, I can tell you that everyone has a plan until the crap hits the fan. Furthermore the threat is very real, do not make light of it, but do not ride in complete utter panic-attack style paranoia; you won't enjoy riding. I wasn't ***** on my commute/ride or anything, BUT PTSD being what it is, I'm always on my haunches.

Since then I've taken up some martial arts, mostly for physical conditioning. The bike helps with that too. I was a sedentary, lonely person and thus an easy target. He was someone I knew. The martial arts also helps me with balance and the physics of using someone's momentum against them. Also... and it's gross.. as a military man told me: Regardless of size or weight, everyone's eyeball can be gouged and nobody will like it. :twitchy: :thumb:

I ride through a couple of pretty bad areas. I try not to go through there at the same time every day. I do try to vary my route some days. Be unpredictable. You cant outrun someone who closes at an angle or is walking by the street and jumps you. Always have an escape plan. I am a male old Marine and I dont have a real pleasant disposition, and I dont think fighting is a viable plan or at the point it is I have already screwed up. Be smart, make poking someone's eye out the last resort. Eyes, nads, throat all at the same time probably really hurts and everything is a weapon. Really, ride and have fun, just pay attention.

I have no fears for my personal safety. But when I ride through the city, my city (while big to me) would be tiny to you. So the only 'danger' I ever think about is the danger that comes from ignorant motorists.

And when I don't commute to work it is for 1 of 2 reasons. 1) I have graduate courses after work or 2) I'm lazy. Sometimes it's a mixture of both.

I think you're far more likely to be hit by a car then ***** and murdered (as you say), especially in broad daylight and traveling as a pair, but that's just my opinion.

I think now is probably a good time for the men replying to this thread to stop projecting their own feeling of safety and comfort on the lady that created this thread. We're not able to walk a mile in your shoes on this one so the sooner the guys replying to this thread acknowledge that the better. That's just a simple fact.

Now, let's start discussing the topic here.

I commute to work and know two women that I occasionally have commuted to/from work with. They both usually coordinate their rides so that they are not riding alone. I can certainly understand. Riding with a partner has a lot of benefits beyond just personal safety (e.g. having someone to chat with while you're fixing a flat!). I'll ask them the next chance I get so I can get some insight into what some of their fears are.

I like some of the responses I've seen. We each deal with risk everyday. The objective is to take the steps necessary to reduce that risk as much as possible.

Perhaps you could reexamine the route you take. I certainly like the idea of being unpredictable. Most certainly, you should be riding and be quite aware of your surroundings - just as you would if you were walking. If you know someone in law enforcement perhaps you could get their perspective on some of the areas you cycle in. You may find that they're not nearly as dangerous as they appear.

Pepper spray is probably not a bad idea even though it may provide more of a psychological protection rather than being a true physical protective device. That said, if using it gave you a few moments to make an escape it would obviously be worth it! Like anything, you'd need to be careful that you don't end up on the receiving end of something like that.

I too ride through a couple of "rough spots" and have often wondered about personal safety. I am 5'10", 215lb male and I worry about it, and so should everyone else. Male or female, you're no match for someone who ambushes you or is brandishing a weapon. That being said, I wouldn't be paranoid about it. Keep your eyes and ears open, vary your route (I have about 4 different commute routes), avoid riding at night.

Many of the "risks" popularized by the media... aren't. And it is very distracting to focus on those risks rather than the real ones. I have a measurable risk of dying in a car accident every time I use a car. On a bike, that risk is much lower. Same deal when I'm being a pedestrian. And my risk of being attacked by a stranger is nearly zero... much closer to zero than my risk of a crash. My risk of attack by my partner is much higher of course.

By comparison, there have been only a couple murders by strangers over the last year and a half in Madison. And all of them were home invasions. I'm more at risk right now, sitting here at home and in broad daylight than I am out on the road. (yes, most of them happened in broad daylight too) And **** is almost always some form of date **** around here... so again, my partner is my biggest risk.

The most likely "something" is I have a mechanical problem. My bike is pretty trouble free, but any bike can have issues. I can deal with easy stuff, and I'm learning more. While I learn, I've got at least 4 bike shops within walking distance. To prevent rude surprises, I check my bike over before every ride.

I do not carry weapons. I'm not trained, and an untrained person with a weapon is very shortly unarmed and the weapon is used against them. Not doing that. Further, it's easier to disarm a small person, and I'm small compared to most men. Staying qualified to a high enough level to reduce that risk is not something I'm willing to do. (I'm still on the large side for a woman, but I don't let that give me delusions... a man my size is almost always strong enough to overpower me.)

I can't out ride most people. If I truly thought someone was following me with ill intent, I'd head for a well lit public place (and on most of my rides, that's as simple as stopping, parking my bike, and walking maybe as far as 100 yards into the nearest store). Screaming your head off in the public library because someone is attacking you is gonna get attention. A man on a bike following a woman on a bike *so* isn't around here. Racing around in a panic trying to ditch a tail is a good way for me to get hurt too.

Main thing I do is pay attention. If something looks or feels wrong, it usually is.

I'm also female. What Pezzle says rings true although I haven't had the experience: plans tend to go out the window when things go wrong. You're asking what I do, which, frankly, seems like the wrong way to go about it. What I would do is not what you should do.

What should you do? Here's what I would suggest.

1. Make a realistic assessment of the threat. When people describe an area as "sketchy", they may be onto something, or they may be reacting based on a stereotype. It's a good idea to talk to the local police or read the police blotter to find out about the actual incidence of crime in the area in question. What's the frequency and nature of the crimes? Who is targeted and why? Yes, it happens, but middle-class women aren't the most common targets of violent stranger-on-stranger crimes.
2. Consider the tools and resources at your disposal. People most often think first of weapons, for exactly the wrong reason: because they think having a weapon is a substitute for self-defense skills. No weapon works if you don't have the skills to use it, and developing and maintaining skill takes time and practice. Are you willing to do that? If not, a weapon is probably not the route for you. Martial arts, even more so -- I train in martial arts and love it, but if someone has a self-defense problem show up on their doorstep today, I wouldn't recommend going out and studying a martial art, because the skill curve is such that it won't help you soon enough. The resources that people usually overlook are knowledge of the actual situation, common sense, and the ability to identify and avoid dangerous situations.
3. Decide whether to continue riding that route, and under what circumstances. You might decide to only ride at certain times of day, or only if you can do so in company with others; you might decide to continue to monitor crime reports so that you'll be aware if the situation changes.

One, two, three. As my old sensei said, "It's simple...it's NOT easy." But it's just what you've got to do.

What are the surrounding streets like? Bad neighborhoods, bad traffic?

MUPs are convenient, but: they're usually fairly isolated, especially in winter; they take you past the same point every day; and there aren't usually many places to make a sudden route change.

I agree with Kila, I think I would consider sticking to the roads, seems safer to me, but I don't ride MUPs so I have no idea. Regardless don't do something that will have you scared to death the entire time.

I'm faster and more agile on a bike than I am walking, particularly when it comes to walking from one subway stop to another. I feel safer on a bike than I do in a car, because I know how to get off a bike in an accident--in a car I'm trapped in a steel can. All in all, I prefer the bicycle over any other option.

In any case, when it comes to the kind of "personal safety" you're talking about, I am much more concerned about acquaintance ****. The people you know are more dangerous than the people you don't.

That's generally very true. I realize that I'm new to this forum and cycling in general, but it actually comes as a real surprise to me that some women would be that worried about their personal safety in situations such as the original poster described. Namely traveling in pairs at normal daytime hours.

Just for reference, as part of my photography work, I often will meet up with a model (usually 15-25 year old women)after no more then a few e-mails back and forth. In the modeling world anything over 125lbs is considered overweight, so these are not exactly physically imposing women. Yet they have absolutely no problem meeting a complete stranger at dawn or dusk in whatever location I happen to suggest.

Honestly I think being ***** and murdered by a total stranger is an extremely rare occurrence. I do not have statistics to back this up, but I bet your chances of winning the lottery are better. Of course if you watch the news regularly you would think these things happen every day of the week.

I discussed this sort of thing with my wife a while back. She feels safer riding her bike than she does walking. When she's walking, she assumes that any person she encounters is a potential threat, and is generally aware of everyone around her. She has taken a fair bit of kickboxing training, but would more likely rely on running and screaming as a defence. "Keep fighting, no matter what" were her exact words. She's 130 lbs, but is strong and not above a little physical contact - she once laid out a competitor during a soccer game. She also believes strongly in multiple groin kicks and the eye gouge.

On the bike, she worries less about the nutjob on the sidewalk and more about the Escalade making the blind lane change. That said, she doesn't like to ride her bike too late at night, and will request that I come and collect her if she doesn't feel safe. She avoids the MUP, as she feels it is too isolated, even during daylight hours.

Man are well equipped to instinctively protect the groin, and all humans will protect their eyes quite well. Relying on those attacks is, IMHO, foolish. Secondly, if you kick a man in the groin and his pain tolerance is high or adrenaline is running, then all you've really accomplished is to piss him off while you're standing on one foot. Same with knee kicks. Ever watch MMA? Those guys kick each other in the knees all the time. Knees are tougher than you might think - if they weren't, one wouldn't use knee strikes.

Better to go to an effective self-defense class like RAD and have a bag of tricks that are routinely practiced than to rely on fantasy. Practicing the half-mile sprint is good self-defense too.

Here are a few general thoughts:

1. Ride in busy areas. Don't ride alone on quiet paths. That is a recipie for problems.
2. NEVER ride with headphones on. This is illegal in most places as it will cause you to be disconnected from your environment. This is bad for two reasons. First you may not hear traffic around you and therefore are at much greater risk from a traffic accident. Secondly you become a much easier target.

We had mother get attached, *****, and murdered here at a nearby path. I knew the woman as she had a son in my daughters's mommy and me program. She was running solo during the mid morning in a community that ranks in the top 3 safest in the entire country. Even so you are never without risk. The perpetrator thankfully made some mistakes and left behind DNA. They caught the perpetrator, and linked him to a series of ****/muders going back to the early 1970's. The only good think to come out of this is that an other (innocent) man had been in jail for for the last 15 or so years for some of the previous rapes / murders. The innocent man is now out of jail and the real mass-mudering ****** is in jail for life.

Happy riding,
André

While I don't worry much about being personally attacked while on a bike, it does happen. In a way we are more vulnerable than a pedestrian. If I wanted to attack a cyclist, it would be pretty easy for me to put them on the ground regardless of their size as long as they passed close enough to me. They don't even have to be moving that slowly.

So first of all I'd wear a helmet. If you do get knocked from your bike, smacking your head on the pavement is not going to help you keep your wits about you. You will be disoriented enough.

I would take Women's self defense class as opposed to carrying a weapon or Martial Arts. Martial Arts take a long time to master and most of the training assumes you're on your feet, - not on the ground. Weapons are only effective if you can reach them. Better to know how to use your entire body as a weapon.

Also you're not trying to win a fight. You're trying to inflict enough damage to get away.

I do think Martial Arts or some other activity that involves physical contact is a good thing long term. It helps you develop confidence in your abilities.


Having said all that, there are about as many women commuters in my office as there are men. I see lots of women commuters on my way to and from work.

I'm actually surprised at the number of women cyclists I see alone at night. I'm not saying it's a good idea, just that they do it.

There have been a number of posts in this forum regarding personal safety, although not specific to the dangers women face. I wouldn't let fears stop you from commuting but it's a good idea to take precautions.

1. Always keep your eye on whats coming up and know your area in case you need to alter your course.
2. Be sure someone at work that you trust knows that you commute by bike and what your typical route is. Just in case something does happen you have someone that can give an idea where you ride.
3. Make sure you can get off the bike and away quickly if for some reason you need to. If you have clipless pedals then wear the MTB type of shoe so you can walk or run. As we all know road shoes are a pain to walk in.

As for a weapon. Anything that you can pull out can be used against you. So if you insist on carrying something be sure you know how to use it and defend against it.
Pepper spray is good and all but has a tendency to spray back into the users face due to wind. Most of the time you have to be right up close and personal to make it effective.

Keep in mind if you take the ability to See, Walk or breathe away from the attacker, you can get away.

+1 For knowing your route

+1 For knowing some basic self defense

+1 For choosing not to wear headphones/earbuds...

The last one got a friend of mine mugged in broad daylight while jogging on a MUP in Portland, ME. Portland isn't exactly a hair-raising place, but anyone desperate or deranged enough to attack someone probably has realized that the chick out there with her ears tuned to her mp3 player and not her surroundings is a better target than the one who conspicuously and consistently checks out her surroundings!

I would also throw in using the empowerment that bike riding can give! I always feel like tough sh** out on my bike, and there's no way I'm going to let someone take that away from me!!! :D

+1 to re-evaluating your route. If you feel your right goes through some "sketchy" areas, are there other ways you could go that would reduce the amount of sketch in your path?

+1 to defining "sketchy" by checking police reports. You might find that the area is just as safe as your own neighborhood, but it has a bad reputation.

I am a woman who commutes in Salt Lake City. I don't carry a weapon or pepper spray. However, I have taken some self defense classes and I always carry a cell phone. I try to stay on semi-major roads when biking, so I'm not isolated and I avoid certain areas of the city. I ride defensively on the road, not bike paths. After I adjusted, I'd be more concerned about cycling on a bike path away from everyone else than staying to the right where there are lots of other people around. I also make sure to be visible to cars on the road (lights, reflective vest, etc..) So far, it's worked.

I live in a suburban area, and have never felt unsafe riding my bike during the daytime, but I've already made the decision that I won't commute once the days get short enough that I would have to ride in the dark. There's one stretch where there's nothing but undeveloped forest/wetland on both sides of the road, and there's very little lighting. I feel perfectly safe riding it in the day because there's usually enough traffic, car, bike and pedestrian, but after dark I feel that 1) It would be harder to for see an obstacle or another person coming at me, 2) If I fell or was in an accident and was incapacitated it would be very difficult for me to be noticed by car traffic., 3) I've actually seen coyotes on the road at night in my car, and I'd rather not encounter them on my bike.

One of the first things they taught us in TKD when we're in our bull sessions about street self defense is to NOT rely on crotch kicks. You think they'd hurt, but when you're in a fight, you don't even notice it.

I've been accidentally kicked firmly in the crotch while sparring, and I barely notice it. LATER, after the bout when the excitement cools down, I start to hurt. That doesn't help you any.

You want to make someone notice, punch/jab/backfist them in the throat (front or sides of throat). Unless you train a fair amount to hit nerve centers, the throat is the biggest, easiest, most vulnerable spot on the body. You whack someone in the throat they WILL be hurting.

A hard backfist to the side of the throat will drop a man for minutes if you connect well.

Also, you don't pull punches. Someone attacks you, you respond with as much violence as you can muster until you're sure you can get away, then you get the hell out as fast as you can.

OK, I almost never say anyone is wrong around here, but about this you are wrong. I have been kicked in the nuts in a fight, I noticed. I was not disabled and it might have pixxed me off a little more.....wait, I am saying the same thing you did, never mind. Eyes, throat, and I hate getting kick in the nuts but you are probably right.