Safety guide

Always know your exit.

The Urban Ninja field card: twelve small habits for restaurants, stores, transit, garages, events and hotels.

One page. Read it here, save the image to your phone, or print it for the fridge.

Always know your exit. as one saveable image

Most of staying safe in a city is noticing things a few seconds sooner than everyone else. None of this takes gear or training, just habits you can build on the next trip to the store. Here are the twelve that matter most, in the order you use them.

1
Find two exits on arrival
- Spot two ways out when you walk in, not one
- So one blocked door is not the end of the plan
- Note a place you could hide, too
2
Sit where you see the door
- Back to a wall, a view of the entrance
- Near an exit beats the best table in the room
- Kids on the inside seat, away from the aisle
3
Read the room
- Notice what normal looks like here
- Watch for behavior that does not fit the place
- Look up from the phone every few minutes
4
Trust the uneasy feeling
- You do not need a reason to leave
- Go early, before it is obvious to anyone else
- Walk into an open business, not home
5
Hands and eyes free
- Do not carry so much you cannot see or react
- Bag on your lap or across the body, never on the floor
- Earbuds out in garages, lots and stations
6
Parking lots and garages
- Park in a lit, busy spot near the door
- Keys in hand before you reach the car
- Look around and inside the car before getting in
7
Buses and trains
- Wait where other riders are, in the light
- Sit near the driver or operator
- If someone bothers you, move and tell the operator
8
Hotels: count the doors
- Find the two closest exits from your room
- Count the doors between room and exit
- That count gets you out in the dark
9
Pick a meeting point
- Choose one spot for every outing: a sign, a gate, a car
- Easy for a child to find and say out loud
- One out-of-area contact everyone can text
10
Lower the temperature
- Calm, slow voice, and give them space
- Hands down, open and visible
- If it is heading toward violence, leave and call 911
11
See something, say something
- Tell staff, security or local police
- Say who, what, when, where and why it seemed off
- An emergency is always a 911 call
12
If it goes wrong: run first
- Get out using the exits you already found
- Leave belongings; call 911 once you are safe
- Hide only if you cannot get out; fight as last resort