Planning a girls’ night out for the upcoming future? While it’s sure to be a fun time, you should also check in with your girlfriends to ensure you’re taking the necessary steps to protect yourselves throughout the night. While you’ll already be safer in a group of girlfriends versus wandering the city on your own, you and your friends might still be a target for aggressive men and criminals which is why it’s important to have keychain protection that is small yet effective. Prior to hitting the city, consider keeping the following tips in mind to keep you and your friends safe throughout the night.
Keep your friends in sight at all times.
To keep yourself safe, you and your friends should remain close throughout the entire night. Whether on the subway, out on the street, or on the dancefloor of a club, you and your girlfriends should keep each other close to make sure you are safe throughout the night. This is a surefire way to keep your friends safe and comfortable throughout the night. It can especially help if someone is making you or a friend feel uncomfortable—there can be someone nearby who can insert themselves into awkward, unsafe scenarios to de-escalate and ward off aggressors.
Never get in a car driven by someone who’s been drinking.
Drunk driving might be a laughing matter to someone who has been out bar-hopping all night, but there is nothing funny about it—over 10,000 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in just 2016 alone.
The risk isn’t worth it. While you might try to justify it, from saying, “It’s a short drive” to “They can’t be that drunk,” there is no sense taking a chance. If one of your friends is considering it, do everything you can to dissuade them. Don’t stop yourself from calling the cops on them, either. While you may be concerned about them endangering their own safety, drunk driving also puts the lives of innocent bystanders at risk. Under no circumstances is it okay.
Carry protection on you.
While you might want to carry a certain type of protection, depending on how you see your night ending, you should especially consider carrying a non-lethal self-defense weapon in your purse or on your keychain. Easily hidden and storable devices such as a rechargeable stun gun, sharp keychain weapon, or flashing-LED taser can make for great self-defense weapons. Especially preferred among women is pepper spray—the small canisters are easy to store, grasp, and use, allowing you to stop an aggressor from a distance. Whatever the self-defense item, you’re already at an advantage by carrying a protective item on you while out on the town.
When you’re out and about, you should understand where your level of comfort and control are. Consider that this applies to both your drinking habits and sexual preferences. Never drink past your limit—if you do, make sure you have friends you truly trust to be by your side; remain firm in what you do and don’t consent to.
At no point should you feel pressured into doing something. And if anyone is pressuring you, do your best to remove yourself from that situation—anyone willing to do that to you does not have your best interests in mind. Remain safe and stick to your boundaries.
Keep a friend nearby in case needed.
Feeling pressured by someone that approached you at a bar or club? Ensure you have a friend nearby who can act as a line of defense. A nearby friend can act as a barrier to ensure you’re not left alone. And if you find at any point that a friend is not within reach, try to treat a fellow stranger like a close friend.
Most importantly, rely on your instincts.
Your safety is tantamount above all else. Make sure you have a clear head to keep yourself protected no matter the situation.
Eat and hydrate before, during, and after.
It’s an old saying that eating on an empty stomach is certain to get you drunker than you might expect. While it might sound like a myth, there is some truth to it. Drinking on an empty stomach is a perfect way to ensure your stomach and intestines absorb alcohol far quicker than if food were already being digested. With that high amount of toxins being suddenly introduced to your body, you’re sure to get drunk quickly.
Before you go out drinking for the night with all of your girlfriends, consider putting some food in you as a buffer. If you’ll be drinking for numerous hours, think about ordering some appetizers from bar to bar—it will help to make sure you’re digesting the alcohol at a slower rate.
Also, remember to eat and hydrate once you get home. You’ll want to ensure that your body is replenished by the end of the evening, having all of its necessary healthy calories and liquids prior to going to sleep. Such preemptive actions might help to ward off a hangover before it can truly settle in.
There are many things you should be aware of while out on the town, but you shouldn’t let it kill your vibe. Many things out in the world are unsafe, but they shouldn’t stop you from enjoying your own life. More importantly, it shouldn’t ruin a night for you and your closest friends.
To keep yourself safe, take the time to keep your wits about you. Furthermore, make sure you and your friends are all on the same page, properly watching over one another to ensure you all have a safe and fun night out.
Carry a protective item on you, stick to your limits, make sure your boundaries are respected, and keep an eye on your friends. With a bit of self-reflection and awareness, you and your girlfriends can make the most out of your next night out.
