Vary Your Routine and Be Observant

 

Copy a tactic of experienced business travellers who know it is a good idea when travelling around ( in their case especially in foreign lands) so people who might be tracking and planning to attack and rob them do not know exactly what time they are going to do something or what route they're going to take.

 

This is also a technique of experienced security people when patrolling sites so anybody scouting the site to plan a break-in or whatever is not readily aware of exactly where the security guard is. They really mix up their patrols and activities so that in many cases even mobile supervisors visiting their sites have to contact them by radio or cell phone to locate them.

 

Doing things like this can be even more critical if you are a female living alone or you go out on solo hikes or jogging on a regular basis. Mix up your times as much as possible and take slightly different routes each time. Both of these practices make it harder to any stalkers to easily set up ambush points along your route.

 

It is also good to carry some personal alarm or even better take along a canine partner -- especially one that is very protective of you sand stay observant of your surroundings. It is really surprising how many people are out there walking or jogging – sometimes in some very isolated areas completely oblivious to what is going on around them.

 

Keep in mind the "Rule of Three". If you suddenly keep encountering the same person walking along your route or watching from a park bench, bicycle, or parked vehicle as you pass that should send up some warning signals. In the end the person might turn out to be harmless but take precautions by changing your route or times or even calling the non-emergency police line to see if they can send officers to check the person out.

Don't become known as a person that keeps calling the police without a good reason but don't hesitate to call them if you have real concerns.