<p>Please remind your kids that even though they live on a college campus that may appear safe, take precautions and act safe. Don't let them do stupid things.</p>
<p>Lock front doors and ground floor windows. Set up a buddy system with friends. Don't walk alone, use the escort service or college transportation system.</p>
<p>Carry a whistle and, if allowed, pepper spray.<br>
Take self defense classes.</p>
<p>Do not invite strangers/people you've just met back to your dorm room.</p>
<p>Do not get so drunk that you get into a "taxi" that isn't.</p>
<p>If you drink, get your drink yourself. Never take a sip from a drink brought to you by someone else (friend or unknown).</p>
<p>I have been watching the crime statistics and it seems really bad this year.</p>
<p>Very timely thoughts, musictoad. I will remind D today. I have the luxury of having spent hours on these subjects in preparation for her "sans parents" foreign vacation this summer (that she paid for).
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If you drink, get your drink yourself. Never take a sip from a drink brought to you by someone else (friend or unknown).
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Our rule was that if she left her drink without her buddy or her being there every second , like if both went to the dance floor to do the "mashed potato" - buy/get a new drink.</p>
<p>It may seem like overkill to some but D also carries an audible alarm that you pull the pin and it sets off an earpiercing cat screech :eek: that will just about part your hair for you. Better safe than sorry.</p>
<p>Another thought: women are much, much more likely to be harmed by someone they know (a boyfriend, husband, or date) than they are by a stranger. Walking across campus late at night is, statistically, safer than inviting someone back to your room.</p>
<p>One additional thing to consider for the kids--</p>
<p>does the dorm have closed circuit tv in the lobby and elevators? I am amazed at how many perps have been caught by the cameras even in dorms with pretty tight security.</p>
<p>If your kids don't have it, urge them to get the student government involved to get it. it really makes a difference in catching criminals/stopping crime.</p>
<p>Does anybody really use those late-night escort services on college campuses? Do they show up promptly enough to be of any use? I have my doubts.</p>
<p>I'm not even sure that the near-universal blue light system is ever used for its intended purpose. On several campuses that I have visited with one or the other of my kids, we have heard that the blue light phones are primarily used to report bicycle crashes and medical emergencies. This is useful, of course, but it's not exactly what the designers intended.</p>
<p>Marian, at my school you call for someone and they are there in like a minute, or however long it takes them to drive from where they are parked to where you are. And, if you call ahead of time they are waiting for you. They also drive around campus and if they see people walking they offer you a ride home. I got a few rides from my car to my apartment that way.</p>
<p>and I've seen plenty of kids calling from the blue lights to get rides... not to report bicycle crashes.</p>
<p>I thought the blue light phones were to be used only in emergencies -- meaning that bicycle crashes would qualify (although that isn't the kind of emergency they were meant for) but needing a ride would not. Perhaps I misunderstood the system.</p>
<p>Marian
D made use of the escort service while an undergrad at ASU when she worked late at her library job.eventually she set it up so she was met on a regular basis. She had plenty of friends who did the escort job as their volunteer work for their scholarships..they worked in teams,using golf carts.Response time was minimal.
Her grad school (Wash U) doesnt seem to have as extensive an escort network so it may vary from campus to campus.</p>
<p>marian, I believe that the thought would be </p>
<p>It's an emergency (or at least appropriate to use the call box) if you feel unsafe for any reason or no reason at all. </p>
<p>We wouldn't want kids out there wondering if that hair standing up on the back of their neck feeling was justified or not by the then existing conditions. If you feel hinky - don't hesitate - call.</p>
<p>sorry Marian, there are regular phones for escort service with our blue lights at school.. and people would stand by the blue light to get picked up.</p>
<p>This past weekend, I took my son to college via one way car rental followed by a one way plane ticket home. The flight was horribly delayed to the point that I called my husband and told him not to come to the airport for me, as it was getting very late, and he had an early morning meeting. I decided just to take a cab home though it would be very expensive--we live 45 minutes from the airport. It was pouring down rain when I finally arrived, and the taxi line was a mile long without any taxies in sight. As I was standing there in dismay, I was approached by someone with a jitney who wanted to negotiate a price for a ride home. I was so exhausted, I almost agreed. Then my brain woke up, and recognized that it would not be a safe thing for a lone woman to jump into a non official car for a long ride home. And I know better. I could see some young people who would think this is a great rescue from the situation.<br>
I ran into another situation where I had to leave my car at a gas station, again raining, and I had nasty walk home with that weather, and cabs take forever to come around here, no one home that I called. A very nice gentleman stranger offered to take me home. He had helped out the mechanic in looking at the problem with my car, and was aware of my situation. I felt really bad declining, and since the car was still driveable, decided to drive home , telling the mechanic I was going to take it to the dealer. Did not want to seem rude to someone who seemed so helpful, but it would not have been a smart move to take that ride. But again, I nearly did. Kids need to be told about temptations, and situations that seem to be fine, you "feel" the offer is legitimately innocuous and helpful, no ill intent. But you could be wrong. There are just too many people out there with serious problems, and you really should stick to rules about rides with strangers, just in case.</p>
<p>at my D school, I believe the labs and the library are open until very very late- and D would sometimes not leave till 3 or later in morning.
She would either make a point to leave at the same time as someone else, or else she used the community service officers, who she would call while she was still in her office, and they would either give her a ride back to her apt or walk her.</p>
<p>I believe call boxes, unless labeled for emergency only, should be used whenever someone is concerned about safety, however, different colleges may have different rules.
I do think that the call boxes on D campus were for emergency-but there were other ways to get a hold of a CSO if you wanted an escort</p>