Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Some Helpful Car Safety Tips for Winter!

Winter is almost here, so snowy weather, slick driving conditions, and foggy windshields can't be too far away! Help keep yourself safe on the road this winter by taking the following advice to heart:

Make sure you have an ice scraper in the car, and consider replacing your normal windshield wipers with winter blades that prevent ice from forming on them. Many brands of winter blades are better at removing snow and sleet than normal wipers.

Ask your mechanic to check your hoses for signs of wear and tighten your engine belts.

Test your battery to make sure it has the power to start the engine on cold days. To reduce power leaks, you can clean your battery terminals with a wire brush (disconnect them first!).

Check your cooling system. Have it flushed and refilled according to your owner's manual. A 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze is recommended for cold conditions.

Check the level of your windshield wiper fluid.

Check your tire treads and/or make the switch to winter or all-weather tires.

Keep a small emergency kit in the car: water, food, blankets, flashlight, road flares, a small shovel, etc.)

Stay safe!

Sensei J.
Emerald Necklace Martial Arts

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Back to School (Home and Apartment) Safety Tips

Summer is nearly over! Most people realize this when they begin to notice the shorter days and the cooler weather. I recognize the end of summer when I observe the sharp increase of moving vans in my neighborhood — It's Back to School time in Boston, and eeeeek!!! The students are back!

The Allston-Brighton area of the city is notorious for its dense student population. Everyone who lives here year-round knows that when September arrives, the students return with all their stuff.

The criminals know it, too.

As a member of the Ringer Park Crime Watch, I've learned that break-ins and robberies in the area tend to happen more frequently when the students are in town, so I've decided to dedicate this month's safety blog to the subject of home and apartment safety. Whether you are a long-time resident or "seasonal guest" here in the city, these tips will help keep you safe!

Whenever you are moving, get people you know to help you, or get references from the people you hire. There are those out there who will move your stuff to locations other than your new place. Others may attempt robbery or assault once they have access to YOU inside your home.

In your home/apartment, always give the impression that someone is home. Good lighting is one of the least expensive and most effective deterrents to a break-in, because if an area is well-lit, a would-be criminal cannot enter a door or window unseen. Leave your porch light on at night, and consider leaving a light on in a room or hallway if you are out for the evening. If you rent, contact your landlord immediately if any common-area lights are not working.

Keep your doors and windows locked! This one bears repeating: KEEP YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS LOCKED! If you have a deadbolt, USE IT — especially at night. Never allow anyone into your building that you do not personally know and/or are not expecting. Meet guests at the door, and do not buzz in "the pizza guy" if you cannot see the entrance. Avoid taking a first-floor apartment, if you can.

If you rent, insist that your landlord change the locks when you move in — you never know how many copies of the keys to your home are out there. If your landlord refuses to change the locks, offer to change them yourself and deduct the cost from your rent.

Get to know your neighbors. You don't have to become best friends, but you should get a feel for who belongs in your building or neighborhood, and who does not. Don't hesitate to call 911 of something or someone looks suspicious. Trust your intuition!

Keep your valuables out of sight. I've heard too many stories of laptops disappearing when they were left on desks that were visible from street facing windows. If you get a new, expensive gadget — of watever size — throw away the box on garbage day. Setting the empty box outside your house for a few days is an announcement and invitation for a thief to come over to see what other neat stuff you own.

Some Quick Campus Safety Tips for Students


  • Know the location and phone number of your campus police department

  • Familiarize yourself with your school's campus shuttle schedule; use the school shuttle if you need to travel alone at night

  • Identify emergency call boxes and safe areas on your campus

  • Be careful using public transportation. All too often in Boston, a student is killed on the "T" becuase they weren't paying attention. This is tragic!

Final Notes


Okay, I live in Allston, the capitol city of college bars. Please please PLEASE don't walk home alone from a bar at 2:00am while intoxicated! Don't cut through alleys or parks in the middle of the night, either. Use your head!

Stay safe!

Sensei J.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Summer Safety as Self-Defense!

Summer is here, and with it a host of fun activities that, if we are not careful, can injure us or even cost us our lives. It's not always the mugger in a dark alley that we have to worry about, so in this brief blog entry, I challenge you to look at self-defense and safety from a totally different point of view – one that has nothing to do with punching and kicking!

On April 12, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine was nearly killed in a traffic accident when his official SUV crashed into a guard rail. Corzine suffered a broken leg, a broken sternum, 12 broken ribs, a head cut, and a fracture of one of his vertebrae.

If you live in or travel through Boston's Allston neighborhood — as I do — then you've probably heard about the recent tragic death of Kelly Wallace. Kelly was killed on May 6 while riding her bike at the intersection of Harvard and Cambridge Streets. I drive past Kelly's makeshift memorial every day, and it breaks my heart.

If you're a New England Patriots fan, no doubt you've heard of the tragic jet-ski accident that resulted in the May 29 drowning death of defensive lineman Marquise Hill.

The self-defense lessons are clear:
  • If you drive, please wear your seatbelt.
  • If you ride a bike, please wear your helmet.
  • If you enjoy water sports, please wear a life jacket.
Beyond the examples above, here's a short list of things to help keep you safe this summer:
  • Use caution around grills and barbecue pits
  • Wear sunscreen
  • Use insect repellant to protect yourself from disease-carrying mosquitoes
  • Wear appropriate protective gloves, eyewear, and footwear while working in your yard and garden
  • Know and heed the signs of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke
  • Attend professional fireworks displays instead of putting on your own backyard show

Want some more tips? Check out these safety pages from the American Red Cross and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Stay safe and have fun!

Sensei J.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Running Smart and Safe

Spring is here, and many of you have dusted off your running shoes and taken to the city's roads and trails to get back in shape, and even train for the Boston Marathon. I thought I'd take this opportunity to provide some general information on RUNNING SAFETY.

Here are some simple tips from the Road Runners Club of America:

  1. Write down or leave word of the direction of your run.
  2. Tell friends and family of your favorite running routes
  3. Don't wear a headset while running.
  4. Always run with a partner.
  5. Run in familiar areas, and avoid areas that are unpopulated.
  6. Cary identification with you (name, telephone number, blood type) on the inside sole of your running shoe.
  7. Run against traffic.
  8. Wear reflective material if you run at dusk or at night.
  9. Carry a whistle or other noisemaker.
  10. Consider carrying a cell phone. Do not hesitate to call 911 if you feel unsafe.

In doing research for this posting, I found a wonderful website called Run The Planet. In addition to being a great resource for runners of all levels of experience, they have entire sections of their site that are dedicated to running safety and self-defense for runners. Please be sure to check it out!

Please contact me with any questions you may have about this information.

Stay safe!
Sensei Gould

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Reducing the Risk of Substance-Related Rape

In light of the spotlight on date-rape awareness in the Allston-Brighton Tab, I have added information on “Reducing the Risk of Substance-Related Rape” to this blog. I hope that many will find it informative and useful. The information below can be found on many rape crisis support sites on the Internet. I first came across it in the form of a handout that was provided to the participants of a R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) training session I was helping to run. I provide this and other materials as handouts during the self-defense classes that I conduct in Boston.

Stay safe,
Sensei Jason Gould


Reducing the Risk of Substance-Related Rape

Substance-related rape has been occurring more frequently in recent years. Although the often-tasteless drugs are hard to detect, there are precautionary steps one can take to reduce the risk of becoming prey to this criminal conduct.

  • Do not leave beverages unattended.
  • Do not take any beverages, including alcohol, from someone you do not trust or know well.
  • At a party or social gathering, accept drinks only from the server.
  • At parties, do not accept open-container drinks from anyone.
  • Be alert to the behavior of friends. Anyone appearing disproportionately inebriated in relation to the amount of alcohol they have consumed may be in danger.
  • Share this information with friends and talk about ways to look out for each other at parties and social events.
  • Anyone who believes they have consumed a sedative-like substance should be driven to a hospital emergency room or should call 911 for an ambulance. Try to keep a sample of the beverage for analysis.


Actions to Take if You Think You Have Been Drugged and Sexually Assaulted

If you feel dizzy, confused or have other sudden, unexplained symptoms after drinking a beverage, call a friend, a Student Affairs Staff member, your RA, Public Safety, or the police, or 911 for help in getting to a hospital. Here are the steps you should take:

  • Get to a safe place and call a rape crisis center for information or support.
  • Determine whether or not to report the incident to the police. If there is any chance you do want to report the assault, you should not shower, bathe, douche, change clothes or straighten up the area until medical and legal evidence is collected because these actions will destroy evidence.
  • If you want to report the incident, first call the police and then go to the hospital and have the medical evidence collected.
  • Go to a hospital, clinic or private doctor for treatment of external and/or internal injuries, tests for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, and support services.
  • Request a urine test to detect the presence of sedating substances as quickly as possible. Every hour matters. Chances of getting proof are best when the sample is obtained soon after the substance has been ingested, but the test can be reliable even on a sample obtained 72 hours later. The test is free, and can be requested by law enforcement officers, rape crisis centers and hospital emergency departments.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Six Safety Tips for the Mobile Professional

1. Maintain your vehicle. By keeping your car in good shape, you’re less likely to be involved in an accident or break down and become stranded. Self-reliance is key: you shouldn’t have to depend on a mechanic for basic car maintenance. Instead, take an introductory car maintenance class through your local car dealer or community education program. At a minimum, you should know how to check your car’s tire pressure and fluid levels (oil, break fluid, steering fluid, engine coolant, and windshield cleaner), and get into the habit of checking them regularly. Be sure to read your car’s owner’s manual and follow the suggested maintenance schedule, especially for oil changes and rotating the tires. Always fill your tank before the fuel gauge drops below the one-quarter mark, and you’ll never run out of gas in the middle of nowhere. Change those streaky wiper blades, too. It’s important for you to see clearly when the weather turns bad.

If you have the financial means to do so, join AAA. You may never need to use the service, but it’s there if you do. Beyond paying out-of-pocket, most new cars come with some kind of complimentary, short-term roadside assistance plan from the automobile manufacturer or dealer. If you have a roadside assistance plan, make sure you understand what the plan covers, keep the contact information in the glove compartment, and memorize the telephone number. And, if you happen to break down — especially in an isolated or unfamiliar area — stay with your vehicle until help comes to you. Do not accept offers for help or rides from strangers. When help does arrive, take a moment to check credentials and identification. If you don’t like what you see, call the police immediately.

2. Establish communications. Carry a cell phone with you and keep the battery fully charged. If you depend heavily on a cell phone for work or for your personal safety while on the job, ask your employer to cover the cost. Always make sure someone other than yourself — your spouse, a friend, or a coworker — knows your business schedule for the week. For each appointment you may have throughout the day, call the office when you arrive, and once again when you leave. Alternately, have a designated person from your office call you in the middle of your scheduled appointments to make sure things are okay. If you don’t pick up the phone (or, if you do, depending on what you might have prearranged), your office contact will quickly be able to tell if something is wrong. You can also use your cell phone to announce your arrival and request that someone (a security guard or your client) come out to greet you in the parking lot. Never hesitate to call 911 if you feel that you may be in danger.

3. Know where you are going. Looking lost is equivalent to looking vulnerable, and it’s difficult to keep an eye on your surroundings with your nose buried in a roadmap. If you take public transportation, familiarize yourself with the bus and subway routes that you’ll be using ahead of time. If you know that you’ll be driving to an unfamiliar location, sit down and map out your route the night before, or print out specific directions from an online mapping service such as MapQuest (www.mapquest.com), Maps.com (www.maps.com), or Yahoo! Maps (http://maps.yahoo.com/). In addition, most companies have driving directions posted on their websites. Making a “dry run” of your travel route in advance may be useful, especially if you’ll have to navigate at night. Determine the specific address of where you’ll be, write it down, and keep it in a handy place: if you need to call someone for help, they’ll want to know your exact location.

4. Arrive early. It is always good business to be punctual, but getting to a professional appointment ahead of schedule allows you time to adjust to your new environment. If you have a few extra minutes, drive around the block to orient yourself and get familiar with the surrounding area. Identify landmarks, local businesses, and street names. What else is going on in the neighborhood? Is the area busy or deserted? How do you feel about the area you’re in?

Think “egress” while parking: whenever possible, back into your spot with the nose of your car facing the exit so that you may leave quickly, if necessary. From the safety of your car, take note of who might be hanging around the building or the parking lot. If something doesn’t look right, you don’t have to go inside! You can always cancel the appointment and drive away if you feel unsafe. When you’re not in a hurry, you can be more observant whenever you enter a strange building. Take a moment to identify all of the entrances and exits, including fire exit doors, and keep a mental note of the one that’s closest to you.

5. Simplify and stay organized. Leave your valuables at home and limit what you carry on your person. Use a briefcase, tote bag, or backpack to keep your professional belongings orderly and manageable. Carry your important personal items (your wallet, keys, cell phone, etc.) separately in a small purse or waist pouch so that you can identify them quickly and leave other, non-essential items behind if you need to leave in a hurry. When dressing for work, weigh your desire to look professional against the need to be practical. Consider how your footwear and clothing choices may affect your balance, freedom of movement, and your ability to run or climb stairs in an emergency.

6. Stay in shape. Just like maintaining your car, maintaining your personal health and fitness will have a positive impact on your overall personal safety. If you should ever find yourself in a situation where you need to physically defend yourself, your level of conditioning may be a factor in the outcome. Beyond an actual physical confrontation, you should strive to be physically prepared to run to escape harm. If you cannot run a city block or down a flight of stairs, you should resolve to get yourself into better shape. Train regularly to increase your endurance, strength, and agility. Keep in mind that projecting confidence and looking like you’re in good physical condition is a nonverbal cue to a would-be attacker that someone else might be an easier target.

Ultimately, you are responsible for your own safety. Learn as much as you can about the various safety strategies, tools, and techniques that best match your personality and lifestyle. If you decide to engage in formal martial arts or self-defense training, be sure your instructor teaches situational physical resistance techniques and allows plenty of time for practice and repetition. If possible, seek out opportunities to participate in live simulation training sessions with an instructor in a padded suit. Know and acknowledge your limits, and then gradually push against them. Learn about how body language, eye contact, and environmental factors can affect your personal safety. Additional information about physical fitness, firearms, and other personal protection devices is readily available. The more you know about the resources available to you, the better prepared you’ll be to make informed decisions about your personal security.