ADVERTISEMENT

It goes without saying that safety and security can’t be overstated. Especially these days.

Just consider this: if the internet is breaking at the seams with women speaking about the ways they stay safe and deal with stalking, harassment, and other forms of abuse against women, then you know you have a problem. A prevalent one at that.

A lifestyle TikToker recently went viral with a handful of her safety and security tips after sharing how you have to be “consistently inconsistent” in order to stay safe out there.

Image credits: amazedbykayy

#1

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator When you get home, don't turn on the lights, especially if you live in an apartment building. Because if someone did follow you home and they quietly parked and waited to see outside the building what bedroom window they see a light turn on, they now know where you live. I was always told to refrain and create a solution right away for that. When you leave the house, you always leave a light on in your apartment at all times, or the porch light, the backlight. And that light bill is worth your safety every time. At least you have some type of peace of mind, and hopefully, it saves you.

amazedbykayy , Harrison Haines / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
Zoe's Mom
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Night lights in every room that stay on 24\7. I hate coming home to a dark space.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#2

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Pay attention when you're leaving places, your rearview mirror, who's following you. Pay attention to the cars parked around you before you even get out of the car to go in the store. These are the type of mindsets and tactics and awareness that the type of people that are looking to harm single women, or women in general, they are not going to target you because you're too hip to things be super consistent with being inconsistent.

amazedbykayy , Sathyaprabha Rakkimuthu / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
DB
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Vehicles I avoid parking near: NRA, concealed carry or other gun rights sticker. Tricked out Hondas with wide rims and giant, useless mufflers. Pickups with giant tires and stack mufflers. Any European luxury vehicle.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#3

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Become a better steward of your vehicle. A lot of women are taught to just like utilize the car for what it's good for. But in reality, it really keeps you safe to its best ability. It gets you from A to Z in scary moments when you want to leave. And the way that you can do that is by making sure that you don't let any of your vehicle functions get down to the nitty gritty of wear and tear. So always make sure that you're paying attention to your tire levels. Always make sure you're on top of your oil changes. That is one of the simplest things you can do. Wear and tear on your car in moments of emergency and staying safe is just so unfortunate. So do a better job in loving your cars like men love their cars.

amazedbykayy , Hassan OUAJBIR / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Kaylen Zahara, known as @amazedbykayy on TikTok, is a lifestyle and beauty personality who has recently been going viral for a video of hers.

Among other things, she discussed the need to be “consistently inconsistent”. By that, she meant that you can’t have a daily routine—a publicly visible one, at least—because that might help potential trouble-makers make some trouble to your disadvantage.

ADVERTISEMENT
#4

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator When traveling be very wary with telling employees on the property of the resort where you're at, what room you're staying in. There are employees that work for crime organizations to traffic, kidnap, don't do it.

amazedbykayy , Jennifer Magnolia / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#5

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Change the setting of your car keys. When you go into your car, if you have a newer car, it'll say the option of when you press to click your car button, do you want all the doors to unlock, or just the driver door, choose just the driver door because if you're running from someone, trying to get away from someone, if it unlocks all the doors, all they have to do is go to the passenger back door while you just jumped in the passenger and now they're in the car with you.

amazedbykayy , Erik Mclean / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#6

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Always make sure that you have enough gas in your tank for your car at night specifically. You never know what could happen. You could be driving home from your parents' house. And you notice you've got a quarter a tank. What happens when you realize your car's gonna run out of gas? If they're continuously following you, and they're making every move, and they're letting you know, yes, we're following you. What are you going to do? Because when you stop what happens? Always make sure you have gas in your car.

amazedbykayy , RDNE Stock project / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

ADVERTISEMENT

Kaylen explains that the idea behind being consistently inconsistent is being unpredictable. One of the key things that criminals, human traffickers and similar rabble look for in a victim is patterns. They might study your route to work, to the store and the like, and they could construct their plan of attack based on that. Kaylen suggests getting ahead of things and making sure they can’t plan.

#7

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Always do your best to get receipts because there are some establishments that have managers and employees who like to rob their customers. You pay for something $12, and they go 'You want your receipt?' and you say no, and you'll never know that your card was charged $40 because they know every day that their cash register always ends up being short. And that's how they're saving the difference. Or they're just flat out robbing everybody that says no to a receipt.

amazedbykayy , Karolina Grabowska / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
FreeTheUnicorn
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unless they are double charging you, which they can do after you leave, the number on the register/till/handheld apple scanner etc is the number that goes through. I've never been anywhere that doesn't display the total. If you don't see a total, that's very suspicious.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Whenever you have a maintenance person coming, or a general contractor to work on your home, always make sure that you have men's work boots at the front door, leave out boxers and clothing all over your home or your property, so they see it and they clock in their head, 'I don't know if she's pretending but I'm not going to risk it, leave it alone'.

amazedbykayy , Craig Adderley / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Refrain from putting very personalized bumper stickers on your vehicles that would make it obvious about where you go to school, what you're into, what gym you go to, all of those different things make you trackable.

amazedbykayy , Jonathan Borba / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#10

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator When living alone as a woman, probably not the best idea when you're in a large apartment complex, or even a small one, to put a doormat outside your door anything that's cutesy and girly, even if it's neutral or not girly, because it allows people who are in the industry of kidnapping people and doing crimes to know there's a woman that lives there. Yeah, that one sucks.

amazedbykayy , Andrew Neel / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
Jeevesssssss
Community Member
8 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm a woman who's lucky enough to not have to deal with housemates. My house has a big bay window facing onto the street. There's a piano pushed into the bay; standing on the piano are 3 foot-tall Star Wars figures (Vader, Chewie, a Stormie). They look epic (and that's their primary purpose) but they also don't scream 'single female living alone'.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

So, go to different stores every time you need to, and go at different times; go do errands in erratic ways; plan meetings all the same, and make sure you’re never alone. Don’t slack on going the extra mile to do this, it’s all for your safety. The less structure your daily life has, the better as it throws off potential predators. And most of them will back off once they see how difficult you are.

ADVERTISEMENT
#11

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator When you're doing valet, make sure that you're taking your car key off of the little ring that you have for all other keys. Do not underestimate. You should not underestimate that there's someone behind that venue in a big old van that has a key copier, they take down all your information, your place, etc. And then before you know it, weeks later, you're robbed.

amazedbykayy , Julia Avamotive / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
Michael Largey
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sign in front of a plush restaurant. "If you use valet parking, be sure to remember what your valet looks like. Because we don't have valet parking."

View more commentsArrow down menu
#12

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator If you have a camera in your home, make sure to remember that while you're in your home, it's either turned off, facing the wall, there's no audio on it because there are such things as people that can hack into Wi-Fi just for sh**s and giggles. And people do this like they go to school or watch cartoons. And they just watch and listen to people all the time through their cameras while you're at home.

amazedbykayy , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
Paul Pienkowski
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm so boring they'd get tired of watching my fat face. All I do is play PS5 and eat Cheetos.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#13

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Handy dandy pepper spray, keep it in the car, viewable, not viewable that's up to you. Sometimes, I think it's best to make it viewable and accessible. So you don't forget that you always have it on you.

amazedbykayy , blorgggg / flickr (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
PandaGoPanda
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Obviously, don't do this if you live somewhere where it's illegal to have pepper spray ...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator When it comes to Uber, Lyft, eat deliveries, all that good stuff, don't put your personal information, don't add a photo of yourself, don't put your real name, don't put your apartment unit. Believe it or not, a lot of crazy people on a really low level, not like legitimate organized crime, get into those types of jobs, just to be weirdos, just to be creeps, stalkers, etc.

amazedbykayy , Pablo Cordero / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
Daisy1355
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

By leaving off your unit number, you're saying it's safer to... meet the driver than have them drop off a contactless delivery? The rest of it I can understand to an extent, but I don't understand how leaving off a key part of the delivery address where you can avoid the driver is somehow safer than the driver then having to meet you somewhere.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#15

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator When you are walking on the street, always make sure that you are walking against traffic. Meaning you see all the cars coming toward you, not from behind you. Why? Because if you're walking with traffic, a car can pull up to the side of you or behind you, and snatch you. We see that all the time in movies.

amazedbykayy , Mariia Ivanova / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
PFD
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If there's no pavement (sidewalk) you should walk against the traffic so you can see the behaviour of drivers approaching and because drivers are more likely to see you face-on. But it's a road safety thing, not because of kidnapping. Most of these posts are bloody insane.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda

But that’s not all. Kaylen has several videos talking about safety. Try to avoid personality on food delivery apps—don’t have any more personal info than it is necessary for the couriers to do their job.

If you have cameras at home, then make sure they are facing away or turned off whenever you’re at home as hackers can hijack them.

#16

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator If you go to a certain school, work at a certain hospital, etc. Probably not the brightest idea to leave your little information tag in your car dashboard area, and drive around the city and everywhere else and not take it out. Because all that tells somebody is where you go every day, how to find you next after you leave the grocery store. It's not smart.

amazedbykayy , Artem Podrez / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
Kraneia The Dancing Dryad
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know if this is always the case, but if it's a card, you need it to get in the building. True, they know where you work now, but they can't get *in*.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator When you get new tags on your car. Make sure that you are scraping through it with a knife or your key to make sure that no one can simply just pull it off.

amazedbykayy , Erik Mclean / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
PandaGoPanda
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't understand this one. What is a tag on a car? How would scraping a knife through it stop someone pulling it off?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#18

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator It is important for us as young women to get comfortable with the idea and mindset of being consistently inconsistent with where we run our errands, what we do and how we're doing it. For example, the people that are out here with ill intentions to profit off are looking for specific targets: the oblivious, the ones that don't have awareness and the people that don't have these type of mindsets. You need to be going to different coffee shops all the time, don't go to Target because it's right there at your home and it's just consistent. Do different things, spread it out, drive extra miles to go run your errands, and then next week don't go there anymore, then go to the place that is closest to you, switch it up so much.

amazedbykayy , Farhad Irani / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
Bonesko
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Be aware of your surroundings, don't fall into a routine in case of stalkers, tell someone where you are, don't walk alone, lace your keys in between your fingers like a B-rated Wolverine... all sh*t I and probably most women have been told since we started developing. All great advice, but I'm f**king sick of the conversation on how to "stay safe" being a woman in the world is what we women can do to limit being harrased and maybe thwart off an attack.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#19

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Stop going to the gym every day at five o'clock at your favorite one on Third and Fifth Street. You are completely exposing yourself to a routine, and timeline, and they can just start tracking you, they know your whole routine, you're an easy target to be robbed, trafficked, all this other stuff. So just start thinking outside the box.

amazedbykayy , Andrea Piacquadio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
Bonesko
Community Member
8 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Be aware of your surroundings, don't fall into a routine in case of stalkers, tell someone where you are, don't walk alone, lace your keys in between your fingers like a B-rated Wolverine... all sh*t I and probably most women have been told since we started developing. All great advice, but I'm f**king sick of the conversation on how to "stay safe" being a woman in the world is what we women can do to limit being harrased and maybe thwart off an attack.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#20

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator When you travel, especially as a woman, you need to book and state that there's a man's name on the reservation. And when you get into that room, you need to make sure that you check everything. Make sure nobody's hiding in cubbies and closets, and always bring a door stopper that has an alarm on it. So if someone does break in as soon as they open that door and alarm that is going to wake up the entire globe is going to be set off.

amazedbykayy , Josh Hild / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
Ripley
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What happens when you can't get into your reserved room because it's in someone else's name?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

She also suggests more unorthodox things mixed with standard security measures. Say you have an alarm at home. Trigger it every once in a while—not only will you be testing it out, but you will also be sending a message to everyone about it as a regular drill. It can be annoying, and some might get desensitized to it, but people will be aware of the deterring measures.

#21

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Living in an apartment complex, do certain things that throw people off. Get alarm systems, anytime you open your front door let that ring hell loud. So that everybody on your floor knows 'try it if you want to'. Because unfortunately yes, people live there day in and day out to plot to harm others.

amazedbykayy , Charlotte May / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
Ripley
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are you f*****g kidding me??? Create a situation where your neighbours actively wish you harm because you are disturbing their peace every time you open your door? Genius! /s

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#22

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Never go to a carwash in the evening or at night. The ones at the gas station that you drive through. Somebody could be in between the sides of where your car's going through really slow getting washed. And they could carjack you, anything could happen.

amazedbykayy , Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

#23

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator Stop talking to strangers. Stranger danger. There are people that are recruited as like employees for the trafficking world. And a lot of them are recruited as women because they come off as unsuspecting. And they talk to you while you're in Target shopping for tissue paper. When you get approached by somebody in an instance where you didn't ask them to tell you 'Oh my god, your hair's so pretty. What do you put on it?' Just be like bye, and move away from the aisle.

amazedbykayy , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

Add photo comments
POST
Blue Bunny of Happiness
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Blimey, they’ve never visited the north of England then. Having a (usually) brief conversation with strangers is pretty standard!

Tabitha
Community Member
8 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same in the US. We don’t usually just blindly go with the stranger who just complimented our hair, though. We just say thanks and let it go at that. Especially if our “Spidey sense” starts giving off alarm bells—-and some stranger just coming up and OTT raving about our hair usually sounds those bells loudly. Anyone with a brain and any experience of life, or anyone inexperienced but who is smart and has been warned and taught well, is going to be cautious of any stranger approaching them anywhere. An exception, still with caveats though (unfortunately), is if someone steps in to help you when someone else is harassing you. Though they’re usually just kind people, you never know if they may be worse than the first guy. Overall though, it’s such a sad state of the world that we can’t even trust people who are doing us a huge favor by helping us get away from a harasser, because there are too many evil a******s around for us to be able to trust anyone.

Load More Replies...
Kerry Carolan
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is the most far teched one yet remember folks, everyone at target is secretly employed by a sex cartel and is going to kidnap you because you had a conversation with them!

Carney
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I strongly disagree. Stranger danger is highly over-estimated. You are in much greater risk from people you know than from some stranger. I travel for my work and usually end up talking to strangers quite often. I'm smart about, don't share personal info or go off someplace with someone I just met. However, talking with strangers means getting to know about a place. I've learned about wonderful, inexpensive restaurants, places to see, things to do from casually talking with a stranger. I've also been invited into stranger homes and, although most of the time I say no, I have gone and always had a wonderful time. Meeting new people is a great thing and can lead you to some amazing experiences. Just be smart about it and listen to that inner voice that urges you to walk away.

KillerKiwi
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one is only true for minors, and even then you’re more likely to be kidnapped/raped/sexually assaulted by someone you already know than a complete stranger. Not saying it doesn’t happen, just saying it’s far less likely. Especially in America.

Rachel Pelz
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, for kids, it's about what and what not to talk to strangers about. "Is this the way to the supermarket?" is OK to answer but what's your name, where are you going, where do live--not OK to ask, so do not answer. Stranger=danger is pretty dangerous if kid gets lost or needs help. Large majority of people does NOT kidnap kids. We always told our kids that if in need for help, check if there's a family or a woman to ask (statistics), but if there isn't, of course ask a male person too.

Load More Replies...
Paul Pienkowski
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This must not be for Americans. We talk to strangers. That's like our whole thing, other than guns.

Kimbowa
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s really so sad we have to be like this. I’d like to think that in some instances it’s OK to have a short conversation with someone you don’t know in the elevator etc. I mean what if someone is wearing something that you absolutely love and you want to know where they got it? Lol.

bbfa
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my experience it's usually someone trying to recruit a minion for their MLM. "I love your - -" Say thanks and walk away fast.

Chew-Bonkers
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I really don't think the (M) stranger I talked to at the laundromat who was 5'0 tall, 100 lbs soaking wet was going to traffic my gargantuan (F) 5'8, 270 lbs was going to "traffic" me. Seriously dude, good luck moving this behemoth! LOL!

Vinny DaPooh
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

90% of this list seems to be based on the Liam Neeson Taken movies happening as a normal part of everyday life. Does it happen? Sure. Is trafficking likely to be a completely random stranger snatching you from a grocery store? Not even close.

Sinnsyk Jakte
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's me. I'm the strange woman. And I really do like what you're wearing. I will do no harm.

Kraneia The Dancing Dryad
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I may answer your questions, but I don't get too close to you... and if you start getting closer I back away. I don't know you man!! :D

FluffyDreg
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in a very safe place generally and something like this almost happened...

Hey!
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, I was at Bulk Barn the other day and was in line to pay. Someone came in, saw my hoodie and complimented on it. I should have turned my shoulder instead of smiling and saying thank you then?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#24

"Things To Know To Stay Safe That Maybe No One Ever Told You": 24 Tips For Women From This Creator I think it's really unsafe for women and children to be riding around in non-tinted windows where anybody can visibly see them, aka fishbowl.

amazedbykayy , Ketut Subiyanto / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda

It is important to note that while much of the content online doesn’t aim to fear-monger people into a sense of paranoia about the dangers of the outside world, the sheer amount of it doesn’t help. Not everyone and everything is out to get you and the risks are generally low.

For the record, things like homocides are generally speaking on the decline. The pandemic didn't help, but depending on the policies, some places bounced faster than others and, by this point, many bounced back in general.

But like with any extreme, it’s best to find the optimal level of awareness for the sake of safety because you’ll be better off in the long run.

So, what are your thoughts on any of this? Have some safety tips that proved to be quite effective? Share your advice, takes and stories in the comment section below!

You can check out the video that sparked it all below

@amazedbykayy

Just some everyday safety sense from a california girl — add to the list for others in comments

♬ original sound - Kaylen Zahara

Here is how the internet reacted to the video