As a woman who has lived in apartment complexes for many years, I thought I’d share some safety tips for apartment living.
An apartment complex is like a small town where you have friends, people whose faces look familiar to you, and some people who are complete strangers. There are places in the complex where you are more likely to meet others. Some of these areas are; the office for the apartments, the clubhouse, the laundry room, the pool area/tennis courts, the mailbox section and the dumpster. Below is a breakdown of the different locations and precautions you might consider:
office area
This is usually the safest place in the complex because there is usually more than one person present. It’s where tenants leave a few checks or someone complains about their kitchen sink etc. You still have to keep your guard up, in case someone gets angry for some reason, but usually the anger is directed at the office worker.
mailbox area
This area is one of the most dangerous and you should always keep your guard up! Criminals keep a close eye on the mailbox sections of an apartment complex. Why? Because people are pretty predictable when they check their mail. Attackers like the fact that if they watch you for a few days, they can pretty much predict when you’ll check your mailbox. People usually go to this section when they return home from work. As you approach your mailbox, look around you. If there are few people present, it is safer, but if you are the only one there, be very careful, especially at night. Always prepare your personal defense product and have it on hand and ready to be used, before approaching the mailbox area.
club house area
Some complexes have clubhouses to rent for parties, but others have indoor recreation like pool and ping pong tables, pin ball machines, video games, etc. Clubhouses can be very popular, especially on weekends and at night. Many times you will come across people drinking alcoholic beverages that they brought from their apartment. It is always advisable to go to the clubhouses with a friend. Every once in a while you’ll run into a loser in a card game, for example, who can turn violent and take it out on anyone nearby. If you meet a new person, be careful when giving out their apartment number. Also be careful if someone is following you back to your apartment. If you’re afraid of being followed, go to a friend’s apartment if you know he’s home.
Tennis court or pool area
The tennis court is quite safe because you are usually accompanied by a tennis partner. The pool area is also quite safe as it is very open and everyone is in one simple place. Even when alone, an attacker will avoid an area that many people can easily see. Just make sure that when you leave the pool area, you prepare your self-defense product in advance, before walking back to your apartment. This is important because since it’s on a simple site, that also means a potential attacker or stalker could have been looking at it as well. Keep in mind that if you go to the pool on a regular basis, try to do it at different times of the day. This will make your schedule less predictable. If you are alone, try NOT to go at night.
laundry area
Here is another section of an apartment complex that is very dangerous. For one thing, it’s noisy because of the machines. This noise can easily cover someone’s scream or cry for help. For whatever reason, people feel like they need to have a chat with whoever is doing the laundry. This can be a great tool for an attacker to get more information from you that they shouldn’t have given you in the first place! Be careful what you say to a complete stranger. Even if he is the cutest boy, and my, so meticulous with his neatly folded clothes! Impressive right? NO! Potential attackers play a role of care so that you feel comfortable and therefore let your guard down. Again, in this situation, make sure you have a self-defense product available.
garbage dump
This area is very worrying because most people throw their garbage at night, after dinner. If you don’t want to wait until morning, be very careful about this. If your dumpster area is dark, ask the apartment complex manager to install some type of lighting around it. This can be difficult, but it is worth trying. You might want to consider asking a few friends who live there to join your application. Always carry your personal defense product with you and prepare it for use. Always move cautiously towards the site and look around carefully as you approach. If you see someone you don’t recognize near him, maybe leaning against his car or smoking… Just turn around and go home. You can always try again later. It is better to be cautious than hurt or killed. If your rubbish is heavy, just drop it somewhere temporarily, where you can pick it up later.