1. You are walking to a new friend's house in a part of town that is unfamiliar to you. You notice that there is a person walking a little ways behind you for a few blocks. What should you do?

a) Take a quick left turn onto a narrow side street to see if the person turns also.
b) Turn around and say, "Are you following me? Who are you?"
c) Ignore the person and keep walking.
d) Calmly cross to the other side of the main street to see if the person does the same.

Answer (d) It is a good idea to cross the street to see if the person behind you does the same. It is not a good idea to turn onto a narrow side street off the main road because it is more likely that there will be other people and businesses on the main street. If you have a feeling that you are being followed, you should not ignore your feelings. It is better to simply cross the street to check than to ignore the situation and put yourself in danger.

2. You cross the street and the person crosses also, so he/she is still walking behind you. What should you do?

a) Keep walking straight ahead calmly and ignore the person.
b) Speed up and go straight into the grocery store that you can see a block ahead of you.
c) Stop, pull out your cell phone and call your friend to tell her about the suspicious person.
d) Turn around and say, "Stop following me!"

Answer (b) The best thing that you can do in that situation is run for the nearest open business, whether it is a restaurant or store. You can go immediately to the store manager or employee and ask to use the phone to call the police. If you stop to yell at the person or to pull out your phone to call your friend, then you give the other person more time to get to you and possibly harm you. Don't be afraid to yell while you are running so that you can get the attention of other people who may help you.

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