Rowan

Use your awareness, but don't let paranoia ruin your tour.

I bet you are at more risk of harm when commuting and exercising on your bike than on a tour like this, yet you haven't even considered taking a self-defence course much less than carrying a weapon for those everyday activities.

contango 

Belfast isn't on the UK mainland.

Without turning the thread into a discussion on the merits or otherwise of gun ownership, you're right to say that the problem is the people and not the guns. If possession of guns made a society safe then South Africa would be safe. If it made a society dangerous then Switzerland would be dangerous.

I don't see England as being an overly violent place. I've cycled through some of the notorious sink estates in London (albeit not intentionally) and aside from the sense of uneasiness of realising where I was (about 18 months previously I'd been the jury foreman in a court case relating to GBH with intent on the same estate) the area didn't seem overly threatening.

Saying England is dangerous because of a few bad areas makes no more sense than looking at the worst parts of Philadelphia and Baltimore and concluding the US is "backward and dangerous".

Machka 

That's the best part of contacting cycletouring or randonneuring clubs. Chances are you won't be commiting yourself to riding with someone for thousands of kilometres ... it might just be a few hours, or a day or two. And it might be one other person, or a small group. A good chance to meet like-minded people.

We were able to meet up with a few people from the BC Randonneurs on our tour on Vancouver Island last August. That made a good tour even better.

Both Rowan and I have met up with people we've met through bikeforums, cycling clubs, etc. on our various tours. In fact, that's how we got to know each other. Careful ... you might find a life partner!!


One of the additional benefits of getting in touch with clubs along the way is that other cyclists can give some good information about routes and places. We contacted the BC Randonneurs about the Vancouver Island tour and got some good suggestions of where to ride. And when we were looking for a place to cycle at Christmas we contacted Audax Australia to ask about our proposed areas. We ended up in quite a nice area.

staehpj1

That is a big +1. I couldn't agree more.

Machka 

Another suggestion I would have is communication ....

1) Do you have any family or friends along the way? If so, I'd be inclined to stop in and visit ... even just for coffee for an hour. It can be comforting to visit and talk with people you know when you're on a long trip away from family and friends. But they also provide a check-in point. You'll have someone expecting you, and then they'll have seen you, and can confirm that you're looking well, etc. etc.

2) Make use of telephone, email, facebook, etc. to inform family and friends where you are and how it's going. These messages can be reassuring to friends and family, and they can allow friends and family to tour vicariously with you.

3) Provide close friends and family with your itinerary. You might initially provide them with a general one if you're not much of a planner, but as you go along you can fill in the details (tomorrow I'm heading for this town and the next day I hope to make it to that town).

These points also do something else ... if, heaven forbid, you suddenly disappeared, checking in with friends and family in person or by another method of communication, and providing people with your itinerary, will give police a place to start looking for you.


4) Make sure you've got travel insurance. If something goes wrong medically, you don't want to have the additional worry of paying for help.

5) I've recently discovered that both Rowan and I can register with our governments to be alerted about any travel advisories as we travel. You might see if your government offers a similar service. I think it's mainly for travel to various countries, but I suppose it could be used for travel within one country.

6) Along with that, bring a radio, bring a computer, and follow the news. Pay attention to weather and other environmental situations. A bushfire, for example, could be extremely dangerous. Blizzards, hurricanes, etc. etc. can also be very dangerous. Media can help keep you aware of these things so you can alter your plans to avoid them.


BTW - which country are you crossing? I initially assumed the US because that seems to be a popular country to cross for some reason, but you're probably crossing Canada, Australia, or doing an end-to-end in the UK.

Dellphinus

To add to several others recommendations wrt trusting your instincts- don't talk yourself out of your first impression/instinct/gut feel. If your first reaction is "something ain't right" or "this is kinda creepy", it is. Don't talk yourself out of it for convenience.

I'm guessing you'll be posting back here this fall about all the wonderful folks you met and how outgoing/nice everyone was to you on tour.

Jamoni

I wouldn't worry about avoiding St. Louis. We have some cool stuff. You definitely need to check out City Museum.
EAST St. Louis is a little different, but even then, if you stay on the highways you'll be fine. Most of the violence that occurs there is late night drug related BS.
Hell, if you want to bypass STL altogether, you can catch the Metrolink in Brentwood and ride it all the way out to Scott Airforce base for $4.

indyfabz

Thought he was going to suggest sex reassignment surgery.

CbadRider

Just a reminder: This forum is about touring. If you want to discuss religious or political reasons for women's attire, you need to start a thread in P&R.

CbadRider
Forum Moderator

breezybikes

Thanks Machka! Your advise has been great!

I am traveling across the US (west bound on primarily the TransAmerica ACA route) and visiting a lot of family and friends a long the way. I have a blog set up so that family, friends, and new friends can follow my progress when I actually get pedaling. I've also been in touch with a lot of WarmShowers folks and they have been very friendly and offered great advise as well. My itinerary has a lot of wiggle room, but I have set specific dates to be in certain cities because I have friends meeting up with me - which I'm pretty excited about. I won't be taking a computer just because I think the smart phone and public library computers will suffice.

I didn't think of travel insurance. I'm glad you brought that up because it would be beneficial in case of injury or theft. A side note - a guy passed through my town a couple of years ago and had his bike and whole tour set up stolen (he wasn't locked up, which is quite foolish in any city). I believed he had some sort of travel or renter's insurance that replaced nearly all of his gear! Unfortunately, the same thing happened to him in Colorado. Not sure if that was part of plot to scam the nice local folks or if he was just kind of spacy! :0 He was a nice fellow, I think it was more because of his spacy-ness.

In regards to receiving travel alerts from the government, I'll definitely have to look into that. Another poster suggested the idea of a satellite phone because service is not always available in the more rural states. It's funny, my grandmotheractually brought that up recently. Not that grandmothers can't be technologically hip - she knows WAY more about tech stuff than I do - I was just surprised that she knew that much and that satellite phones existed.

Based on what a lot of people have suggested and discussed I feel like I've been planning and preparing for the trip in the best way possible. I've arranged to take some self defense classes over the next few weeks as a step of good measure. I'm not opposed to carrying guns, I just don't think that at this point in the game they are appropriate for me and my skill level with firearms.

Keep the discussion going! It's super interesting!

PS

I just got my hair done last week. I'm absolutely not cutting it short. I've been growing it out from a pixie/boyish cut for four years now.... and no one mistook me for a boy. Everyone was able to recognize that I'm a female.

nubcake

I think this is great advise. I also think it is great you recognize being inexperienced with a firearm would cause more harm than good. You could consider carrying a Spot tracker, that way your family/friends can follow your adventure and it even has an emergency button that will send help to your location if needed.

when

The rate of "gun incidents" doesn't matter when the UK has more than quadruple the violent crime rate of the US. I therefore objectively consider the UK a more dangerous place than the US.

The population 400,000 US city I live in has a lower violent crime rate than Japan, and we're armed to the teeth.

I'll just leave this here: Botched Police Raid Map and Don't Talk to the Police. The police are not your friends.

Also, google "duty to retreat" laws and "castle doctrine". In a lot of backward places you are guilty of a crime if you defend yourself without satisfying the prosecutor's whims as to how much running away is "enough" and how much injury is "enough" for you to be allowed to defend yourself.

To keep this on-topic, good on the OP for realizing that varying state laws across her journey will mean that she has a near 100% certainty of being guilty of a serious crime at some point just by carrying a weapon and that awareness is going to be her best tool.

stephenjubb

Quoting from that article

" South Africans suffer more than 20,000 murders each year -
compared with Britain's 921 in 2007."

USA in 2007 is 16,929 from https://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm

You have 5 times more people than we, yet nearly 4 times more murders per population.

"Experts say there are a number of reasons why violence is soaring in the UK.
These include Labour's decision to relax the licensing laws to allow
round-the-clock opening, which has led to a rise in the number of serious
assaults taking place in the early hours of the morning. "

The Brits do love their booze and does lead to increased violence. A lot of it is caused by drink. This one is easy, don't go into pubs or those areas late on a night. common sense

"But Police Minister David Hanson said: 'These figures are misleading.

Levels of police recorded crime statistics from different countries are
simply not comparable since they are affected by many factors, for example the
recording of violent crime in other countries may not include behaviour that we
would categorise as violent crime."

"Violent crime in England and Wales has fallen by almost a half a peak in
1995 but we are not complacent and know there is still work to do. That is why
last year we published 'Saving lives. Reducing harm. Protecting the public. An
Action Plan for Tackling Violence 2008-11'"

We don't believe the papers too much over here, they print anything to get published and more sales. Look up the Leveson enquiry.

Figures can be manipulated for any purpose. As Churchill said, theres lies, damn lies and statistics.

The UK is not more violent in terms of gun crime than the US.

Comparing other forms of crime is like comparing apples and oranges. Crime can be found anywhere if you go looking for it.

With a smart head on ones shoulders it can be avoided mostly in any country.


I have experienced in my travels and heard it said by others when in other countries by the natives, don't go to that neighbouring country it is bad. You get there and find it is ok. Admitedly there are some exceptions but you just have to keep an open mind particularly with what the press say.

njkayaker

Oye!

The legality of carrying a fire arm isn't the same in all states and things get complicated when you go across state lines. I don't think your friends and family have any real understanding about them.

Tasers might not be any/much simpler legally.

staehpj1

I am not sure why folks seem to assume it is more dangerous to be on the road in rural and small town America than in most of their hometowns. Take the same precautions you take in everyday life. You will meet mostly kind and generous people on the Trans America. Depending on where you live it is very likely that when it comes to the concerns that are being raised you will be safer than when you are riding in your home town.

Have a great trip!

dengidog

Some really good suggestions here and some that had me rolling my eyes. I live in Mexico and often travel on my own. I was also stationed in Turkey and often went for walks in town when most women were told to travel in pairs. Common sense is the key here. I think one of the best things you can do is to look confident. Never look timid or scared. I donŽt mean to be arrogant or rude, but look like you know how to handle yourself. YouŽll find that most strangers will astonish you with their kindnesses. Obviously, take care on the roads and follow the normal safety precautions. And always, always trust your gut. Better to be a bit embarrassed than dead.

fietsbob

Making people fear each other , and seeing them as being an Opponent ,
and competitor, or a crop, or resource, to be harvested, may have its roots
in the Enclosure Acts, of Old, that drove people off the common lands..

Carbonfiberboy 

Probably so, and now it's from watching TV . . .

contango 

Makes a lot of sense.

In my university days I was in a town where men were advised not to walk alone after dark. When I needed to get back from the station to my hall of residence I walked, usually at some silly hour of the night, along a dimly lit path beside the canal. I figured if all else failed my escape option was to dive into the canal.

That said given I'm 6'4 and from all accounts at the time looked very sinister and imposing in the half-light when dressed all in black.

enigmaT120

I wish that our feelings of safety had a stronger correlation with our actual safety.

Niles H.

"Unfortunately, the reality is that there is a difference in the degree of safety inherently possessed by a man versus a woman when traveling solo."

At first, this looks like a given. After thinking it over, I'm not at all sure it is accurate; and the underlying implications can fuel paranoia and fear.

Statistically, the danger to males may actually be higher than to females, and I suspect that it is.

Also, I wanted to correct some possibly misleading points:

(1) Josie Dew was assaulted while on tour. True enough. But it should also be added that this happened only after years of bicycle travel, much of it alone as a single young (and diminutive, and attractive) female, through a wide variety of countries. And she admits that she used poor judgment in accepting a ride and an offer of dinner from a stranger she had doubts about, alone with him in his apartment.

So it wouldn't be accurate to focus on that incident, and overemphasize it to the point of implying that going on one bike tour as a single (and reasonably cautious) female is likely to lead to such an encounter.

There are more accurate ways of putting it in the proper perspective.

(2) The other woman mentioned, who was assaulted in a sketchy trailer park after accepting a very sketchy offer while unusually road weary, had traveled around the world by bike (alone as I recall) before that one incident occurred.

Again, this is the sort of incident that can fuel unreasonable perspectives and fears.

(3) Michelle Sicard's approach (cutting her hair, looking less attractive, passing as a boy or young man at times) worked for her, and she even had some fun with it, as did an ex-girlfriend (who also happened to be an unusually attractive woman who made her living as a model). It worked for them, and it has worked for others; but it obviously isn't for everyone. It's just a possibility, one among many others, and one that works on a case by case basis.

(4) There are cases of women using mace, and having it backfire. In one case, a woman in a store asked another woman to leave the store. When the latter ignored her, the former maced her. She (the former) was prosecuted and convicted of some serious offenses, fined, and required to attend classes for a lengthy period of time.

The laws are often different, complex, and even convoluted, and vary significantly from place to place.

Someone can jump you, and begin hitting you; and if you shoot the person you can still be convicted of some serious felonies, and spend years in prison. You have to exhaust other means (in many cases), and meet a variety of other strict criteria before you can do such things to other people. Not only different states, but different counties, and even different individual prosecutors can vary greatly in how they respond to such incidents.

(5) Whoever said not to let fear and paranoia ruin your trip said it pretty well.

(6) I know women personally who are afraid to go out on rides or even walks alone. This is in a very scenic, low crime, forested area with a variety of quiet back roads and wonderful, beautiful, world class trails. I have toured and ridden and hiked these for years, and know the area like the back of my hand. And I just want to say that some of these women are just so wildly off base it isn't funny. They are in virtually NO danger. Yet you would think that they were venturing out into some extraordinary danger. What is extraordinary is how they have arrived at this condition, or simply that they have arrived at this condition.

(7) I may have inadvertently fueled the image of males as dangerous or unable to control themselves. There are *many times more* males who are no danger at all, and would even help or protect if necessary. The vast majority are fine, and it is a shame that so much paranoia has been propagated, to a large extent through fear-mongering media.

It seems so much better not to let this sort of stuff darken or take over too much of your trip. If you can keep it light, see and focus more on the good, and keep a sense of humor, it seems much closer to living well, or a life/win.

Rowan

One thing that needs to be reinforced is to be cautious about telegraphing your plans. breezybikes intends to blog. Be careful if it is open to all to see, and be selective about who you tell along the way. This is not being paranoid, but it certainly is a primary protection to ensure that unwanted people won't track your intended movements and be waiting for you.

If someone approaches you and asks where you are headed (usually without expressing any other interest in what you are doing), you will have to use your judgment and give the "right" answer. Machka is very good at this. I think she uses very nebulous answers, and in some cases indicates a route out of town in the completely opposite direction.

staehpj1 and several others have put their fingers on a very important element here -- why regard people in country locations as being shadier than city counterparts? We live in a country town, and while some youngsters get a bit boisterous at weekends, for all intents and purposes, the crime rate is zero. Most people get into trouble through alcohol use...

Be sociable. Pick your crowd (generally mature rather than young) and be near them when it comes to campgrounds; setting up camp away from the mainstream can carry its risks. Use a good torch at night. Go to information or visitor centres to find out what is happening and if there are shady areas to avoid.

chasm54

LOL. You "objectively consider" based on statistics compiled by the Conservative Party and reported in the Daily Mail.

Forgive my mirth, but the Daily Mail is pretty much the equivalent of Fox News when it comes to impartiality and reliability.

ctyler

I agree. This is a great journal of a young female riding by herself.

kookaburra1701

I'd recommend reading "The Gift of Fear," by Gavin DeBecker - the title made me skeptical at first, but it's one of the most empowering books I've ever read. It's about trusting your gut.

Also, remember that being assaulted by strangers is incredibly rare. The vast majority of sexual assaults are committed by people known to the victim. I'm nowhere near going on a tour yet, but the dudes at my work were horrified that I go on *gasp* 10 MILE SOLO RIDES SOMETIMES OH NOEZ WHO WILL DEFEND MY HONOR????

Reminding them that statistically, they as my coworkers were much more likely to **** me than any random person I meet on a ride shut them up.

ETA: wtf kind of bovine pocky is this that the forum censors r-a-p-e