Friday, January 6, 2012

How to survive a riot

In this period of uncertainties due to the recent removal of fuel subsidy, knowing how to protect yourself if and when the protest gets to your area is an invaluable lesson right now, and I am going to share what I found out in the post.
Read and digest this and share it with your friends, it's all part of getting everybody safe.

Be prepared. If you know an area is ripe for a riot but you can’t avoid traveling there, take some simple precautions to help protect yourself. First, be prepared for the worst; the unexpected can happen at any moment. Crowds are dangerous when they’re in an ugly mood and normally placid people can turn frenzied just by being in the presence of other frenzied people.

- Wear dark clothes that minimise the amount of exposed skin (long pants and long-sleeved shirts) when going out. Do not wear clothing that could be interpreted as military or police wear in any way; avoid wearing anything that looks like a uniform.

- Carry toothpaste with you. Smear it under your eyes if tear gas is released and you have nothing else available to protect you.

- Take a motorcycle helmet with you. If bricks or other large items are being thrown about, at least you protect your vulnerable head.

- Think about your possible escape routes and safe havens before anything actually happens. Crossroads are the best because you’ve got at least one road to race off down if rioters go crazy or the police start charging.

- Carry small amounts of cash with you in case you need to quickly arrange transportation, pay off looters, or bribe police at a checkpoint.

- Take your telephone, two if possible (one in your pocket and one in a bag). If one is lost or taken, you still have another one.

- Look for homes that can serve as “safe houses”. If you can, talk to the owners first.

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