Even as I’ve walked through New York City, I’ve felt uneasy some nights—and I’m a native, born and raised here. I’m not alone. During my last visit to a museum, a close friend had her pocket-sized pepper spray taken away at the security check. She told me she’d been carrying it for years.
And it’s not just women who may be fearful. For people of color who often have to consider the additional concern of visiting places where they are made to feel unwelcome because of their skin, and for LBGTQ+ people, the situation can be scarier. The Department of State has tips specific for women travelers on its site, as do other women’s safety organizations, but the onus is always placed on women to better prepare and protect themselves from uncomfortable or dangerous situations.
To help me feel more confident and prepare for my first solo trip, I evaluated seven items in our lab that could make the prospect less scary. To my mother’s great pleasure and for my own benefit, I also spent several weeks carrying the two personal alarms, pocket-sized multitools, and hidden compartment hair accessories as I went about my everyday life. I found a few of them useful and a few that I wouldn’t recommend.
