Women who have been to an appointment or meeting in an office building, especially a high rise, have passed through at least one of the high risk locations for being assaulted, abducted, or raped.

The most vulnerable time is when she leaves the building and walks toward her parked vehicle. Virtually every parking area, whether a garage or a parking lot, provides places for would-be assaulters to hide. Any car, even a compact, can keep an assailant hidden until it is too late to elude capture – unless the woman stays alert and is prepared to repel boarders, things could go very badly for her.

Arm yourself. This does not mean just keeping your keys positioned in a particular way in case you need to defend yourself. If an assailant gets close enough for you to use your keys on him, the odds of your surviving the encounter are pretty slim.

Non-lethal weapons are particularly useful in these situations. Mace and pepper spray come in dispensers that are designed to attach them to your key ring. That means your self defense weapon is close enough for you to get to it and use it.

Another option is some form of stun gun. These come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes that range from an 18 inch stun baton to a mini stun gun smaller than a pack of cigarettes.

1. Get one.
2. Learn how to use it.
3. Live to tell other women how you prepared and survived.