If you’ve completely forgotten how to read a bus timetable after almost 2 years of WFH, you’re not alone (even though we’re not sure we ever understood them in the first place).
Travelling back into the office can feel overwhelming after so long of doing a commute less than a minute long from the bedroom to the home office whilst eating a bowl of cereal.
You didn’t have to think about when you had to leave the house, which bus to get, or how to stay safe on your morning and evening commute. Going from only worrying about spilling your breakfast to thinking about your safety IRL again is a lot for anyone. So, for a stress-free journey to set you up for a good first day back, here are our top tips for a safer commute.
- Travel in Peak Times
This probably (okay, definitely) isn’t what you want to hear, but one of the best ways to stay safe on your commute to work is to travel during peak times. The more people you surround yourself with, the less likely someone will attempt to do something that puts you in danger, as it’s much harder to go undetected with so many people around. With people watching now being a serious sport since we got out of lockdown where most of us would take home the gold, someone is bound to have your back.
So, you know those hours you’ve been purposely avoiding for your entire life? You’ll now want to do anything you can to not avoid them. Generally, peak hours on public transport are between 7-9 am, and 4-6 pm. If you can, we recommend scheduling your morning and evening commute during these hours.
- Avoid Empty Carriages
This might not be such a problem if you’re travelling during peak times, since it’s pretty much impossible to get an entire carriage to yourself when someone’s saved you space under their armpit. But if you must commute to or home from work outside of these hours, try to avoid empty, or even quiet, carriages as you’ll have very few eyes on you. If they’re all particularly quiet, sit in the carriage closest to the driver.
With a 130-decibel alarm, Angela’s Personal Safety Alarm is loud enough to let the entire train or bus, and even those super heavy sleepers who snore on their commute to work, know you’re in trouble.
If you have to walk alone as part of your commute to or from work, our siren-like alarm with a 200-lumen strobing LED is a no-brainer, especially during colder months when you’re travelling in darkness.
Attach the self-defence alarm to your handbag or keys for the ultimate peace of mind during your journey.
- Keep Your Personal Belongings Close to You
To avoid any trouble on your morning or evening commute, make sure to keep all of your valuables secure. Having them on full show or easily accessible will make you an easy target and attract the wrong kind of attention. We enjoy being noticed by a hot commuter just as much as the next person, but a sleazy pickpocketer? Thanks, but no thanks.
- Know Your Exits
You know how on a plane they let you know where the nearest exits are just in case of an emergency? This is exactly like that. Every time you step on a tube or bus on your commute to work you should be mentally noting where all the exits are. While this is usually for emergencies like a fire, it’s also a good action plan if someone makes you feel uncomfortable. If you’re aware of where the exits are, you can easily jump off at the next stop. It’s time to channel your inner air hostess.
- Let Someone Know Your Commute to and From Work
Most of us take the same route to and from work every day, so another one of our recommended ways to stay safe on your commute is to let someone know what yours looks like. Do you walk to the station and then get a train at 7:40 am, but opt for a bus on your way back after a long day? When do you usually arrive at work or at home? These little details might seem minor, but they can be a huge help in getting you to safety if you ever find yourself in trouble as someone will be able to retrace your steps.
If your train or bus is delayed and you have to make a different commute to work to avoid being late, it’s an even better idea to let someone else in on your slight inconvenience. But keep it short and sweet. You don’t need to go OTT on the deets and blow up someone’s phone so early in the morning, especially if they’re not a morning person.
