We’ve all felt it: The racing heartbeat that comes with the sound of footsteps behind you at night. It prompts you to slip your keys between your fingers, to make a right turn when it isn’t necessary, to pretend to talk on your cell phone and hope that’s enough.
I hate this feeling, and it’s hard to alleviate. But the newest download to my iPhone is helping a bit.
I downloaded SafeTrek after reading about it after I moved to Cleveland for an internship. I’m not a big app user (my data plan thanks me for that) but after waking my sleeping college roommates one too many times—the 3 a.m. walks from my car aren’t great conversational fodder—I was willing to give it a try.
The premise is that you keep your finger on your phone screen, and once you remove it, the app prompts you to enter a four-digit pin. If you fail to enter the pin, the app alerts the authorities with your location.
Now, obviously there could be some flaws in this whole thing. A football thrown at your head. Being tipsy and suddenly forgetting your pin. But the upside is that you feel proactive. It’s not preventative, but the app gives you some sense of safety.
I don’t think it’s a complete solution, obviously, but it’s worth downloading for the peace of mind. Flashing your bright cell phone with a big red button on it makes you feel like people can see you’re connected to someone without being distracted. Plus, it’s free, so what’s the risk?
Just don’t go around giving people spontaneous high fives.
Let me know in the comments or on Twitter if there are other apps out like this that help you gain peace of mind when you’re walking in an unsafe area.
