by Joshua Piven
You can observe the person without being obvious. Never make eye contact.
3. Note the thief’s identifying characteristics (dress, gait, height, and weight).
You will be able to keep track of the thief in a crowd (or after losing sight of him or her) if you are looking for particular details.
4. Stay well behind the person you are following.
Never tail a person by walking right behind him or her. Follow from a distance of at least 40 feet, or from across the street.
5. If the thief goes into a store, do not follow.
Remain outside, looking in the store window, or wait a few doors down for the thief to come out. If the thief does not emerge quickly, check for a back exit.
6. Once you have determined that the thief has arrived at his or her destination, call the authorities.
Confronting thieves alone is risky. Use a phone or ask a storeowner to call the police. Describe your target and his or her location.
Be Aware
• Wallet thieves and pickpockets often follow a similar pattern: They pass the wallet to another person immediately following the theft in order to throw you off the trail, and that person passes it to another. If you can, follow the initial thief: The thief may no longer be carrying your wallet, but might lead you to those who are.
HOW TO LOSE SOMEONE WHO IS FOLLOWING YOU
IF YOU ARE IN A CAR
1. Determine if you are actually being followed.
If you suspect a tail, observe the car as you continue to drive. If the car remains behind you, make three to four turns in a row to see if it continues to follow you. Then signal a turn in one direction but turn quickly in the other direction. See if the other car turns as well.
2. Once you are certain you are being followed, get on a highway, or drive to a populous and active area.
Do not drive home, to a deserted place, or down an alley. You are more likely to shake your tail in a crowd than in a deserted area.
3. Drive at the speed limit, or a bit slower.
Soon, another car (not that of your pursuer) will attempt to pass you. Speed up slightly so the car pulls in behind you. Repeat, but don’t go so slowly that an innocent car behind you is able to pass you.
4. Slow down at a busy intersection with a traffic light, then accelerate through the intersection just after the light changes.
The car following you may get stuck at the red light. If you attract the attention of the police for running a red light, your pursuer will most likely leave the scene.
5. When you have several cars around you, speed up, get off the highway (if you are on one), and make several quick turns to further elude your pursuer.
Your pursuer should be too far back to follow closely.
6. Once you are out of sight of your pursuer, pull into a parking lot, a garage, or a shopping center with lots of other cars.
7. If you still have not lost your tail at this point, drive to a police station and get help.
IF YOU ARE ON FOOT
1. Determine if you are being followed, and identify your tail.
Take a random path: Make unexpected changes in direction at intersections and retrace your steps, effectively making a U-turn. Do not, however, get yourself disoriented or lost. Note any identifying characteristics of your tail (dress, gait, height, and weight).
2. Keep an eye on your pursuer, but do not look back at him/her.
Use reflective surfaces such as shop windows to see behind you. If you have a makeup case with a mirror, use that.
3. Stay in crowds.
Do not head for home, to a deserted place, or down alleys.
4. Once you are certain that you are being followed, use these methods to shake your tail:
• Enter the front of a store, shop, or restaurant and go out through the back entrance—most restaurants have exits in the kitchen.
• Buy a ticket for a movie, enter after it has started, and leave through an emergency exit before your pursuer enters the theater.
• Use mass transit, and exit or enter the train or bus just before the doors close.
5. If you have not shaken your tail, walk to a police station or call the police from a public place.
Never head for home unless you are certain you are no longer being followed.
Be Aware
• If you are certain your tail is not dangerous, you may want to confront your pursuer in a public place with many people around. Say that you know you are being followed and ask your pursuer why. Use this method only if you feel the person is not dangerous.
CHAPTER 3
GETTING AROUND
HOW TO JUMP FROM ROOFTOP TO ROOFTOP
1. Look for any obstructions if you have time.
You may have to clear short walls, gutters, or other obstacles as well as the space between buildings.
2. Check your target building.
Make certain that you have enough space to land and roll. If the target building is lower than your building, assess how much lower it is. You risk broken ankles or legs if there is more than a one-story differential in the buildings. If there are two stories or more, you risk a broken back.
3. Check the distance between the buildings.
Most people cannot jump farther than 10 feet, even at a full run. If the buildings are farther apart than this distance, you risk catastrophic injury or death. You must clear the distance and land on the other roof, or be able to grab on to a ledge on the other side. If the target building is lower, your forward momentum will continue to carry you even as you fall, so you may be able to leap a greater distance—though probably not more than about 12 feet. You could successfully leap a span across an alley, but not a two-lane road.
4. Pick a spot for take off and a spot for landing.
5. Run at full speed toward the edge.
You must be running as fast as possible to attempt a leap of a distance of more than a few feet. You will need 40 to 60 feet of running room to develop enough speed to clear about 10 feet.
6. Leap.
Make sure your center of gravity is over the edge of your target building in case your whole body doesn’t clear the span and you have to grab hold. Jump with your arms and hands extended and ready to grab the ledge.
7. Try to land on your feet, then immediately tuck your head and tumble sideways onto your shoulders, not forward onto your head.
Because you will not be moving fast, it is safe to roll head over heels, unlike jumping from a moving vehicle.
HOW TO JUMP FROM A MOVING TRAIN
1. Move to the end of the last car.
If this is not an option, you can jump from the space between cars, or from the door if you can get it open.
2. If you have time, wait for the train to slow as it rounds a bend in the tracks.
If you jump and land correctly, you will probably survive even at high speeds (70 mph or more), but you increase your chances of survival if the train is moving slowly.
3. Stuff blankets, clothing, or seat cushions underneath your clothes.
Wear a thick or rugged jacket if possible. Use a belt to secure some padding around your head, but make certain you can see clearly. Pad your knees, elbows, and hips.
4. Pick your landing spot before you jump.
The ideal spot will be relatively soft and free of obstructions. Avoid trees, bushes, and, of course, rocks.
5. Get as low to the floor as possible, bending your knees so you can leap away from the train car.
6. Jump perpendicular to the train, leaping as far away from the train as you can.
Even if you jump from the last car, leap at right angles to the direction of the train. This way, your momentum will not carry you toward the wheels and tracks.
7. Cover and protect your head with your hands and arms, and roll like a log when you land.
Do not try to land on your feet. Keep your body straight and try to land so that all parts of your body hit the ground at the same time—you will absorb the impact over a wid
er area. If you land on your feet, you will most likely break your ankles or legs. Do NOT roll head over heels as if doing a forward somersault.
HOW TO ESCAPE FROM A CAR HANGING OVER THE EDGE OF A CLIFF
1. Do not shift your weight or make any sudden movements.
2. Determine how much time you have.
If the car is like the majority of cars, it is front-wheel drive with the engine in front. This means the bulk of its weight is over the front axle. If the rear, rather than the front, is hanging over the edge of the cliff, you probably have more time to climb out. If the front of the car is over the edge, assess your situation. What is the angle of the car? Is it teetering? Does it sway when you shift your weight? If the car is shifting, you must act quickly.
3. If the front doors are still over land, use these doors to make your escape, regardless of which way your car is facing.
Open the door gradually, move slowly, and get out.
4. If the front doors are over the edge, move to the rear of the car.
Proceed slowly and deliberately; do not jump or lurch. If you have a steering wheel lock or a screwdriver, take it with you—you may need it to get out.
5. Reassess your situation.
Will opening the rear doors cause the car to slide? If not, open them slowly and get out quickly.
6. If you think that opening the rear doors will cause the car to slide over the edge, you must break the window.
Without shifting your weight or rocking the car, use the steering wheel lock or screwdriver to shatter the rear door window (this is safer than breaking the back window because it will require less movement as you climb out). Punch it in the center—the window is made of safety glass and will not injure you.
7. Get out as quickly as possible.
Be Aware
• In situations involving several people, everyone in the front (or everyone in the back) should execute each step simultaneously.
• If driver and passengers are in both front and rear seats, the people who are closest to the edge of the cliff should attempt to get out of the car first.
HOW TO ESCAPE WHEN TIED UP
UPPER TORSO BONDS
1. When your captors start binding you, expand your body as much as possible.
• Take a deep breath, puff out your chest, and pull your shoulders back.
• Flex your arms against the bonds.
• Push against the bonds as much as possible.
2. When your captors are away, suck in your chest and stomach.
3. Wiggle free with the extra room you have given yourself.
HAND AND WRIST BONDS
1. Push or flex against the bonds as your captors are tying you.
2. Keep your wrists apart, if possible.
3. Use a pointed object that protrudes (a spike or hook) to work the bonds loose.
You may also be able to work the knots free with your teeth by biting and pulling on the knots.
4. Free yourself by relaxing your hands and wrists and working until the slack can ride over your palms and fingertips.
LEG AND ANKLE BONDS
1. While being bound, flex your thighs, knees, calves, and ankles against the bonds.
• If being bound at the ankles, force them apart by bracing the toes of your shoes and knees together.
• If being bound at the thighs or calves, force them apart by keeping the toes of your feet together and your legs turned slightly outward.
2. Relax your legs and work the bonds down.
Use your hands to pull the bonds off your legs and ankles, even if your hands are bound.
REMOVING GAGS
Rub your face or head against a wall, a piece of furniture, or anything projecting to slip the gag down over your chin.
HOW TO RAM A BARRICADE
1. Identify the barricade’s weakest point.
The side of the barricade or gate that opens, or the place where a lock holds it closed, is usually its most vulnerable spot. Some barricades and gates have no locks at all: These are opened and closed by the force of an electric motor or magnet, which can be overpowered rather then rammed (see below).
2. Aim for the weak spot.
If possible, use the rear of the car to ram the weak spot—hitting with the front may damage the engine and cause the car to stall.
3. Accelerate to a speed of 30 to 45 mph.
Too rapid an approach will cause unnecessary damage to the car. Keep your foot on the gas all the way through. Consider how much room you will need to turn or stop once you clear the barricade.
4. Duck just before impact if you are heading toward an extremely tall barricade or fence.
Pieces of the barricade may come through your window or the windshield may shatter.
5. Avoid poles or anchors that are sunk into the ground.
These may bend and not break, and then drag against and damage the underside of the car, preventing you from driving.
6. Repeat as necessary to break through.
ELECTRONIC GATES
Electrically powered gates that swing open and closed (like those found in gated communities and apartment complexes) are best pushed open rather than rammed. Pushing or forcing the gate open with your car will result in minimal damage and will almost always open the gate. If you are traveling in the direction the gate opens, simply ease your bumper up to the gate and push. Your car will easily overpower the small electric motor that operates the gate.
HOW TO ESCAPE FROM THE TRUNK OF A CAR
1. If you are in a trunk that has no wall separating the backseats and the trunk, try to get the seats down.
Although the release for most seats is inside the passenger compartment, you may be able to fold or force them down from the trunk side. (If not, continue to step 2.)
2. Check for a trunk cable underneath the carpet or upholstery.
Many new cars have a trunk release lever on the floor below the driver’s seat. These cars should have a cable that runs from the release lever to the trunk. Look for the cable beneath carpeting or upholstery, or behind a panel of sheet metal. If you locate the cable, pull on it to release the trunk latch. (If not, continue to step 3.)
3. Look for a tool in the trunk.
Many cars have emergency kits inside the trunk, underneath or with the spare tire. These kits may contain a screwdriver, flashlight, or pry bar. Use a screwdriver or pry bar to pry the latch open. You can also pry the corner of the trunk lid up and wave and yell to signal passersby. (If there is no tool, continue to step 4.)
4. Dismantle the car’s brake lights by yanking wires and pushing or kicking the lights out.
Then wave and yell to signal passersby or other cars. This method is also recommended if the car is moving and you need to signal cars behind you.
Be Aware
• No car trunk is airtight, so the danger of suffocation in a car trunk is low. Breathe regularly and do not panic—panic increases the danger of your hyperventilating and passing out. Keep in mind, however, that on a hot day the interior temperature of a car trunk can reach 140 degrees. Work quickly but calmly.
HOW TO SURVIVE A FALL ONTO SUBWAY TRACKS
1. Do not attempt to climb back onto the platform unless you are certain that you have enough time to do so.
If a train is approaching, you will need to act quickly.
2. Avoid areas of the ground near the track and the wall that are marked with a strip of tape or with red and white painted stripes.
Such markings indicate that the train passes extremely close to these areas, and you will not have enough clearance. In areas with these markings, there should be alcoves every several yards. These alcoves are safe to stand in if you can fit within them.
3. If the tracks are near a wall, check to see if there is enough space to stand between the train and the wall.
Clearance of 1½ to 2 feet should be enough. Remove any articles of clothing or bags that could catch on the train. Stand straight, still, and tall facing the train, which will pass just
inches in front of you.
4. If the tracks are located between the platform and another set of tracks, you may be able to move to the other track instead.
Be mindful of trains approaching on the other side. Cross the third rail (which carries the electric current) by stepping completely over it—do not step on the wooden guard, since it may not hold you.
5. If a line of columns separates the tracks from other tracks, stand between the columns.
Remove any articles of clothing or bags that could catch on the train, and stand straight, still, and tall.
6. Check to see if there is enough space for you to crawl under the lip of the concrete platform and avoid the train.
Use this only as a last resort—this strategy is not recommended since all platforms are different.
Alternatives
If none of these options is feasible, you have two other choices.
• Run past the leading end of the platform, beyond where the front car will stop.
Since trains running on the track closest to the platform are likely to stop at a station (as opposed to express trains, which usually run on center tracks), you can clear the train by running well past the leading end of the platform and thus the front car. (Note: This method will not work for express trains that only stop at some stations, so you are taking your chances.)
• If there is a depression in the concrete between the rails, lie down into it—there will be enough room for a train to pass over you. (Use this method only in desperation—the train may be dragging something, or there may not be enough clearance.)
HOW TO SURVIVE IN A PLUMMETING ELEVATOR
1. Flatten your body against the car floor.
