25 people are sharing useful and practical tips on how to be street smart: 'It could save your life'

People have always raised debated between being street smart and being book smart. When being educated might help you advance in your career, being street-smart will provide you with knowledge about the world outside your safe bubble. People who are street-smart often learn from their positive or negative experiences. No matter how challenging the situation gets for them, street-smart people always have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Whether or not you are a born genius being a little street-smart with help you with making improvisations in critical situations on the spot and ensuring your own safety. So here are some people on Reddit, answering a crucial question raised by u/FuzzyThePuppy which reads: "What are the best 'street smart' tips you can give?" These safety measures and advice can help every individual in the long run and help you build enough confidence to travel or live alone.

1. Be aware of your vicinity

"Basically, just be aware of your surroundings. A lack of situational awareness can lead to some bad things." —u/tommytster

2. Windows are helpful too

"Use windows as mirrors to check behind you. Literally every window you walk past, you should take a quick glance to know what’s going on behind you." —u/Spook_Fuzz

3. Carry a pepper spray

"Everyone — especially women — should carry pepper spray for protection. It could save your life." —u/Ryan

4. Watch the corners

"Seriously, you should swing wide around corners, it’s no joke. Once I was walking home from the bar. I lived two blocks away. At the time, I was 6'1" and probably weighed 280 pounds. I came around the corner about halfway home and BOOM, I went down. Some kid that didn't even look 18 nailed me in the face with a skateboard. I went down so fast and didn't even know what hit me."  —u/rusty_L_shackleford

5. Know the difference

"There’s a difference between feeling comfortable and feeling safe."  —u/badgerfishing

6. Notice the shadows

"Shadows can also be useful to pay attention to when you’re trying to peek behind you or see if there’s someone around a corner."  —u/jannabanandroid

7. Know your exits

"Look up the OODA loop (observe–orient–decide–act) and learn it. Notice who stands out and who looks out of place. If you get a bad feeling about a situation or person, DO NOT ignore it." —u/TheBklynGuy

8. Keep your tongue in check

"If you get arrested, shut up. Ask for a lawyer, and then shut up. And when a lawyer shows up, shut up."  —u/inkseep1 

9. Walk confidently

"Walk tall. Keep your hands out of your pockets."  —u/EffloresceDeliquesce

10. No rules in this situation

"If someone is attempting to take you to a secondary location by car or something, fight like your life depends on it because it does. Poke their eyes out. Punch them in the testicles. Bite them, scratch them, anything you can think of, do it to get yourself free. There are no rules when it comes to this situation. Some specific things you can do are screaming 'Fire!' Or 'Help my child!' This will catch more attention than just plain 'Help.'"  —u/Spook_Fuzz 

11. Look back as well

"If you think you are being followed or if you hear somebody behind you, feel free to turn around and look directly at them because it shows you are not afraid to be aware of your surroundings."  —u/UnicornPanties

12. Key are weapons too

"Always get your keys out before you leave a building to go to your car and have them in hand as you exit it before you go into your house. Not only are they a great weapon if needed, but you aren't distracted while searching for them."  —u/notthesedays

13. Text later

"Don't walk into the street texting, tweeting, meme-ing, etc. I've seen people walking straight into traffic because of this."  —u/rip_andtear

14. Walk carefully

"Always walk on the side of the road that opposes traffic. This puts distance between you and a car that might be trying to follow you."  —u/kannakantplay

15. Don't gawk

"Avoid gawking around. It screams 'tourist,' which screams 'money on them' and 'no idea what to do in a situation.'"  —u/NicNac_PattyMac

16. Trust your gut feelings

"Trust your gut. Your subconscious can notice details your conscious mind doesn’t. Don’t be afraid of making a scene to keep yourself safe."—u/usually_just_lurking

17. They might be shady for real

"If you think someone is acting noticeably weird, it’s because they are. Take note, maybe go away from them. If you’re in a public place tell someone in charge to keep an eye on them, it doesn’t hurt."  —u/badgerfishing

18. Give it your best shot

"Fighting tip— use the space around you. Not a lot of people think about their environment as a weapon, but it’s incredibly helpful. If you’re in danger, it’s not a chair, it’s something to push the other over. It’s not an empty glass, it’s a hitting/throwing tool."  —u/badgerfishing

19. Trust cautiously

"Don’t trust anyone you haven’t lived with for at least a year. People have a habit of controlling and suppressing their dark side for at least a year before they can’t hold it anymore to show their true colors." —u/Grace_Walsh

20. Plan and research thoroughly

"Don’t rush on a long journey before you plan it. Ancient explorers spent years planning their expeditions for many reasons. First, they wanted to minimize costs. Second, they wanted to minimize time. Thirdly, they wanted to minimize casualties." —u/Grace_Walsh

21. Keep your eyes ahead

"When walking always look up" —u/deleted

22. Act accordingly

"Realize the difference between someone trying to hurt you and trying to rob you." —u/NicNac_PattyMac

23. Avoid these women

"Be wary of women who approach you at a bar and immediately try and get you to go to another bar. Those people are called pullers and they are paid to do it."  —u/NicNac_PattyMac

24. Know your routes

"If you're on public transportation, know the area that the vehicle will pass through."  —u/rip_andtear

25. Avoid sneak attacks

"Always have your back facing the wall, they can't sneak up on you."  —u/FinnishGoaltendin