15 Things Every Indian Girl Does When She’s Travelling Alone at Night

Every woman will agree that travelling solo in the middle of the night in India is super-scary. The city looks terrifying, and every man on the road seems like a dangerous predator. These are some of the things every Indian girl does when she is travelling alone at night. We’re sure you’ve done these things at least once…

1. Carrying pepper spray and holding on to it for dear life throughout the journey.

2. Pulling on a jacket or using a shawl to cover up, even when you aren’t wearing something that is very revealing.

3. Being super-alert and be wary of every male you pass on the road, especially those on bikes.

4. Pretending to talk on the phone, if you can’t think of someone to actually call.

5. Listening to music to stay alert and not doze off.

6. Getting off outside your colony gate so that the rickshawallah doesn’t figure out exactly where you stay, even if it means you have to walk half a kilometre in heels to actually reach home.

7. Giving constant updates to your bestie via messages.

8. Noting down the license plate number of the vehicle you’re in and texting it to someone – just in case there’s an emergency.

9. Trying to keep all those stories you’ve heard about other girls’ horrifying experiences from creeping into your mind.

10. Clutching your purse or handbag hard enough to make your fingers hurt, so that no passerby can come and snatch it away.

11. Ensuring that you travel by well-lit roads even if that means taking a much longer route.

12. Praying hard to God that your phone doesn’t conk off! (Juice packs, ladies – get yourself juice packs!)

13. Keeping a safety app open that’ll set off an alarm at a moment’s notice.

14. Trying your best to ignore an over-talkative rickshaw/cab driver and hoping he’ll stop being so “friendly”.

15. Telling your folks that you are 5 minutes from home when you’re actually half an hour away/ saying that you’re not travelling alone but with a friend – hey, you’re scared enough for three people, at least this way your loved ones worry a little less.

GIFs: giphy.com

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