If you’re one of a growing number of lone women pedaling their way across countries and continents, you’ve inevitably gotten the full range of reactions from ‘It’s too dangerous’, and ‘aren’t you afraid?’, to ‘you must be mad’. Grant it, the world is not as dangerous as most people believe it to be, but there are still some things which may increase the likelihood of the solitary cyclist “coming home in one piece”.

where can i buy Ivermectin Look your worst

I imagine like me, you were never much of a “girly girl” to begin with. You never owned a barbie, skipped over the pretty-in-pink princess years, and your favourite colour is blue or green. As an adolescent, most of your friends were boys with whom you played sports, climbed trees and arm wrestled. Probably they accepted you as “one of the guys”, encouraged by your anathema of dresses, bathing and prissy girls.

After a few months on the road, I resembled a cowboy who’d been dragged behind a horse for 10 miles. My short hair was always matted and greasy, a wash with bar soap felt like a luxury and I strongly suspected my smell might have been responsible for the two metre radius people seemed to maintain. Fortunately, I am not the kind of girl who checks mirrors for sun damage, overgrown eyebrows or a hairy lip. In short, I was not overly concerned about looking or smelling good. This was important, because the better a girl looks, the more attention she receives. And it is attention that you do not want.

My top tip for the wandering woman: look your worst. Rediscover your tomboy. Embrace your hobo. It is your best deterrent from unwanted stalkers on the road.

uncomplaisantly Civilization is your friend 

It’s a bit of a catch 22. While other humans are often the greatest threat, being near them may also help keep you safe. When finding a place to stay for the night, try to be close enough to civilization that you can dial 911 in an emergency and expect a 15 minute response. While pedaling through Thailand, I broke my own rule, intent on relaxing and passing a night on the beach. I turned off the main road towards the coast, which was far from any villages, police or people. Only after finding a bungalow camp 10 metres from the ocean and paying 8 dollars for a little wooden hut, did I discover there was no phone connection in the area. My gps SPOT tracker was blinking red and green; it could not pick up a satellite signal and would not transmit should I need to hit the emergency button.

That night, the family occupying the hut next to mine, were robbed at gunpoint by three men I had noticed hanging around earlier. I have never felt more helpless than that moment, knowing there was nothing I could do to call for help. Fortunately, the thieves never came to my door. It may be that my top tip served me well that night. I was working the filthy hobo look when I wheeled up asking for a room, they hardly gave me a second glance. Or it may have been the three stray beach dogs sat in front of my door growling and barking. The canines, at least, did not seem to mind my smell.

Be aggressive

I read somewhere that when facing a wild animal, make yourself as big as possible to scare them off. The same trick goes for humans. Most would-be attackers will think twice if you look capable of giving as good as you get. No criminal wants to get caught and the more likely you are to put up a fight, kick up some dust and draw attention, the less likely they’ll find you an attractive target.

When in a situation where you feel unsafe, be aggressive. Make yourself big, larger than life. Become the threat. This worked wonders when pedaling through India where gangs of men doubled up on motorcycles would follow me down the highway. Each time I stopped, a mob of men crowded around, silent and staring. I felt very alone and very intimidated. Plugging in my earphones and ignoring them, only served to encourage bad behavior.

When animals are cornered, they become aggressive. A rat being flushed down the toilet bowl attacks the broom handle, a threatened dog snaps and bites. Sick with diarrhea, hot, tired and surrounded by a mob, I too finally snapped. I needed directions to the next town and nobody would answer my persistent inquiries. All they did was stare until the tension in the air was palpable. Hedged in on all sides, with the crowd pushing against me and my bike, I felt claustrophobic and panicky as a caged animal. My response was to start acting like one. I shouted and waved my arms around in a fairly accurate rendering of a crazy monkey. No one could understand what I was saying, but I could see the surprise and uncertainty on their faces. I pushed my bike through them and they parted for me to pass. Nobody followed.

I handled all future situations in much the same way, shouting maniacally and threatening motorbike stalkers with my raised fist. First they’d laugh, then look worried and eventually drive off as the scene inevitably attracted the curiosity of bystanders and passing motorists. Acting big and bold usually attracts the wrong kind of attention, but when used at the right times, can be an effective weapon in the lone female’s arsenal. Be a mouse that scares elephants.

Have imaginary friends

Never be alone, even when alone. I always have a friend/s “just up ahead waiting for me”. When and if people ask, let them know there is someone nearby, or that you are being tracked on live gps. Carrying a SPOT tracker in an obvious place is effective for this. Let people know exactly what it is, and that you are being watched at all times.

Cover your tracks

Be vague when random strangers ask where you are going. You can give them the ultimate destination without filling in the exact route between. I tend to be wary when someone gets too interested in the details. If I get a strange vibe or sensation off of a curious stranger, I will flat out tell them I’m going in the opposite direction to throw them off my trail. They may be well meaning, but you never know for sure and it is better to be safe than take the risk of being followed by someone with less than honourable intentions. If you are carrying a gps tracker which regularly updates your route online, switch it off at least an hour before you stop, so your exact location cannot be traced.

If you suspect you are being followed, pull over somewhere busy. In Thailand, I was stalked for a couple hours by a guy on a red scooter. He grew bolder as time passed, coming right up next to me and launching into an impressive repertoire of dirty Thai words. I decided to use the aggressive approach, pulled out my iphone and snapped his picture. This appeared to rattle him. He sped up ahead, turning a sharp corner in the road and the moment he was out of sight, I swerved off onto a side road and into a service station. I bunkered down in the toilets with my bike for a good 20 minutes, till I felt it was safe to emerge again.

Carry an emergency phone

Nokia is my favourite. You can bang it around, drop it in water, ride your bike over it, that clunky little piece of mobile genius is not a quitter. It’s battery alone will last a week. Get a sim that works everywhere. One phone is never enough, always carry two, and make sure that emergency mobile is the toughest piece of equipment you have.

Trust your instinct

I cannot stress this enough. It may be last on the list, but it’s probably the most important. We’ve been conditioned since infancy to always be pleasant. Forget your social niceties and political correctness. You are the stranger on someone else’s turf, and therefore ignorant of your surroundings and vulnerable. It’s okay to be paranoid sometimes. Better to be uncivil and safe than kind and killed. Our animal instincts have grown weak from lack of use, but it doesn’t mean we don’t have them. If you don’t feel safe, you probably aren’t. Listen to what your instinct tells you and trust it. Trust yourself. If you feel confident, you project confidence, and confidence inspires respect. As it should! You’re a woman of the world, traveling the world. That is worthy of respect.