This Christmas "think safe, drink safe"

This Christmas, Greater Manchester Police is urging revellers to ‘Think Safe, Drink Safe’ and enjoy the festive season.

With lots of people out and about having a good time and drinking more than they’re used to, the police are reminding everyone to take simple steps to ensure that they stay safe and don’t leave themselves vulnerable to being a victim of crime.

A GMP spokesperson said: “We don’t want to ruin anyone’s fun, in fact it’s the opposite. We want to make sure that people have a great time and make the most of the vibrant nightlife across Greater Manchester but do so in a safe and responsible manner.

“Our message is simple that by sticking with friends, pacing drinks and planning to get home safely will reduce the risk of someone falling victim to crime.”

In the run up to Christmas and New Year, high-profile police patrols will be stepped up in town and city centres.

Following on from a recent campaign, officers are also urging people to not leave themselves vulnerable to sexual assaults by ‘night-hiking’. This is a term coined by GMP’s City Safe Unit and refers to people who attempt to get unsafe transport home after a night out, including trying to get into vehicles that have stopped at traffic lights.

As part of the Force’s Talon and ‘Think Safe Drink Safe’ initiatives, mirror stickers, posters and table decorations are being displayed in licensed premises across Greater Manchester, bearing safety messages such as ‘Take a taxi you can trust’ and ‘Friends, stay together, stay safe’.  

Heat-activated urinal stickers that reveal the slogan: ‘Rape. Small Word, long sentence’ have also been placed in men’s toilets. These are complemented by mirror stickers that display the words ‘Does this look like a rapist? No consent, no sex’. Pub and club goers can then see their own reflection in the mirror as they read the sticker.

Tips on how to have a fun safe night out without any problems

Pace your drinks:

• To enjoy a longer night out pace your drinks and have drink plenty of water.
• Always try to eat something before a night out. This will help soak up the alcohol.
• If you feel too drunk, switch to soft drinks for a while. Water will rehydrate your brain, help stop dizziness, lessen the hangover pain and help prevent queasiness.

Friends stay together:

• Go into town together and leave together.
• Do not wander off from your friends without letting anyone know where you are going and arrange a meeting point in case you do become separated.

Walk away from trouble:

• Be polite. If you accidentally spill someone's drink or bang in to them then apologise.
• Walk away from trouble; it's not worth it. If a friend starts becoming aggressive, calm them down and encourage them to sober up with a few soft drinks.

Take safe transport:

• When planning to go out, plan to get home safely.
• Try to pre-book a taxi before going out and arrange to be picked up from a safe, well lit, meeting point.
• Find out where taxi ranks are and try to choose staffed ones.
• If alone, book a taxi firm you know and trust.
• Do not get into a private hire car (they look like a normal car) unless you have booked them first, as it’s illegal and they will not be insured to carry you.
• Only hackney carriages (traditional black cabs) are insured to carry passengers who have flagged them down. Always sit in the back, preferably behind the driver.
• ·Some pubs and clubs will book you a taxi and allow you to wait in their premises.

Night bus:

• Night buses run until around 3am in parts of Greater Manchester.
• Find out when the last bus leaves so that you don't become stranded.
• Try to catch the bus from stops with bus loaders. If there isn't any in your town, use well-lit bus stops in busy areas.
• If alone, sit as near to the driver as possible and avoid empty upper decks. Tell the driver or guard if someone bothers you.

Walking:

• Avoid walking home alone. If you have no other choice, walk in the middle of the pavement and avoid short cuts through dimly lit deserted areas.
• Face ongoing traffic where you can be seen as this will avoid the surprise of a vehicle approaching from behind.
• If you think you are being followed, cross the street several times if necessary. If you still think you are being followed, walk to the busiest area you can find or knock on somebody's door. There are various help points in Manchester city centre that are linked to a CCTV operator.

This page was last updated on 3 October 2009