The Last 100 Feet: Why Personal Safety Doesn't End When Your Ride Does

You've had a great evening. Dinner with friends, a concert, maybe a few drinks. You made the responsible decision to use a rideshare service instead of driving.

Your driver arrives at your destination, you thank them, close the door, and head toward home.

The trip is over. Right?

Not necessarily.

There's a part of personal safety that doesn't receive much attention: those final moments between getting dropped off and reaching your destination safely.

Getting There Isn't the Same as Getting Inside

Whether you're returning to your apartment, walking into a hotel, or heading across a parking lot, those last few minutes deserve the same attention you gave the rest of your journey.

It's easy to become distracted. You're checking messages, looking for your keys, or thinking about the evening you just enjoyed.

But staying aware of your surroundings is important, particularly when you're somewhere unfamiliar.

Here are a few simple habits worth developing.

Four Ways to Make the Final Stretch Safer

1. Choose Your Drop-Off Location Carefully

Ask your driver to drop you near a well-lit entrance whenever possible. If you're unfamiliar with the neighborhood, take a moment to identify the correct entrance before ending your trip.

2. Have Your Keys Ready

Don't wait until you're standing outside your door to begin digging through your purse or pockets. Have your keys or access credentials ready before approaching the entrance.

3. Pay Attention to Your Surroundings

Put the phone away for a moment, unless you need it for navigation or assistance. Look around, identify your destination, and avoid distractions that could prevent you from recognizing an uncomfortable situation.

4. Let Someone Know You've Arrived

A simple check-in can provide peace of mind to the people who care about you.

Virtual Halo's Check-In feature was designed around this very concept: giving you a convenient way to tell selected contacts you're okay.

And if you encounter a situation where you need assistance, having your emergency contacts configured in advance provides another way to communicate that you need help. Make sure those contacts have actively consented; without that consent, they will not receive emergency texts from Virtual Halo.

Small Actions Can Make a Big Difference

Personal safety doesn't have to be complicated, expensive, or something that consumes your attention throughout the day.

Often, it's simply about developing a few good habits and taking advantage of the technology already available to us.

I've always believed that people should spend more time enjoying life and less time worrying about everything that could go wrong.

A little preparation helps make that possible.

Enjoy the evening. Have fun. And remember, your journey isn't finished until you've arrived safely.

Studying Abroad: Keep Your People Close, Wherever You Go

Studying abroad is a pretty wonderful kind of independence. New classes, new friends, and a new city to figure out. Even finding your favorite coffee shop can feel like an accomplishment.

If you're studying in Liverpool, that might include a walk along the waterfront between lectures. Wherever you land, the people who care about you may be a few streets away—or an ocean away.

A little planning helps keep both groups in the picture.

Set Up Your Contacts Before You Need Them

Choose emergency contacts back home and trusted students studying with you in the same city. Talk with each person about the responsibility and what you want them to do if they receive an alert.

Nearby friends may be able to help locally. Contacts back home can coordinate with your program and people you trust. Share your accommodation details and program's emergency contact information with them.

Every emergency contact must actively consent. Without that consent, they will not receive emergency texts. Make sure everyone has accepted before relying on the setup.

Make Check In Part of Your Routine

Use Virtual Halo's Check In feature to tell selected contacts you're okay. Agree on a routine that suits your new life: after arriving, when you're back from a weekend trip, or after an evening out.

Choose times with both time zones in mind. Your afternoon in Liverpool could be someone's busy morning back home. A useful plan is one everyone understands and can realistically follow.

Use Going Out for Your Adventures

Before heading out, use Going Out and set an expected return time that allows for your journey home.

If you haven't returned on-grid by that time, Going Out can alert your emergency contacts. Your last known location gives them a place to start looking. Share your destination and intended route separately, too; that location may not be where you are now.

Know When to Use SOS

If you need help, Virtual Halo's SOS feature can alert your emergency contacts, including those back home and the fellow students you've designated nearby.

Discuss who will respond locally and how everyone will communicate. In an immediate emergency, contact local emergency services directly when you can. Keep your phone charged and check your mobile service before depending on it abroad.

Enjoy the new city. Build your own routines. And give your people a clear plan for staying connected.

National Coming Out Day: Your Story, Your Timing

National Coming Out Day, observed on October 11, is a reminder of how much it can mean to feel accepted as yourself.

For some LGBTQ+ people, coming out is a joyful conversation. For others, it's something they're still thinking through. And sometimes the right decision is to wait.

That's a decision you get to make.

Your Story Belongs to You

Coming out doesn't need to happen all at once. You might tell one trusted friend, speak with a family member, or keep parts of your life private in certain settings.

A date on the calendar doesn't create a deadline.

Think about who you trust, where you feel comfortable, and what support you would want afterward. If sharing could affect your housing, financial support, or personal safety, give yourself time to make a plan with someone you trust.

The Human Rights Campaign's coming-out resources can help you think through those choices at your own pace.

Make Room for Support

If you're planning an important conversation, you can arrange a check-in with a trusted person afterward. Agree on a time and what you want them to do if they don't hear from you.

Virtual Halo's Check In feature can help you let selected contacts know you're okay. Choose people you feel safe sharing with, and consider what notifications might reveal on a shared phone or visible screen.

If you designate emergency contacts, make sure they've actively consented. Without that consent, they will not receive emergency texts.

Technology can support the arrangement. The conversation about what you need still matters.

Be the Person Someone Can Trust

If someone comes out to you, listen. Thank them for trusting you. Ask what support would be helpful.

And keep their confidence. Being told someone's story doesn't give you permission to tell it to anyone else—or post it online.

You don't have to deliver a perfect speech. A simple "I'm glad you told me" can mean quite a lot.

I've always believed personal safety should help people live with confidence and independence. That includes having control over what you share, when you share it, and with whom.

Your story. Your timing. And support that respects both.

Your Emergency Contact Has a Job. Do They Know It?

We spend a lot of time thinking about what we would do in an emergency. But there's another person in that equation who deserves just as much attention: the person receiving our call for help.

Think about it. You've taken the time to download a personal safety app, selected your emergency contacts, and prepared yourself for the unexpected. But have you ever asked those contacts what they would actually do if they received an SOS from you?

It's a conversation worth having.

Being an Emergency Contact Is More Than Being on a List

When someone selects you as an emergency contact, they're placing an enormous amount of trust in you. They're counting on you to recognize when something is wrong, respond appropriately, and potentially help coordinate assistance.

That's a pretty significant responsibility.

But here's something equally important: Being selected as an emergency contact doesn't automatically mean you've agreed to become one.

At Virtual Halo, we believe that being someone's emergency contact should be a responsibility you knowingly accept, not something assigned to you without your permission.

That's why Virtual Halo requires emergency contacts to provide active consent before they can receive emergency text notifications.

Simply adding someone's name and phone number isn't enough. That person must affirmatively accept their role as an emergency contact. Without that consent, they will not receive emergency messages from Virtual Halo.

It's an important distinction, and one that could make all the difference when an emergency occurs.

Five Things Every Emergency Contact Should Know

1. Accept the Responsibility

If someone asks you to be their emergency contact through Virtual Halo, make sure you've completed the consent process. Until you've actively accepted, you won't receive their emergency text notifications. Likewise, if you're setting up your own emergency contacts, verify that the people you've selected have accepted their invitations.

2. Know What an SOS Means

An SOS notification shouldn't be treated like an ordinary text message. If someone sends you an emergency alert, take it seriously. Don't assume they accidentally pressed a button or that somebody else will respond.

3. Know How to Respond

Try contacting the person immediately. If the circumstances suggest an emergency, contact local emergency services and share the information available to you, including their location. Don't delay necessary assistance while waiting for a response.

4. Have a Backup Plan

What happens if you're sleeping, traveling, or unable to answer your phone? Encourage the people who select you as an emergency contact to identify multiple trusted individuals who can assist when needed.

5. Practice Before There's a Problem

Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the personal safety tools your friends and family use. Understand what an alert looks like and what information it provides. If you're testing a safety app, coordinate beforehand so nobody mistakes a practice notification for an actual emergency.

Safety Is a Team Effort

At Virtual Halo, we've always believed that personal safety is about more than technology. It's about people looking out for one another.

Our technology helps individuals communicate when they need assistance, but it's the people receiving those alerts who can make a difference.

And that process begins with something simple: making sure the people you're counting on have agreed to be there for you.

So here's a little homework: Contact the people on your emergency contact list this week. Make sure they've actively accepted their role in Virtual Halo, explain what they might receive, and discuss what to do if something happens.

It's a five-minute conversation that could make an extraordinary difference someday.

Stay safe out there. And look out for one another.

The Hidden Horror: Understanding Sexual Assault

Sexual assault shatters lives and remains one of the most devastating and pervasive violations of human dignity. Its effects are both immediate and enduring, spanning physical, psychological, and societal dimensions.

Physical and Emotional Trauma

Survivors commonly face a range of severe physical consequences—painful physical injury, infections, unintended pregnancy, and reproductive issues such as dyspareunia (painful intercourse) and chronic pelvic pain  . The emotional toll is staggering: PTSD affects roughly 31% of survivors; anxiety, panic, and hypervigilance are frequent companions along the path to recovery  . Tragically, sexual assault survivors are also at elevated risk for suicide—even when accounting for other factors  .

Societal Violence: Victim-Blaming and Isolation

After enduring a trauma that no one should ever face, survivors often confront a secondary assault—shame, disbelief, and blame from others. This phenomenon, known as secondary victimization, further damages mental health and dissuades survivors from seeking help  . Persistent myths—like questioning why someone didn’t fight back or suggesting they were somehow responsible—fuel a culture of silence and stigma.

Culture of Silence: Rape Culture and Myths

Beyond individual reactions, there exists a broader context of a “rape culture”—a societal environment where violence is minimized, normalized, or blamed on the victim. This culture perpetuates harmful narratives, discourages reporting, and keeps victims in silence  . These narratives must be dismantled for meaningful societal change.

A Beacon of Hope: RAINN’s Lifeline for Survivors

For those navigating the aftermath of sexual assault, finding support can be lifesaving. RAINN offers immediate, compassionate, and confidential help—24/7.

Immediate Support You Can Count On

• National Sexual Assault Hotline: Free, confidential, available around the clock via call, chat, or text. Whether seeking immediate support or next steps, trained specialists are there to help  .

• Trusted Reach: Since 1994, RAINN has supported more than 5 million survivors. In fiscal year 2024 alone, it assisted about 412,000 individuals  .

• Broad Network: RAINN collaborates with over 1,000 local service providers nationwide, ensuring survivors are connected to community-based support and long-term resources  .
  

If you or someone you know needs help, visit RAINN or the National Sex Abuse Hotline at (800) 656-4673, or RAINN at (800) 656-HOPE. You are not alone—and help is available now.