By Kimberlee Winterton
A man calls out to a woman as she walks to her car south of campus. He politely asks for directions to the BYU Student Health Center.
It''s broad daylight.
'Oh, it''s up that way,' she says as she points and gives him directions. It seems relatively harmless to give a stranger directions. He appears to be OK.
'Hey, would you mind giving me a ride?' he asks. The proposal seems a little forward.
She politely, yet firmly, refuses and he tries to coax her.
'Oh come on, I''ll buy you lunch?' This time, the situation appears deceiving to her.
Again, her response is firm: 'No.' She follows her instinct, gets in her car and leaves. Not only does she drive out of sight, but her curiosity causes her to pull where she can also see the man and watch him get into his own car and drive away.
She remains attentive and is able to describe the car to police as a small hatchback filled with personal belongings.
This case appeared in the BYU Police Beat last semester. It is one of many other suspicious behavior cases occurring each semester on campus. Luckily, while she was not a trained professional in self-defense, the student handled the situation well.
While BYU is generally a safe campus, female students could minimize how vulnerable and naive they are in situations of assault through simple mental preparation.
'BYU has no walls,' said John Wagner, a private distributor of pepper spray. Wagner is also a security officer for University Police. 'We are not insulated from the rest of the world. If anything, we could be seen as a giant neon sign of gullibility- trusting, caring and too kind to protect ourselves.'
This year, the BYU Police Report for 2003 showed three instances of forcible sex offense on campus and one additional offense in residential halls in 2002.
'BYU is not invulnerable,' Wagner said. Like the woman who reported the suspect driving a small hatchback, Brooke Wilberger''s alleged abduction on May 24, a student from Corvallis, Ore., occurred in the daylight.
A couple resources female students have to assist in their mental preparation for self-defense include simply carrying a container of pepper spray or taking the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes offered at BYU and in the community.
'Pepper spray will incapacitate someone who attacks you,' Wagner said. 'Before my training as a security officer, my boss said it''s like having barbed wire scraped across my eye-balls. It''s true. It''s the most painful thing I''ve ever experienced.'
When Wagner''s trainer sprayed him, he took one step and then fell to the ground in pain and confusion. His co-workers fianc?, a bystander who planned to go through the training as well, changed her mind when she saw a grown, 6-foot, 5-inch man, weighing 205 pounds fall to the ground.
'I am a hug fan of pepper spray,' Wagner said. 'I wish every girl at BYU had a bottle of it.'
For a woman, leaving a dark, closed building on campus at 11p.m., like a computer lab or the Creamery, can be eerie. Carrying pepper spray can provide defense for those who have to be out late at night, without creating a false sense of security. Wagner''s wife, Jennifer, carries pepper spray with her wherever she goes. 'I work at Provo Hospital and I get out at midnight,' Jennifer said. 'Sometimes the security officer doesn''t always walk me out. I''ve been really grateful at night for the pepper spray.'
Women finding Wagner on campus during the day with a black duffle bag, offering to sell pepper spray, should not feel alarmed.
For those who purchase this most aggressive non-lethal weapon, Wagner offered the following tips:
* Spray it once, away from you, just to see how it works. Wear sunglasses when testing it.
* Don''t leave pepper spray in a bag or purse where you have to dig around for it in a hurry. Have it immediately accessible.
* Yell, 'Stop,' and don''t be afraid to use it, if you''re reasonably assured of an attack.
* Keep in mind where emergency phones are on campus, and avoid areas where people could hide.
'It''s a very, very useful tool,' Wagner said. He sells a key chain pepper spray for $15, a brand made by Def Tech and the same one BYU police uses. Another brand he sales comes in a pen and key chain version for $10. Wagner offers a student discount of $12 for the Def Tech brand, which is also the brand recommended in the RAD course.
RAD instructors teach women about the use of pepper spray, as well as mental and physical techniques of self-defense.
'I am a great advocate of pepper spray, too,' said Detective Randy O''Hara of University Police and an instructor of RAD.
The class, offered at BYU and as a non-accredited course in the community, has also been taught to women groups such as Relief Society meetings. Each semester, the course has a ceiling of 40 students, which O''Hara said fills up immediately.
'We are interested in expanding the program,' O''Hara said. 'We''re just waiting for approval from the other departments here.'
O''Hara recommended the following smart behaviors for women, as taught in RAD:
* Stay in well-lit areas at night.
* Try not to seclude yourself to areas where you will be all alone.
* Go into a shopping area, store, or anywhere with people whenever you feel unsafe.
* Carry your cell phone with you and call someone if you''re in trouble.
* Don''t be afraid to call safe-walk, an escort program from University Police, if you need a walk home.
* When you encounter someone, make eye contact with him or her.
In addition, the BYU Police Office carries a free brochure for college students called, 'Street Sense-It''s Elementary,' which includes tips from the National Crime Prevention Council. Some of the tips in the brochure include avoiding jogging alone, walking with confidence and making sure a roommate knows your routines.
Both Wagner and O''Hara agreed that women should always remain alert.
'Nearly all self-defense classes teach awareness,' Wagner said. 'It''s important to be prepared and there''s a thin line between preparation and feeling cocky.'
In any situation, BYU students have several options to avoid being a victim.
'Fear should reside in the hearts of the attackers, not the victims,' Wagner said. 'We should have a motto here at BYU: ''I will not be a victim.'''