Companion app for safety

[Chuckanut]

Here's an interesting app designed for people who have reason to be concerned for their personal safety (like those who have to walk home late at night) and I am wondering what people think of it. Part of me thinks it's a good idea, another part thinks it may give a person a false sense of security.

It's called Companion.

Companion: Never Walk Home Alone. Your Personal Safety Service & Mobile Blue Light

We built Companion to be used just once along your route, and that’s entering your destination and hitting start. From then on, we do the rest, alerting you if we think something’s up, and your friends 10 seconds later if you don’t respond. Existing solutions require you to manually alert your friends or family if something goes wrong. Others will alert your friends in a pre-specified amount of time. All of these solutions ask you to focus on managing this experience rather than simply focusing on your safety. Companion is automated and works in real-time so you can focus on what’s going on around you in case something bad does happen.

 

[Senator]

Help the community identify sketchy areas. We'll make sure to pass this info on to public safety to make your next walk home even safer

That quote is from the App. I would guess at some point, people actually living in sketchy areas would think this is a bad idea. They may even rule it to be some sort of red-lining, which is illegal.

The app has potential, but if I was that scared to walk, I would take a cab or get a permit to carry.

 

[Onward]

Great idea for an app, IMO.

 

[MRG]

False sense of security. Seriously some evil person comes up smashes your phone, throws you in a van, and your in the next county before anyone notices.

I don't think anyone who has been attacked by someone wishing them ill would ever think this would provide any defense.

 

[marko]

there's an app for that. it's called Uber

 

[frayne]

I've got two apps that provide us with excellent security, Mr. Springfield XD 9mm and Mrs. Bersa Thunder 380. I also exercise them out at the range on a routine basis just to make sure they never let me down.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I've got two apps that provide us with excellent security, Mr. Springfield XD 9mm and Mrs. Bersa Thunder 380. I also exercise them out at the range on a routine basis just to make sure they never let me down.

I think these types of apps do a great disservice in that they don't do much of anything but tell people of what is about to happen or just happened. Rare is it that you can summons help from the police to assist you in such a situation (car jacking, armed robbery, etc) until the damage is already done.

I have an app that would probably work a little better in a situation like this. It's called "Glock"...I don't even need to have my phone for it to work.

 

[frayne]

Just as a side note, one can do much to prevent getting into a precarious unsafe situation simply by avoiding such locales, especially during the night time hours. If one finds themselves in such a situation there is no substitute for situational awareness and preparedness. Single woman by far are to most likely victims and should not be out alone in questionable places if at all possible. Just my two cents.

 

[Rustic23]

Just downloaded Emergensee. It is on the Iphone, don't know about Android. At the press of a button it sets up a video with contacts you choose. Has a 911 button, and and EMS button. Tried it using mine and DW's phone and it appears to work. Nice price, free, unless you want to pay for the monitoring.

 

[rodi]

I have a friend who this would work well for. She's a runner, and lives in a semi-rural lake area... She was complaining about seeing the same guy on her route, in different places... and got the feeling he was stalking her. She changed her run time, changed her route - but still saw him some... She started emailing/texting friends when she was headed out for her run, and then again when she returned. We knew that if she didn't follow up with the second text we were to call her husband and the police.

(Eventually the guy stopped showing up on her route... but she continued the protocol for a while after that.)

 

[Chuckanut]

Just as a side note, one can do much to prevent getting into a precarious unsafe situation simply by avoiding such locales, especially during the night time hours.

FWIW, I think this app was developed by and for mostly female college students who often must walk home or back to the dorms in the dark after night classes. I think the idea is you use the app to tell somebody you are leaving and will be home in 20 minutes. It tracks you on the way. If you don't' show up, the 'companion' notifies the authorities. Of course, by then some problem has probably already occurred. At least a student is not missing for hours and nobody notices.

 

[braumeister]

I have a friend who this would work well for. She's a runner, and lives in a semi-rural lake area... She was complaining about seeing the same guy on her route, in different places... and got the feeling he was stalking her.

A very simple trick I have sometimes advised women friends to try:

When you see someone during your run who makes you feel at all uncomfortable, act as if your phone has just rung, pull it out and begin talking on it (no need to actually dial).

This will usually cause the other person to leave and seek easier prey, but if the situation escalates you can quickly hit a speed dial number or even 911.

 

[Walt34]

Can't hurt, might help by alerting someone that you didn't show up when expected.

 

[GrayHare]

This type of app seems destined to generate many false alarms.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Just as a side note, one can do much to prevent getting into a precarious unsafe situation simply by avoiding such locales, especially during the night time hours. If one finds themselves in such a situation there is no substitute for situational awareness and preparedness. Single woman by far are to most likely victims and should not be out alone in questionable places if at all possible. Just my two cents.

+1. Don't live in dodgy areas. Don't visit dodgy areas. Still looking for that app.

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