Regardless – You’ve got balls dude!! I’m not sure I’d even know how to react.

Hope you are doing better after that horrible incident. Thanks for sharing this shocking experience because this does happen, but we often don’t hear about it. You were pretty brave in the way you reacted.

You are lucky that you did not get hurt in the process of dealing with this intruder. I guess in India pepper spray is not banned…you should have a can with you. The second thing to do is to call somebody from your family on the cell phone and let them know what is happening…I know in the heat of the moment it might have not occured to you…but this is a point to remember.

I am sure you have got lots of suggestions and feedback, and I won’t offer any except to point out that you need to keep your belongings locked in the boot of your car and not in the back seat, and don’t leave your electronic devices lying around the dashboard of your car.

Here are a couple of things for women traveling in cars in India. I put these points into use when I am India. Many times I travel by myself in a car with the driver and follow a couple of steps that might seem overly cautious, but worth it. If it is late in the evening or night, or it is a driver that I don’t know. I keep my cell phone in my hand and the minute I get into the car I call either my family or friends and let them know that I am in the car and traveling and share the driver’s name and in many cases their cell phone number. If I feel esp uncomfortable with the driver then I will make it a point to talk on the phone with a family member just so the driver knows that I am in constant touch with someone who knows where exactly I am at any given point. I will explicitly state that I just crossed this road, or this store or this traffic light.

If you are driving the car yourself…remember to check on either side of your car to see who else is parked and waiting before you open the door.

Cheers!

kamla bhatt