Amanda Deibert, a writer for TV and comic books, recently shared a thought on Twitter that immediately went viral.
The fact that it did, she told BuzzFeed News, made her "sad" because of the subject. She asked women to describe what they do to protect themselves while out running.
One of my mom groups has a thread that is just women listing and recommending which kind of protection they take when them when they go out running (Ie. pepper spray, alarm necklaces, whistles, etc) in case you wondered what being a woman is like
Also, women: what do you use when you go out running?
Deibert said she used to be a runner, but now she mostly hikes and walks.
When she read the question in a Facebook group she's a member of, she began to reflect on all the things she does to protect herself while out exercising, such as staying in well-lit areas at night, going with friends, walking with keys between her knuckles, and pretending to be on the phone.
She said there have been times she pretended to go into a building to avoid a man following or yelling at her.
"It just hit me like...wow, this is something most women think about every time we go out to get exercise or even just walk to our car," she said.
Her tweet now has more than 1,000 responses, mostly of women sharing their own strategies to protect themselves.
Some have nifty gadgets.
@amandadeibert Sharpest little ring knife with ridges to grab DNA 🤗🤗
@amandadeibert my dad got me a panic alarm that is supposed to stun attackers and also has a flashlight on it
@amandadeibert I usually jog with this tucked in the hidden pocket of my running shorts, it has a nice clip I also keep it on me at my job cuz we’re an all female store and usually we close alone.
And others have engineered their own weapon carriers.
@amandadeibert My daughter runs with a vest and we modified it to carry a knife which she knows how to use to devastating effect ( thank you to my favorite cousin a retired SEAL )
I need to see the hammer lady immediately.
@amandadeibert Theres a lady that I see running down my neighborhood every morning. She carries a hammer. I dont think anyone fucks with her.
Of course, there are a LOT of good dogs.
@MarthedeFerrer @sknolle @danielmaycock @amandadeibert I think a lot about how someone could physically pick me up off the street and kidnap me, but most people cross the street once they see River.
@amandadeibert My 105lb bodyguard, Rhaegar Targaryen Dogo Argentino no one messes with me
Including this one, who has a sidekick dressed as a ninja.
@amandadeibert My wife has started running again in the evenings. Atm, our youngest insists on going with her, dressed up as a ninja and carrying a 7 iron (don’t ask!), as well as taking the dog. She feels pretty safe. Recent photo when she stopped for a drink.
Deibert said she has mixed feelings about the thread going viral, but thinks it is good to talk about these realities.
"It makes me sad that it is so common for us as women to feel the need to take extra safety measures, but ultimately I feel like discussing it is a good thing," she said.
Even men said they are learning something from the thread.
"I've had so many men respond to the thread saying they have never even considered it because when they go for a run, they just go for a run — and it made them sad to realize it was different for women," she said.
She added, "I think that kind of raised awareness is a good thing."