A New App That Lets Users’ Friends ‘Virtually Walk Them Home At Night’ Is Exploding In Popularity
Tens of thousands of people around the world are now using a free personal-safety mobile app that allows friends to virtually walk you home at night.
The Companion app, created by five students from the University of Michigan, enables users to request a friend or family member to keep them company virtually and track their journey home via GPS on an online map.
Although they can do so, the friend or family member does not need to have installed the Companion app. The user can send out several requests to different phone contacts in case people are not available to be a companion or not with their phones at the time.
Those contacted then receive an SMS text message with a hyperlink in it that sends them to a web page with an interactive map showing the user walking to their destination. If the user strays off their path, falls, is pushed, starts running, or has their headphones yanked out of their phone, the app detects these changes in movement and asks the user if they’re OK.
If the user is fine, they press a button on the app to confirm within 15 seconds. If they do not press the button, or a real emergency is occurring, the Companion app transforms the user’s phone into a personal alarm system that projects loud noises to scare criminals from the scene, and gives you the option to instantly call the police.
I’ve been asked many times what someone should look for when trying to find a good artist. The best way you can do this is to look at their portfolio, whether it’s in a book at their shop or online. If they don’t have good work in their portfolio, they’re probably not good artists.
The shop may be clean, the people there might be nice, and the design they draw up for you might be exactly what you want, but if your artist doesn’t stand up to the points listed above, then you’re going to get a bad tattoo.
It’s okay to walk into a shop, talk with an artist for a while, and decide you don’t want a tattoo from them. Even if the artist has a bad attitude about it or tries to convince you to just let them do it, remember this is going to be on your body for the rest of your life.
This is fucking fantastic thank you!!
As someone with a badly blown out tattoo, I wish I’d known this ten years ago lol.
Rohypnol has an INCREDIBLY salty taste to it. It’s disgusting. And it also isn’t a drug that acts immediately! The minute you notice the salty taste, you have about 5-10 minutes to get somewhere safe or call an ambulance, and it CAN be fought if you’re aware of it. It will make you woozy, it will make you so dizzy you can’t stand upright, it will certainly make you unable to walk properly, but if you struggle to remain conscious you can get about 20 extra minutes of consciousness from the drug before it will knock you out completely. If you’re in a public place, and the person who drugged you is trying to take you somewhere private, start. a. fight. Insist as LOUDLY and as VIOLENTLY as you can that you refuse to go anywhere with them. Odds are they’re
trying to make as little of a scene as possible as they drag you away, and if you’re putting up a fight and very clearly ‘drunk’, eyes will turn on them and they’ll either need to let you go, or cause a serious scene, which they don’t want. Don’t just act like you’re just protesting being taken home, though. Fight like your life depends on it even if they aren’t assaulting you. Cause. A. Scene. That’s the last thing they want.
Everyone should reblog this!
oi!!
Reblog to save a life
Not BTS but this is so so so important everyone should know this
Full time work should entitle someone to enough pay for rent, food, bills, and leisure activities. Full time work for a full life wage. You put in your 8 hours a day, 5 days a week? You should be able to afford the basic shit you need in life, no matter where you work.
pisses me off that this is considered a radical statement.
I do agree with this but from economic standpoint if you are working at a job like McDonalds as someone flipping burgers and making fries you are getting paid for the amount of skill needed for the job. But if its any other job that requires you to have an actual skill that you can make a career out of then yeah you should be getting paid enough to live a standard life.
If you work FULL TIME you should be able to afford to fucking live. No, it doesn’t matter if it’s flipping burgers, these people contribute to our fucking economy and they MATTER. They should be allowed to be alive.
Jesus fucking Christ do you people hear yourselves?
People like this are why we can’t move on to issues like reducing how many hours is full time, or working out UBI.
We’re going to need to do that. Most people just don’t know what’s coming down the pipeline, without a major change to the structure of the economy, we’re looking at large scale permanent unemployment, even in the “skilled” labor force.
Also? Making food is a fucking skill. Running a fast food kitchen is a fucking skill. Operating a drive-thru is a goddamn fucking skill.
I do not know how to do these things. I have a masters degree and I have no fucking clue how to operate a deep fryer or make coffee drinks. I’d probably not be very good at it, because that kind of hands-on, fast-paced work is very hard for me.
But thankfully, there are people who are good at it, so I can do my job, and they can do theirs, and we can benefit one another by putting our skills to use in different areas. People who work in fast food are not less deserving of comfort and security in their lives just because their skills aren’t valued like they should be. That is a myth developed to deprive people of rights.
My friend works as a medical assistant and I’ve worked at McDonald’s and Starbucks. You know there’s a lot of things you gotta learn in this typa job?
Like in addition to it being physically demanding (standing up for 4-6 hours straight, carrying heavy ice/coffee, constantly getting burned by boiling water and an oven, a lot of reaching and squatting (like a lot a lot I lost 40 FUCKING pounds in a year okay this job demands a lot from the body)), there are actual skills required. Also your skin splits from using so much antibacterial soap.
Do you know what temperature different foods have to be to prevent contamination? If it’s a “cold” or “hot” plate?? Do You know how long food can be out before bacterial contamination can happen?? Do you know the difference between say 1% and heavy whipping cream? Can you teach a chemistry class using milk????? That’s p much what you gotta learn to be able to do. My friend who works as a medic was surprised, because I do more in my day than they do, and THEY told me that. They were shocked how much I actually do; I am on my feet more, talking to more people, I have a working knowledge of food germs food born illnesses and chemistry, I gotta do the same shit with sterilizing my tools the same exact way a doctor sterilizes theirs. Etc etc.
There’s no such thing as an unskilled job. There are only undervalued skills.
“There’s no such thing as an unskilled job. There are only undervalued skills.”
Okay, let’s brake this down. How long does it take to train someone to work fast food? What are the repercussions of that person fails to do their job?
Now, how long does it take to train a structural engineer? What are the repercussions if they fail at their job?
How long does it take to train a plumber? What are the repercussions if they fail their job?
How long does it take to train a ditch digger? What are the repercussions if they fail their job?
Someone of these things are not like the other, some of these things a little more important then the others.
If a fast food worker messes up with their job, they may not properly sanitize surfaces and people can die.
If a structural engineer messes up their job, buildings will collapse and people can die.
If a plumber messes up their job, sewage pipes can leak and people can die.
If a ditch digger messes up their job, they can hit a gas pipe and people can die.
Just because you deem some jobs more “important” doesn’t mean that the people working them don’t deserve a decent wage to live on.
I’m going to tell you the same thing I told the other three people. The easier it is to train a position, the easier it is to replace someone in that position. Get to a position that is difficult to train into by improving your skills, and you have a better point to negotiate.
Consider: Even the people working the “easiest”, most “low skill” job in the world deserve a living wage. Your time itself is worth money. 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, of your time is, at a minimum, worth enough money to scrape by, regardless of the exact nature of your labor.
You are not wrong, but life does not care about what you deserve. Children do not deserve cancer. Good drivers do not deserve to die in car accidents.
This world is cruel. And there is little that can be done on a macro level that will not have negative if not deadly implications.
Do not attempt to change the macro scale, change the micro scale.
Those who work hard are often rewarded with opportunity. If all that put in is the minimum effort during those eight hours, one shouldn’t expect much.
Children dont deserve cancer, but we should do everything we possibly can to cure, prevent, and treat children who DO have cancer. Like, wtf.
“Life isnt fair” should be a rallying cry to action, not an apathetic declaration of complacency. God dammit.
People’s time is worth money. Any job that asks for full time work entitles a living wage.
Okay, what makes you assume that increasing the minimum wage with lift up employee’s income? why wouldn’t an employer just fire everyone already below what the new minimum income level would become?
Because then they have work that presumably needs to be done that, ya know, isnt getting done.
What? Were they employing all these minimum wage jobs for shits and giggles?
I do not understand why this concept is so hard to wrap one’s head around.
If you work full time, you should be able to afford to live. Full stop.
If you work full time, the work that takes up all your time should pay for your survival. To suggest otherwise means you want low-skilled, low-wage workers to die, frankly. Or be dependent on others, up to and including the government, I suppose.
It’s so simple. If you work full time, regardless of the job, you should be able to afford to live. It takes basic human decency to be able to understand this
yall already know i got cervical cancer and need a hysterectomy and that’s $8k that i do not have any way of substantially earning.
i can do divinationl. i can draw, and i can write fanfics and poetry, you can PM me if you’re curious about these things.
the biggest, most blessed thing you can do for me, is to donate. even just a dollar, anything, so i can survive. please feed me, medicate me, and help me get this cancer scooped out. let me live.
you can donate directly through paypal to breathof.freshass@yahoo.com
Ordinarily I’d just push y’all to the main blog, but the likelihood of clickthroughs from Tumblr is low, and I think this is really important information for a lot of folks out there in Tumblrland. This post is LONG.
Here’s the most important info from the HTRAFH series I posted on OSG this week. The OSG proper posts are linked throughout the text.
Where are you going? Who can help you? What do you need?
Not only do you need to pack a bug-out bag with some or all of your life necessities, but you need to be emotionally prepared for the fallout.
This is not an easy decision, and it should not be made lightly. Being completely independent and unsupported by your parents is fucking hard, which is why >70% of runaways go back home within a day. People doubt you and belittle you, it’s hard to get systematic support from schools or social workers, and you’ll be in therapy basically forever. It sucks. But it can be worth it.
Leveraging your freedom with the emotional and social consequences of being parent-free makes running away and life after being kicked out really difficult. When you commit to getting out, you have to make a lot of uncomfortable and difficult decisions that center on: which is worse.
Which is worse: living in a homeless shelter or feeling like a hostage of your family?
Which is worse: getting a crappy job or being financially dependent on family members who use money as a form of control?
Which is worse: uncomfortable conversations with police and social services or enduring abuse?
Make a Plan
What should you plan? How do you even get started?
The most important things you’ll need to know how to find are: housing, money, and support.
If you had to get out of the house in two minutes:
Where can you go?
How can you get there?
What would you do the next day? The next month?
How can you get food?
How can you get money?
What else do you need?
How can you keep from getting dragged back “home”?
Who can and will help you stay away?
Come up with a concrete plan that covers those things. If you can, come up with alternate plans in the event things don’t go the way you thought they would. Your friends’ parents may be generous to let you stay for a week, and they might even feed you when you’re there, but you need to think beyond that.
You can’t live off of other people’s generosity forever. Couch-surfing and crashing with someone rent-free must be a temporary part of your plan.
You’ll want to find long-term housing, whether it’s with a shelter, a hostel, or a transitional living program. At some point you will need money–for shelter, food, health, and fun.Find ways to make a living, even if it’s doing something as passive astaking surveys and watching videos on your phone.
Talk to people. See which friends can help you out, and who can point you in the direction of case workers. Call shelters and social services to ask for help. Apply for grants and financial assistance. You never know who is willing to help until you ask them.
If nothing else, know where to find a homeless shelter and food bank.
Pack Your Bug-Out Bag
What’s a Bug-Out Bag?
It’s a bag that’s ready and waiting for you when you need to get out–whether it’s a temporary relocation or a permanent escape. It’s a term used by the preppers but it’s also used among runaways and throwaways as a bag that has the bare essentials for striking out on your own.
Chances are, you can’t fit everything you need in a single bag–and even more likely, you won’t have access to the things you need to put in a bag. But figuring out exactly what you need is the key to planning a bug-out bag and your immediate future.
When I left home, I had an extra pair of pants and my wallet with a few dollars inside. I didn’t have a phone or a debit card or anything. Now I have a hoarded 300-square-foot apartment–living proof that if you keep pushing through, you will eventually have the material objects you need.
But if you can make a bug-out bag, find a safe space (or several safe spaces) and gather the essentials. If you’re in an abusive situation where your possessions and privacy are strictly controlled or monitored, you’ll have to be extra sneaky.
Good places to hide stuff:
between the mattress and box spring
underwear drawer
coat/pants pockets
bottom of a clothes hamper or trash can
an air vent
friends’ houses
sticks of deodorant
old pill bottles
book/binder safe
potted plants
battery compartments of electronics
What do you need in your Bug-Out Bag?
Anything that you might need or want if you had to get out of the house in less than five minutes. Here is a one-page printable checklist for pre-packing your bug-out bag:
edit: As a youth who was kicked out in a time before cell phones were ubiquitous, I neglected to include a phone on this list. However, if your parents pay for your phone, it can be cut off at any time or be used for blackmail against you. If you can spare the $10, get a burner phone at Walmart for emergencies.
Who Can Help?
What kind of things do you need on your Bug-Out Bag info list? Think about what you’ll need once you’re on your own. Money, food, housing, medical care, emotional support…
Keep a list of all of the people and places that can give you that so you know where to go in the middle of the night. These can be:
friends
family members of friends
your own sympathetic family members
social services/child protective services
the police
hotlines
domestic violence centers
shelters
food banks
employment offices
clinics
college financial aid offices
the library, which can put you in touch with all of the above
Seriously, I cannot emphasize the last one enough. Your local public or school library has so many regional-specific resources available for you if you just ask. If nothing else, the library is a good place to stay during the day when you have nowhere else to go.
Resources
Note: These links are mostly US-specific because that’s where I live. A quick Google search for these service keywords and your country or area will go a long way in finding supportive providers.
Crisis Hotlines and Chat Support
Most crisis help lines can help you out when you plan to run away from home by searching for shelters and case workers for you, or just by talking through the reasons you want to run away from home. They’re a great resource to have on hand when you’re feeling lost.
Thursday’s Child: directory of hotlines, text lines, and chat support for youth in crisis [inexplicably has autoplay music]
Abuse Reporting and Recovery
Whether you’re trying to become emancipated, press charges against your parents, or you just need help with the emotional fallout when you run away from home, these organizations can help you find the resources that work for your specific situation.
American Bar Association: find legal help whether you’re pressing charges against a parent or you want to know what your rights are when filing for emancipation.
Shelters gain and lose funding all the time, so it always helps to search for what’s still open in your immediate area. These websites and organizations can help with that search, but again: libraries are often safe spaces and the staff there know what’s in your neighborhood better than a stranger on the internet.
Many of the homeless shelters and youth programs listed above have transitional housing programs, but here are two good resources for getting help transitioning to independent living when transitional housing programs aren’t available.
Help When You Need It: connects you with local providers for financial, food, and housing assistance
Year Up: transitional living programs that get you employed and housed within a year
Health and Wellness
Many homeless youth struggle with receiving adequate health care on the streets. These two sites help connect you with general and mental health services in your area, but they are by no means exhaustive lists. Search for free or tiered-payment clinics in your area for local providers.
Most helplines and providers focus on immediate problems such as homelessness or abuse, but youth who run away from home have any number of other issues to deal with, from dating to drugs to staying in school. These organizations help supplement the day-to-day drama you have to deal with. Many larger cities also have youth centers, so be sure to search for what’s in your area.
Boys and Girls Club: outreach and after-school programs, as well as counselors and case workers who can connect you with local providers
ReachOut: information and advice for common issues facing youth today
why are parents allowed to yell and scream at their children and call them names and just make them feel like shit in general…
but when kids try to defend themselves…. its disrespectful?
what kind of fucking shit parents do you have
is this a new thing to you
Why is somehow okay for parents to ‘make jokes’ about your personality, physical appearance, mental illness symptoms and so much more but the second the child stands up for themselves they’re ‘being rude’ and ‘disrespectful’?
pain-lies-inside 
