ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — You may have seen this story where a girl who had been reported missing used a hand signal she learned on TikTok to notify cars around her that she was in danger. One person recognized the signal and called the police, which led to the girl’s safe recovery.
The hand signal is simple to use. You face your palm outward, bend your thumb in, and then fold all your fingers over your thumb. It was created by the Canadian Women’s Foundation during the pandemic as domestic violence situations increased in 2020.
As domestic violence remains a prominent issue, other signals have been created to alert others of an unsafe situation.
A while back, a crisis center in England launched the “Ask for Angela” campaign as a way of discreetly requesting help at a bar or restaurant.
Inspired by the concept, the Iberian Rooster, a bar right here in St. Petersburg, began encouraging folks to order a specially-named drink to let bartenders know if they felt unsafe.
At the time it was called the “Angel Shot.” Many bars use the concept now, but they often change the shot names to keep it discreet. The drink names can usually be found in the women’s bathroom.
Depending on how you order the drinks, the staff will get you different forms of help. For instance, ordering the specially-named drink “neat” might mean your bartender escorts you to your car. Ordered with ice could mean the bartender calls you an Uber or Lyft to get home safely. If you order the drink with lime, that could mean the bartender calls the police.
A different method of notifying others you’re in danger is built right into your iPhone. If you hold down one of the volume buttons, an option will come up to call 911. A quick swipe will connect you with emergency services.
If you hold both volume buttons down, a countdown will start with a loud alarm. At the end of the countdown, your phone will automatically call emergency services.
Additionally, you can set up emergency contacts in your health app; so if you do have to call emergency services, your phone will also send your location to all those contacts.
Android phones have a similar feature that can be activated in your settings.
However, what do you do if you see an unsafe situation happening?
The Center for Domestic Peace says there are a few things you can do.
If you do not feel safe intervening, call the police or notify somebody who can dial 911. If you can intervene without putting yourself at risk, you can shout things like, “STOP,” “WE SEE YOU,” or “NO VIOLENCE.”
If possible, without endangering yourself, try to document evidence of the abuse with your phone while police are on their way. If you are able to speak to the victim in a safe space, ask them if they are okay. Do not blame them for the situation and remind them the abuse is not their fault.
Lastly, you can offer a hotline number for further support. Here’s a list of hotlines that are available 24/7:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1.800.799.SAFE
- The Florida Department of Children and Families: 1.800.500.1119
- Women In Distress: 954.761.1133
- Love is Respect: 1.866.331.9474 or text 22522