Culture

This UK Council Initiative Gives Women A Discreet Way Out Of Unsafe Situations In Clubs And Bars

Feeling unsafe? Ask for Angela.

by Tom Clift  23 October 2016

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A UK county council has received widespread applause online for a new initiative designed to help women out of situations that feel unsafe. Clubs and bars in Lincolnshire county have been displaying posters advising women who need a discreet way to request assistance to go to the bar and “ask for Angela,” thus alerting staff that they are in need of help.

Guys, It’s Time To Stop Being Part Of The Problem Of Violence Against Women

“Are you on a date that isn’t working out?” reads the poster. “Is your Tinder or POF [Plenty of Fish] date not who they said they were on their profile? Do you feel like you’re not in a safe situation? Does it all feel a bit weird?”

“If you go to the bar and ask for ‘Angela’ the bar staff will know you need some help getting out of your situation and will call you a taxi or help you out discreetly – without too much fuss,” the poster advises. It also includes the phone number for Lincolnshire Rape Crisis.

Lincolnshire native Isobel O’Brien tweeted a photo of one of the posters, which has since been retweeted more than 25,000 times.

“I didn’t expect to see it in the toilet but when I did I thought it was an amazing idea,” O’Brien told BuzzFeed News. “I think it’s a brilliant campaign and although it may not always be necessary it’s definitely better to be proactive than reactive.”

Many on social media are now calling for the initiative to be rolled out across the UK. The posters were part of the #NoMore campaign against sexual violence and abuse, which ran from September 26th to October 2nd. It will relaunch in February to coincide with the UK’s National Sexual Violence and Abuse Awareness Week.

Of course the one downside of the campaign will be if you’re actually looking for your mate Angela. All things being equal though, it’s probably worth the risk of temporary confusion.