A few months ago, I joined SafeWalk to meet new people while making a quick buck or two for staying up late, but since the reports of armed robberies on and near campus, I have newfound respect for my job.
I didn’t know much about SafeWalk before I started working for them, and I’ve found that a lot of people don’t know either. Almost all of the people I have walked have asked about the job, so here are some of the most popular questions I get:
So how long are you guys out here?
We hang out in front of Davis Library and the UL from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. I’m still trying to master handling the 2 a.m. slump, but when there’s a lot of walks, it’s not so bad. It keeps your brain occupied and your blood pumping.
How far do you walk?
SafeWalk’s motto is “we walk where you walk.” One time a fellow SafeWalker and I walked a guy to his house in Carrboro. He led us on a dark gravel path behind the power plant. He pointed out a pit next to the road so dark that my flashlight didn’t even put a dent in it and told us there was a secret tunnel there that led to the inside of the power plant.
Yeah, no thanks.
Do you go through training?
One girl asked me if SafeWalkers get trained in fighting. The answer is no, but I wish. Not because I anticipate fighting people on the job, but because it would be cool to learn how to kick butt.
What do you do when no one wants a SafeWalk?
We have to ask everyone who comes out of the libraries if they want a SafeWalk, and sometimes there are long stretches of time when people say no, or (in the case when finals are coming up) when people are being eaten alive by the UL and not coming out at all.
I’m not gonna lie, sometimes we borderline beg for walks on the slow nights. One time my SafeWalk partner and I started telling people that getting a SafeWalk was on the UNC Bucket List. It didn’t work, but it was worth a shot.
You get to know your walking partner pretty well considering they’re the only one around to talk to.
Why did you decide to do this?
I like walking, and it’s pretty cool to see the campus at night. Every night is an adventure to me. You never know who you will meet or where you will go, but you learn to roll with it.
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