25.10 Safety in shelters and distribution lines

In a shelter

• Check in at the entrance and learn the rules, the exits, and who the staff are.
• Keep on your person (not in your bag) your ID, medicines, phone, charger, and cash, in a waist pouch or crossbody bag under your clothes.
• Leave what you do not need at home or in the car, locked. Do not bring jewelry.
• Buddy system: nobody goes alone to the restroom or the showers at night.
• Sleep together, with your belongings between you and the wall.
• Report any theft, harassment, or threatening behavior to the staff. Do not confront it yourself.
• Respect others' privacy and customs: getting along is also safety.

In water, food, or fuel lines

• Go in pairs; one carries, the other watches.
• Do not show extra cash. Carry what you need in a separate pocket.
• When you leave, go straight home or to the car; do not stay to chat with what you received in your hands.
• If the line gets tense (shoving, shouting), get out of it. No case of water is worth a fight.
• Follow the instructions of the staff and the police.