Getting home safe

The riskiest ten minutes

Most of a shift happens under lights, cameras and security. The walk to the car at three in the morning has none of that, and you are carrying cash. Treat the end of the night as part of the job, not the part after it.

Before you leave the dressing room:

• Count and stash your money inside, never in the car or the parking lot. Split it: some in a bag, some on your body. Keep tip-out and your take separate so you are not fumbling at the door.
• Change out of anything that marks you as a dancer if you can. Flat shoes, a coat, hair up.
• Check your phone is charged. Dead phone, dead options.
• Tell one person you are leaving and when you expect to be home. A coworker, a friend, a group chat. Make it a habit so it still happens on the nights you are tired.

Parking, rides and being followed

Ask for a security walk-out every time, not just when something feels off. If the club does not offer one, leave in pairs. Park under lights, close to the door, nose out. If a customer knows your car, consider changing where you park or getting dropped off for a while.

If you use rideshare, order it from inside and wait inside until it arrives. Check the plate before you get in. Have the driver drop you a street away if you are unsure about someone from earlier. A customer offering a lift home is never a convenience, however pleasant the shift was.

Watch your mirrors for the first few minutes. If a car stays with you through several turns, do not drive home. Head somewhere lit and busy, a 24-hour store or a petrol station, or drive to a police station car park. Call someone and keep them on the line. You can also call the police and describe the car; being followed from a club is worth reporting even if you do not want to take it further than that.

At home

Keep your work address and your home address apart in every system you can. Do not stop for food in work clothes right by the club, where regulars go after close. Have your keys in your hand before you reach the door.

If a night goes wrong, write it down while it is fresh: the car, the person, what was said. You may never need it. If you do, the note is worth more than your memory a month later. Clubs, cities and security setups all differ, so ask the house mom or a dancer who has been there a while how the walk-out works where you are, and check the current rules on who is allowed to escort you.