How to Escape From a Crowd Crush

Imagine going to a concert for your favorite band. You're having the time of your life until the crowd surges like a wild animal and it feels impossible to escape its clutches. Or picture going shopping on Black Friday, trying to get a good deal on electronics for your home or toys for your child. Suddenly, the line you were standing in becomes an angry mob, ferociously pushing to get inside. Preparing for these experiences and knowing what to do can be the difference between life and death.

Instructions

• 1

  Try to keep your group together as much as possible.

  Whenever you go to a crowded area, whether it is inside a building or out in the open, know where your quickest and closest exit is at all times. Keep an eye out for security or police on patrol. Learn about the area before arriving to know multiple ways of getting back to where you need to go, such as a friend's house or your car. Confirm you and everyone in your party has a cell phone in case you get separated.

• 2

  If you see people fighting, you will want to leave the immediate area.

  Keep alert for the beginnings of a crush. This could involve two individuals arguing or a stranger accidentally tripping into someone. A small catalyst can have such a ripple effect, building into full-blown mass hysteria. Remain alert but keep calm and do not panic.

• 3

  Keeping elbows out literally gives you breathing room.

  If the crush occurred too quickly for you to notice, fight your way out. Point your arms angled out with elbows bent in order to prevent suffocating. In a group, lock arms together. Begin to move away as quickly as possible from the direction of the crushing, though not directly against the crowd. Swimmers brought out into the ocean by riptides are told to angle toward the beach rather than swim directly to it, and the same goes for navigating crowds.

• 4

  The fetal position is your best defense should you fall.

  Never stop to pick anything up off the floor. If you fall and cannot get back up, curl into a fetal position, bringing both arms and legs in toward your body and covering your head. Use any opportunity to quickly get back up again.