some 'kiss my ass money' and a cell phone

Part of being an adult means that you take responsibility for the situations you allow yourself to be in. If you're in a situation that makes you uncomfortable - when you have the choice - you remove yourself from it. Some might say that I, at times, can be prideful. Even to the point of risking my safety. I admit, I am very strong-minded. When I feel pressed to make a certain decision, I honestly feel that whatever the consequences are of that decision, they will be dealt with accordingly. Therefore, I don't stress inconveniencing myself, or what others will think of my decision, or even my safety. Some might say that I need to change this outlook. I disagree. I think all I really need to do is make sure I always have some Kiss-my-ass-money and a cell phone. Kiss my ass money always has to be cash, but how much cash depends mostly on where you're going (and how far it is from home). It can be combined with other purchasing devices, but never just that. You never know that you'll be in the position to stop and use an ATM, or that your needs will be met with a credit card. This was introduced to me some years ago by my aunt. Just as I was about to leave the house to go out with some friends, she pressed some extra cash into my hand and told me "Take this. You always need to have some extra cash with you when you go out with people, in case anything happens. I like to call it Kiss my ass money, because you never know when you're going to have to tell someone to kiss your ass, and then get out of their car." There are different derivatives of the scenario she described; it could be as simple as a "you go ahead without me" and finding your own way back home, or as complex as being in another city with nowhere to stay (which actually happened to me once...) The point is, I can take care of myself. And I don't have to stay anywhere or do anything that makes me uncomfortable, and I don't have to depend on anyone's help in order for me to be able to remove myself from a less than ideal situation. It's good to be prepared. She was right; You just never know.