I had a great book like this when I was a kid. It was pretty punchy, lots of tips with illustrations. Three of these tips I still remember - one of these I used myself to get out of what could have been a very tricky situation.
  • tip one. If you need to get out of a burning building, through a first floor window - lower yourself and hang by your hands before dropping.
  • tip two - if needing to hitchhike, after closing the door say that you've trapped something in the door and try to open it. If the driver has locked your door centrally - it's a big red flag. If they dont unlock it - youve an early heads-up. If they do centrally unlock it so that you can untrap the imaginary piece of clothing, consider getting out and finding another ride.
  • tip three - later on in your ride, if you've been made uncomfortable and you want to get out but the vehicle is moving - consider opening your door a little when it's safe to do so - don't try and get out at that moment. The driver might be so shocked as to stop the car - and at that point you can get out and get away.
There were lots of other tips, many of them self defense.
I used the last of these tips when I was about 20. I was on my own in a country I didn't know, in a situation where I had little option but take a ride with guys speaking another language, going off route and bringing out ammunition. Tip 3, for me, thankfully worked a charm. Better to be safe than sorry.
I'd imagine that such books might not be published these days - but they ought to be as they'd be pretty invaluable.
Cool question. I don’t know of such books but I enjoyed reading your anecdote. It reminds me of the immense potential of the human brain - how something we read in our childhood and file away in some deep recesses of our mind can be immediately retrieved to tackle an emergency when push comes to shove
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Oh yes, it's somehow filed away in there for sure.
I think the book served as a tantalizing illicit revelation to me - it could explain why I'm still hankering for it today (and also why I got up to so many adventures later).
That book still hasn't closed - plenty more adventures planned when the time's right.
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Will follow your adventures avidly haha
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