Keep Safe Y’All

This content is taken from the upcoming book Nashville Local’s Guide for Visitors and Newbies, which you can support on Kickstarter by clicking the link above. This post may contain affiliate links (see policy at the bottom of the site for more information).

Nashville is one of the safest places to visit in the downtown area. While there are cases of people drugging drinks or picking pockets, you are extremely unlikely to be a victim of a violent crime. In this blog post, I am going to cover some ways you can stay safe in Music City. I am going to primarily deal with violent crime, such as murder, assault, and rape, but will cover some other aspects in the advice I give.

Where to Stay?

I will cover where to stay from other aspects in a future post, but here I want to look at areas of town. Look at the map below, as it will give you an idea of where you are safe, not safe, and the dicier areas. The map is a bit wider than some I have on this blog, as people often find a cheaper Airbnb further out of the city (again, I will cover that aspect of “where to stay” in another post).

Let’s discuss what the colors mean.

Green: Generally safe most of the day and night. Show common sense here, as all hours means the times other people are out, which varies by specific green area, but generally you are safe walking around late at night or walking your dog after midnight. Always be aware, as Nashville is a city and stick with crowds as much as possible to keep safe.

Orange: “Uber safe”. These are not areas where crime is rampant, but they do represent areas where there are crimes of opportunities due to low foot traffic and proximity to red zones. In general, I would not walk to these areas at night and would avail myself of an Uber. As the city is gentrifying, there are some areas here that are little green dots. Usually there are a cluster of restaurants and bars where it is safe to walk at night and safey, as I have already stated, is in crowds.

Red: Unsafe. When I posted this on a social media group, I got some negative comments from residents in those areas. I understand their criticism, as there are spots around North Nashville that have built up with new construction and are at least “uber safe”. But this post is aimed at visitors, who I realize often fail to research, and not locals, who do research before buying. Again, some areas have gentrified making them quite safe, even at night, but if you are not going to research, I would consider staying away.

Areas that are white don’t have a strong tilt in either direction, so use judgement when traveling there or walking your pooch late at night. The closer you get to an orange or red area, the more discretion you should have on walking around at night.

As you can see, downtown, overall, is great. I prefer Demonbreun when skirting from midtown to downtown, as there are some sketchy people that hang around the McDonald’s and gas station on Broadway. Rolling Mill Hill has some units, but it is more in the Uber Safe category, so be wary. Pie town is another spot. Do we wary going from downtown to Capitol North and Germantown, as there is a homeless encampment underneath the James Robertson Bridge just off Gay St. For downtown proper, very walkable. There are bag theives and pick pockets, but you won’t find a lot of violent crimes outside of stupid drunks.

For the East Bank, Uber back to the hotels here at night. And for Germantown, don’t go on the west side of Rosa Parks at night, if you can avoid it. There are now complexes in this area and, if you must, pick one on Rosa Parks and then walk east into Germantown. The Kroger here is not bad during the day, but they have armed off duty cops here at night … for good reason.

Rules of the Road

Much of the advice here will work in any city, from Nashville to New York City and any in between. I am going to fill out this section by the following categories:

General Rules

Here are some rules that don’t fall into the other categories but are important to follow.

Be aware of your surroundings – It amazes me how many people walk around in life without a clue what is going on around them. A bit of awareness will have you notice if someone is following you on the street or getting too close to your drink.
Put your hotel or short term rental in your phone when you go out – You can temporarily save it or do a search and map your route. The goal is to have it in your saved places so you can easily find your way back “home” at the end of the night.
Map where you are going – You may think “why” when you are taking Uber, but knowing where you are going helps if you accidentally put in the wrong destination, as I did a few years back (there were two Courtyards in the town and I put in the wrong one). It will also help if you have a bad actor as a driver, as you can tell when you are heading in the wrong direction.
Let someone know where you are going – Have a safe back up who is aware where you are going and then set a check in time when you will get back to go to sleep.
User location settings or apps – Your back up should have a way to track where you are, to ensure you are not in danger.

Cell Phone Safety

Your cell phone is your lifeline in so many ways. It is also a tool thieves love to steal as it contains plenty of financial information.

Always keep your cell phone in a safe spot – With the crowds on Lower Broad and other downtown areas, it becomes easy to steal your phone.
Keep your nose out of your phone while walking – Not doing so breaks teh be aware of your surroundings rule. Some visitors have also been injured while paying more attention to their phones than their walking.
Use a screen lock – From a cybersecurity, the best options are biometrics, as someone can watch you open your phone with keypad security.
Use two-factor authentication – Any application that contains personal, medical, or financial information should have two-factor on to ensure a thief can’t steal your information. Most banking apps will force this. As with the screen lock, biometrics are the best option here.

Hotel and Short Term Rental Safety

I mentioned using the safe in a pervious section. You can also reduce people in your room by leaving a do not disturb sign on the door. Here are a few more rules that can help you.

Always lock the door – One of the more common types of thefts are a bachelorette and her party leaving the door open at 2 AM so Suzy can get back in. This is not wise. As hotels will issue additional keys, up to capacity, and short-term rentals have codes, there is no reason to leave the door unlocked for someone wanting to stay out really late.
Check the windows – All windows should be closed and locked, as well, unless you are in the unit and have a reason to keep them open.
Close curtains and blinds – This is especially true on the first floor, where someone can easily peer in. Thieves are searching for easy targets, not a night in jail for nothing.
Don’t carry your room key in the sleeve – A room key with a hotel number is all a thief needs to rip you off. Especially avoid this when you are out on the town. While most sleeves don’t have the address of the hotel, they often have enough information to figure out which hotel you are in.
Use the in-room safe – If you are carrying large amounts of cash and your hotel has a safe, set the combination and use the safe for your belongings you are not carrying. In general, this is not an issue, but leaving cash or valuables is an invitation. This does not apply to most short term rentals, of course, so you will have to do soemthing else.
Consider portable locks – The most compact go into the slot for the latch and get screwed down. These work for all doors other than sliding glass door. They are also easy to pack in your luggage. I carry a set of two as a “just in case” measure. I will note that some older, boutique hotels, have doors these are not well suited for. And don’t screw these down super tight, as you can put dents in the doors. As long as they make contact, you are good.

There are other types of “locks” that pack down tight. The smallest are these, which can secure both windows or most sliding glass doors (put at top and bottom). You can also find bars that secure windows and sliding glass doors.

And you can get door alarms that slide under the door and go off very loud should someone gain entry. From experience, you can easily pack these, although they will take up more space than the stuff above.

Avoiding Theft

While not a huge concerns, there are people who try to make a living stealing from other people. This can happen in the hotel, on the street or in the bars. Here are some rules you can follow to avoid having your trip ruined from losing your belongings.

Don’t bring your really expensive stuff – Unless you can afford to lose your best jewelry or Rolex, they are better left at home. If you do put them in the safe.
Only carry what you need – On average, a visitor spends about $350 per day in Nashville, including hotel, meals, and drinks. It is easy for a couple to spend $200 in drinks alone. If you prefer using cash, then only carry the amount you are going to spend with you as you walk around.
Keep your wallet in the front pocket – It is much harder for a pickpocket to lift a wallet from a front pocket. Even more so if you keep your hand on your pocket.
Keep a hand, or leg, on your bags – Many honkytonks don’t allow large bags like backpacks or camera bags, but others do. And people bring some very expensive cameras from time to time. They set them on the floor next to them and either forget them or have them lifted from under their nose. If you have a bag with you and are going to set it down, wrap the strap around your lower leg. If someone tries to steal it, you will know. You will also lessen the risk of leaving it behind.

Drinking Rules

Here I am looking at a couple of different sets of rules. Drinking, in general; avoiding date rape drugs; and, drinking with a group.

Know your limits – Yes, I know a great number of you will ignore this and become potted plants, but stopping at a buzz will help you avoid a lot of bad incidents. One item that can help is a portable breathalyzer. There are models, like this, that are highly accurate, but they also come with a $129 price tag, which I consider great for ensuring you are sober enough to drive, but overkill for a night out walking. You can get one like this for a fraction of the cost. There are also less accurate, but useful “blow over” models you can get, like this one, and there are blow over models in bachelorette pink. The downside of a breathalyzer is when it becomes a party toy to see who can get the highest BAC. Please, don’t do that.
Pace yourself – Bars are open until 3 AM, so treat it like a marathon, not a sprint.
Stay hydrated – This will not only make tomorrow a bit easier, but it can also fill you up a bit more so you are not pounding down as many drinks.
Keep your eye and hand on your drink – This one is a bit harder, so there is a solution to greatly reduce your risk. Drink covers. Nightcap covers have a scrunchie attached so you can wear it between bars. These are easier to remember to bring with you. You can also opt for less expensive covers without the scrunchie and keep them in your pocket (they also come in pink, perfect for bachelorette parties).
Carry Testers – Some bars around town have joined the safe bar movement and some even keep drink testing coasters at the bar. If you have not picked up a coaster at a bar, you can also carry your own. These strips are the same type as the coasters, but test GHB and Ketamine. As these are the most popular drugs now, they are likely sufficient. There are also strips that cover all three drugs – GHB, Ketamine, and Rohypnol (ruffies) – if you are concerned.
Watch your drink being made – Although I don’t subscribe to the idea bartenders are risking their nice paying jobs to help thieves and rapists drug unsuspecting tourists, that possibility becomes near zero if you watch them make your drink.
Don’t accept drinks from strangers – Sure he/she is cute and very friendly, but when they control your drink, they have the ability to do anything to it. If someone wants to buy you a drink and you want to accept, walk up to the bar with them. People that undestand the danger, especially to women, don’t get offended.
Never leave your drink unattended – Even if you use drink covers, you should not leave your drink without someone there. Better yet, carry it with you. It is not unusual to see people walk into the restrooms with drinks and Category 10 even has a bar in the women’s restroom on the 2nd floor (to get away from barflies).
Between the covers and testers, you should be fine, but I would still follow the last rule in this arena: Don’t drink your drink if it tastes weird – Date rape drugs will often leave a salty kind of taste in the drink. It was reported Riley Strain’s drink tasted like BBQ sauce. I personally doubt he was ruffied, but it is always possible. Follow this especially if you do not have a three-way test.
Order an Angel Shot – This is a code word used in the Safe Bar movement that says “I don’t feel safe”. Most bartenders in Nashville know this code and will find a way to look out for you.
Find a bouncer or police officer – If you are being harassed and not near the bar, the bouncers are your best friends. On the street, it is the police. If you feel unsafe or threatened for any reason,

Group Rules

Riley Strain was left to fend for himself by his Fraternity brothers, which is something you should never do with your friends. These rules hone in a bit more on group dynamics.

Use the buddy system – Divide the party up into groups of two or three to make this more manageable. Guidance.
- Never leave your buddy – This is not as strict as keeping a hand on your drink, but you should have regular check-ins.
- Don’t put your buddy in an Uber/cab – this is a refinement of never leave your buddy that many are tempted to break. Why not? If your buddy is trashed and throws up in the car, or sounds like he/she is going to throw up, they will throw them out of the car.
- Adjust buddies – WIth a big group, you should have plenty of people you can switch off with. If you have one person who gets trashed and ruins the night, switch them off each night so everyone has a chance to have a good time. If someone leaves early, shuffle to ensure everyone has at least one buddy. It is also advisable to have someone else go back with the person leaving, especially if he/she is drunk.
Use a tracking app – Apps like LIfe 360 are very useful to keep track of buddies. If you want to take full advantage of the app, set up geocircles around the hotel and places you are going so you can see if someone walks away.

Personal Safety Equipment

I don’t think you will need any of the following if you are staying downtown, but I knwo some are concerned on how they can protect themselves on the street. Each of the following items have been personally vetted and are top reviewed items (there are cheaper knockoffs with fewer reviews).

Handheld weapons – The smallest are metal sticks with a small tip at the end. These are legal in all states, but also require close proximity with an attacker. They can be attached to your keychain. There are larger ones, called stingers, that include a seatbelt cutting tool and an alarm. They are available in a variety of colors and patterns. The stinger is more like to raise eyebrows if you are searched.
Alarms – You can also carry a small portable alarm with you. These also fit on a keychain and have a strobe on them as well. At 130 db, the alarm is as loud as a jet taking off and should get attention. These should not cause ayone to bat an eyelash if you carry it with you.
Pepper Spray – The highest rated, and one I have, is Sabre. It comes with a carrying strap that is very convenient for walking around. These are longer range weapons, which will keep your attacker further away. If you carry them, keep them in pockets and not your purse, as they may prevent you from getting in the bar if you are searched.
Tasers and Stun guns – A taser is a handheld weapon that fires projectiles and is what the police use. These give you a bit more distance, but also carry a heft price tag (around $400) and require repacking after use and purchase of additional capsules when you fire all of them off. They also are no go in bars.

There are also portable mini stun guns that you can use – the link is one I got for my girlfriend. ON a personal note, I have two additional stun guns I purchased I think are more practical. The first is a flashlight – I have the one in this link. It is nice as the electrodes are not visible like they are on the mini stun gun, although you do have to switch the switch to go from light to stun. I also like the grip on the flashlight. The second is a stun pen, which looks a lot like a marker and hides easily in your pocket. I have the purple model from the link, although you can click over to other colors.

Rules around safety equipment

Consider rideshare over walking – The best way to defend yourself is to not have to defend yourself. If you feel a street looks unsafe, find a safe spot to call an Uber, Lyft, or a cab and get back that way.
Don’t use personal safety equipment in bars – Get a bouncer or other employee rather than taking matters into your own hand in a bar. Using any of these can get your bounced out of the place. Most can also end in your arrest. With pepper spray, you could get mutliple assault charges.
Try to evade first – If someone is following you, cross the street. If you see them crossing, as well, find a way to get to the nearest bar or double back. Once you are somewhere safe, find a police officer or employee that can help you.
Use safety equipment as a last effort – If you are in a situation you can’t avoid your attacker, be prepared to defend yourself. It is better to warn for longer range weapons, like tasers or pepper spray, and give them the
FIle a police report – If you are attacked, even if you defend off the attacker, be sure to file a police report. This could result in the attacker being off the street for awhile to think about their chosen line of work. If you were followed, consider filing a report, as well.

Peace and Grace,