Für Ihre Sicherheit! (For your safety!)

So, after the drama of yesterday, I thought I should educate you all on what you should do if this ever happens to you. I did a bit of research online (for my own benefit, as well as yours!) and here is what I found.

The following advice was posted by Wendy Bumgardner on http://walking.about.com/cs/med/a/strangerdanger_2.htm
If you Think You Are Being Followed

1. If you think you are being followed: Make a sudden turn, cross the street, accelerate, or go into a nearby business. If being followed by a car, reverse your direction - it will take them a much longer time to turn around and they will likely just continue on to find a different target. If you are unable to shake the follower, turn around and scream, "What do you want?" in your most indignant voice. This is likely to embarrass the innocent and frighten off a large portion of potential attackers. If this doesn't work, now you must:
*I guess I started off alright – I took random detours and went to the well lit bakery!
2. Scream. Your voice is your primary weapon - remember that the last thing the bad guy wants is a fuss. Screaming ANYTHING halts the attack in many cases, or at least buys you a couple of seconds while they consider whether there might be easier prey.
Over the years, experts have warned not to yell, "Help" but to yell, "Fire." I favor, "Leave me the $%#& alone! Get away!" If you carry a personal alarm or whistle, use it.
* I skipped this step… Note: German translation for fire = Feuer.
3. Run/retreat. Put yardage between you and the perpetrator. Distance equals time, you are giving yourself time with every footstep you put between you and him. An all-out run is what you need. Be screaming continually while running. Keep screaming. Don't stop screaming until you are completely out of danger.
*Umm – I did my best!
4. Run toward other people: If there are other people nearby, run to them. If there is a lighted business or home, run to it. Even if they won't let you in, you are attracting attention which will likely cause the attacker to leave the area.
*I put myself right in the middle of a group of people at the tram stop – I finally did something right!
5. But what if he has a weapon? If the bad guy displays a gun, knife, baseball bat, etc. do the scream and run double time. Putting distance between you gives you protection against weapons - if it is a gun, run in a crooked line, looking for cover but mostly concentrating on gaining distance. It is very difficult for even the best marksman to hit a moving target, so become a moving target. Hitting anything over 15 yards away is very difficult. By displaying a weapon he has threatened your life, and you have to believe he means it. You need to get out of the situation before he completes his threat. The odds are on your side more with every yard you gain.
6. But what if he shows a weapon and wants me to get in a vehicle or go off into the bushes? Unless he has you physically restrained, scream and run. If you are female, you have almost 100% chance of being raped and may be killed if you get into a vehicle. If you are male, you have almost 100% chance of being killed. With those odds, your odds are much better that he can't hit a moving object with a bullet, and in almost all cases he won't shoot anyway - he wants to scare you into the vehicle or bushes, not shoot you or he would have done that already. Remember, unless this is somebody you know, they aren't looking for you, they'll let you go and look for an easier target.