Talk: True Crime - Survivor Stories and Strategies

Tonight, I was back with London Speaks Sessions for "True Crime: Survivor Stories and Straties (sic.)". Yes, that should have read "Strategies". This is a talk about survivors of extreme situations - and delivered by the excellent Jennifer Rees, whom I've seen a couple of times before. Not only that, but I got to use my loyalty Funzing discount for it, having cancelled a previous event for which I'd used that!

Nice, late start and a nice, close venue - even if that was Cafe 1001. At least I could walk. I headed off in good time - and on the way, just up from the venue, passed a number of quite confused people who, it transpired, were looking for the same place! Unfortunately, they'd paid too much attention to the address - 91 Brick Lane it officially is, but as you go along Brick Lane, you pass a courtyard with a sign outside that reads "91". This is not it. What you want is the alleyway beside it, past the fast food stall (closed at this hour), and into the cafe beside. Yes, I remember having terrible trouble finding it the first time.

Anyway, didn't look like they were doing much business when I arrived this evening, so they must have been glad of the talk upstairs - indeed, there wasn't even anyone to guide us to it, although I daresay they'd have done so if asked. When I'd had my name checked off the list, I could see it was pretty full - I ended up on the sofa at the back. But I did have a straight-on view! No pillars in my way, which is an issue here.

She admitted at the start that this is a new talk for her - and that she's always nervous when that happens. You might say that she works her way up to the exciting stuff - she starts with rape, then stalking, abduction - it isn't until the second half, after a brief interval, that she gets on to cults, terrorist attacks, and serial killers.

An interesting opening, with some fake news that's apparently been doing the rounds for years - oh, and spread by someone who teaches self-defence. No, FYI, most attacks do NOT happen in car parks - they're too busy and well-lit, with good CCTV coverage. Most violent attacks - apart from sexual ones - are, of course, perpetrated on men. Quite a high percentage of attackers are armed - and no, it's not a good idea to fight back on the assumption that they'll get tired of it after a couple of minutes.

There is also a very interesting piece on cross-racial profiling, where people have to identify a perpetrator of a different race from their own. She uses an extract from The Good Wife, and also tells us how even children raised in a family of different ethnic origin to their own exhibit the same difficulties in distinguishing the faces of people whose race is different from theirs.

A lot of common sense advice about things like how to tell if someone is following you, and what to do about it. Stop frequently, would you believe - it's hard to tail someone who keeps stopping! I was particularly struck by the story of a woman who saw a man trying to get into her building, who spun her a story about needing to get in to see his grandmother. So she let him in. And then he offered to help her with her shopping - and accused her of being a militant feminist when she hesitated. Assured her that he wouldn't come in, he'd leave the bags at the door. Which is how he came to barge into her flat and assault her - indeed, she was lucky to escape with her life. Goes to show, if something feels off.. forget the social niceties.

Advice about what to do if the worst happens, and you're abducted - pay as much attention as possible, it might help. Mind you, when she got on to the advice from the ex-Navy Seal, I got a bit dubious - I mean, how many of us are really going to pick the lock on our handcuffs with a hairpin? and I don't think it's quite that easy to escape a zip tie. Still, common sense is a valuable commodity in any situation.

Afterwards, most people left - but it was worth staying for the Q+A, where she told us that a good pathway into working in psychology like she does, particularly of extremely troubled individuals, is to volunteer for a suicide hotline for 18 months or so - that'll test whether you're up to it. And yes, as someone asked her - she DOES think everyone's out to get her! So, an enjoyable evening, despite the subject matter - and despite the constant sound of trickling water from the adjacent bathroom. It was cold in there too - all in all, a terrible venue for a talk.

Froze my hands off on the walk back - when it also drizzled on me! That's supposed to warm up the weather.. Tomorrow, I had arranged to go with the London Jazz Meetup - but gee, it's all the way out in Ealing! So I said sod it, I'd go to the pictures again. Now, three films are currently tying at the top of my list, all at an IMDB rating of 8.1. Njan Prakashan, however, is showing no closer than the Odeon Lee Valley - forget it. The other two are - much more attractively - on in Curzon Bloomsbury. And the winner is - Roma. Partly because it's on later, and I have an evening meeting - and partly because it's directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Seems it's a year in the life of a Mexican maid in the 70s, and is based on his childhood memories.