"Ask for Angela" service to help Australian women ditch creepy dates

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WOMEN who fear they might fall victim to sexual assaults and unwanted propositions have been given a new weapon to defend themselves while on a night out. From this weekend, women feeling uncomfortable on their date just have to ask staff for “Angela” at almost any bar pub, bar, hotel or nightclub Sydney and the trained professionals will leap into action. Staff across the city have been trained to either lead the person who asked for help discreetly out of the premises so they can escape or take the complainant to a safe space within the venue — such as a kitchen or staffroom. Bar staff have also been trained to ensure the person who complained has a safe option to get home, by either calling a loved one, ordering a cab or calling police if the situation becomes too heated.

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“We’d seen that a few individual pubs around the country had done similar messages at the bar saying that if people’s dates weren’t going well the bar staff would help and call them a cab,” she said in a statement. “We wanted to do this in a more organised way.” She added the popularity of dating apps like Tinder meant more people might find themselves in difficult situations, adding that “feedback suggests having the scheme in place makes people feel safer”.

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