Six Ways to Save Yourself in a Crowded Situation

VIVA – Recently, there have been a lot of heartbreaking tragedies in a crowded situation. These tragedies caused many people died, such as the Kanjuruhan Tragedy, the Halloween celebration in Itaewon, then one of the music concerts in Indonesia, called Berdendang Bergoyang.

Previously, the Chairperson of the Jakarta Regional Association of Clinical Psychologists, Anna Surti Ariani, said that crowds can have a certain psychological impact on humans, one being panic. Well, here are some ways to save yourself from a crowded situation.

1. Look at the Exit Door Location

Before entering a crowded event, it's a good idea to pay attention to your surroundings. First, pay attention to where the exit doors are. So, if something goes wrong, you will know where to go. It looks trivial, but this is very useful when many people are panicking.

2. Avoid the Wall

Being close to a wall may cause you to be crushed and unable to move, or even crushed during an earthquake. Therefore, when in a crowd try to find a position away from the wall and close to the exit.

3. The Detection of Crowd

Paying attention to the density of the surrounding area can prevent you from being crushed when a panic situation occurs in the crowd. You can look for another place if the surrounding area feels crowded enough. Because we don't know how long a conducive situation will occur in a crowd.

4. Put Hands in the Chest

If you're in a crowd and it's very crowded, put your hands in front of your chest. Create a little space with the 'Wakanda Forever' pose. This position aims to prevent the chest cavity from being compressed and cramped due to being crushed. If so, follow the flow of the crowd toward the exit.

5. Do Not Push Other People

Chain reactions are usually one of the main traits when people are trapped in a crowd and panicking. Do not force yourself to gain space by pushing others, this action can actually trigger a stronger reaction from others to push again.

6. Keep Standing

If you are caught in the middle of a panicked crowd, try to stay standing. by keeping a standing position, you can avoid being stepped on and crushed by others. Make sure that there are no items left below, so as not to hinder movement.