Advice I Hope You Never Need: How To Survive A Mugging

 A few articles on surviving muggings:

• "Here’s How to Survive a Mugging" by Tim Makay at Stillness In The Storm. 
• "I’m a Mugger—Here’s How to Outsmart Me" by Lauren Cahn at Reader's Digest.
• "What A Convicted Mugger Can Teach You About Personal Safety"--Defense Divas.

As Makay explains in his article, "[a] mugging is a type of robbery where the perpetrator demands money or other valuables from the victim with the use of force or intimidation." But, he notes, "[t]he difference between a mugging and a truly murderous, predatory attack is that a mugging is a crime conducted with an expectation of compliance on the part of the victim." 

    Some of the tips for avoiding a mugging offered in the articles include:

• Don't walk around alone--especially when intoxicated--but walk with someone else and stick to areas with other people around.
• Avoid desolate places such as empty subway platforms and residential driveways. Makay also notes other danger zones: "Bad parts of town, prosperous shopping and other commercial areas, parking lots, transitional points, choke points for foot traffic and ATMs are all danger zones."
• Don't look "flashy"--e.g., avoid expensive designer clothes, don't show expensive watches or jewellery or other signs you have money. 
• Maintain situational awareness--e.g., don't get distracted with phones or other devices and pay especial attention to "[a]nyone who is giving you a hard stare down, appearing nervous, glancing around for witnesses or keeping their hands hidden for seemingly no reason[.]"
• Don't take chances with people that invade your personal space, such as people asking for the time or directions; and if a person persists in approaching your or invading your personal space, don't be afraid/embarrassed to create space by step away, change directions, crossing the street, moving toward other peoples, etc., or using a strong command such as "stop" or "stay back". 
• Have a plan or escape route.
• Don't look like an easy target: walk confidently with your head up and acknowledging the other people around (i.e., not ignoring other people). Muggers tend to target people that are distracted, moving slowly or uncertainly, look frightened, or seem frail (such as the elderly or injured people). Surprisingly, one of the articles mentioned that muggers prefer targeting men over women because women are more likely to scream or use a whistle.  A couple of the articles also mention that muggers will avoid people they see carrying pepper spray or they believe to be armed.

The consensus is if you do get mugged--particularly if they strike first or are displaying a weapon--is to comply: the valuables that the mugger might demand are not worth your health, safety, or life. But if compliance does not stop the attack or satisfy the mugger, you may need to distract the mugger and fight back, yell/scream/use a whistle or alarm, or run away. Makay's article has much more detail on this, so be sure to read it. But I will include this from his article about fighting back (bold added):

    Keep in mind that you are likely to be facing more than one attacker, attackers that will likely be armed, and are also likely to be far better acquainted with violence than you are.

    Ask yourself, sincerely, if you are good enough, fast enough and strong enough to incapacitate or kill them in time to save your own life before you are gravely wounded or killed in turn?

    You must also be cautious of the notion that they could have weapons ready for near immediate use, but you just might not see him.

    Many skilled teams of muggers are likewise using their own overwatch or cover elements who aren’t at near distance with the victim.

    One of the worst possible things you can do is fight back and fail to win.

    The punitive measures that your attackers will employ in such a case will be quite severe, and may end with your death.

    That being said, you must know what your red line moment is. This is something that you simply will not tolerate under any conditions. 

 And, he adds:

    The most important thing you can know considering fighting back to protect yourself is that when the time comes to fight, you must fight like the devil himself.

    Ultraviolet, maximum speed and not stopping until your attacker is utterly incapacitated or you are. 

Related:

•  "Self-Defense Against Multiple Attackers"--US Concealed Carry. 
•  "How to Defend Against Multiple Attackers"--Mindful Defense.