Sometimes the most innocuous question can give a predator all the information they need to stalk, harass, or assault a woman. That’s why Instagram’s “safety queen” Cathy Pedrayes has made a series of videos showing women the best times to lie to a stranger.
We’ve all been raised to tell the truth, but when it comes to being safe there’s no reason we should feel compelled to give out personal information to a random stranger. Pedrayes’ videos do a great job at not only showing women when to lie and but how to feel comfortable doing so.
Pedrayes originally started making videos about philosophy and being a “mom friend,” but soon fell into making clips centered around safety because of her unique background.
“I questioned whether I was even qualified to talk about it, but then I realized my life experiences did qualify me,” she told Rutgers. “Working on television with stalkers, growing up during the days of the cocaine cowboys in Miami, having family from Latin America where personal safety habits are much more common: yes, I had enough experience to talk about it.”
In most of her videos, she wears a blue dress and pearls. The necklace and earrings are a tribute to her grandmother who gave them to her when she passed away.
In addition to being a “safety queen” on social media, Pedrayes has appeared on QVC and “The Doctors.”
In her first “Situations When It’s best to lie” video she takes on how to handle cab drivers and workers that come to the house.
How should women deal with cab and Uber drivers that get too personal?
Here are some of the lies you can tell when you’re alone and you don’t want anyone to know.
Here are some hip-pocket, go-to lies for when someone asks where you live.
More situations when it’s best to lie.