Emergency Exits for Sex Workers: Safety Strategies and Real-World Protocols

When we talk about emergency exits for sex workers, planned escape routes and safety protocols used to avoid dangerous situations during in-person meetings. Also known as safety exits, it's not a luxury—it's the difference between walking away and being trapped. This isn’t theoretical. Real sex workers in cities like London, Manchester, and Birmingham have built systems around this exact idea: knowing how to leave fast, quietly, and without drawing attention.

These exits aren’t just doors. They’re tied to environmental safety, the practice of choosing and preparing meeting locations to minimize risk. That means avoiding basements, isolated apartments, or places with only one way in. It means testing locks before a client arrives. It means keeping your bag, phone, and keys within arm’s reach—never tucked under a bed or in another room. And it means having a code word with a friend so if you say "I need to pick up my dog," they know to call or text you immediately.

Related to this are discreet alarms, small, silent devices that send alerts to trusted contacts when activated. Many workers carry them clipped to their belt or hidden in a shoe. Some use apps that fake a phone call to trigger a location share. Others rely on GPS trackers, devices that let someone monitor your real-time location without the client knowing. These aren’t gadgets for paranoia—they’re tools for control. When you’re in a situation where your voice might be ignored or silenced, tech becomes your backup.

And it’s not just about leaving—it’s about what happens after. Emergency exits connect to safety supplies, essential items like first aid kits, pepper spray, and emergency contact cards. A broken phone? A bruised arm? A client who won’t leave? These supplies turn panic into action. One worker in Leeds keeps a folded note in her wallet with the number of a local advocacy group—no names, no details, just a line that says, "Call this if you’re in trouble. They won’t judge."

These strategies don’t come from manuals. They come from lived experience—from women, trans people, and non-binary workers who’ve had to adapt, survive, and teach each other what works. They’ve learned that the best exit is the one you never have to use. But if you do? You need to know where it is, how to reach it, and who to call when you’re out.

Below, you’ll find real guides from workers who’ve been there—how to pick a safe room, how to test a lock in five seconds, what to put in a safety kit that won’t raise suspicion, and how to use your phone as a silent lifeline. These aren’t hypotheticals. They’re the tools keeping people alive right now.