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Port Elizabeth - What do you do if you’re a woman on a date with someone you want to ditch?
If you’re at Hooters, all you do is order an “Angel” drink, Netwerk24 reports.
If you order it neat, the waiter or bartender knows that you need someone to escort you to your car.
“With ice” means they have to arrange transport for you, like Uber, or a taxi.
A slice of lime indicates that police might have to be called.
Sometimes women end up in a situation, like on a first date, where things get uncomfortable or they fear for their safety.
Safe word
“The ‘Angel shot’ doesn’t really exist. It’s actually a code or safe word for women,” said Roger Masson, Hooters’ marketing manager.
Hooters put up a discreet note about the “Angel Shot” in the ladies restrooms over the past week.
Patrons were so impressed that it had been widely shared on social media by Wednesday.
“Someone saw the idea overseas and sent it to us via Twitter. We tweaked it for our own customers.
“It’s not meant for girls whose date has turned sour, but for women who find themselves in a situation where they need help.
“The safe word will also be changed regularly to something which isn’t on our menu, so that a woman can sound the alarm with as little fuss as possible.
“Our staff will help discreetly where they can,” said Masson.
Safety net
The notice, with an image of a big-eyed owl, has been put in the ladies’ rooms in all the Hooters branches in South Africa.
“First prize, of course, is that a woman never needs to use the code word and, until now, there have been no incidents where someone has had to resort to the safe word. However, it is a safety net should such a situation arise.”
One of the people who has praised the campaign on social media was Renaldo Gouws. He had gone a meet a friend who works at Hooters in Port Elizabeth.
“I am a DA councillor in that area, so I regularly stop at places in my ward to see how things are going.
“Someone showed me the pamphlet and we decided that it was such a good idea that women have to be made aware of it.”
Gouws does not think the attention it elicited on social media would be detrimental to the project as the code word will be changed regularly.
“This is such a good idea to keep women safe that I think it should be done all over the world,” Gouws said.
