Angel Shot: Bar safety code goes digital
Have you heard of an angel shot? It’s not a drink, but a code word you can use when you’re at a bar to let the staff know if you feel like you’re in danger. Now, FOX 5 NY’s Jodi Goldberg shows us the concept is being expanded with a new app.
LONG ISLAND – Stuck with a Stage 5 clinger? There’s an app for that.
Unlike the universal codeword “angel shot” used to protect patrons who may be in trouble, the Angel Shot app launched by Long Islanders allows women and even men caught in uncomfortable bar scenes to communicate with staff without having to make a scene.
“Sometimes it looks like a normal conversation, and then you don’t know, so I wanted a way that customers can get in touch with me,” said Stephen Brennan, who is the co-developer of the app. “Once you check into a bar, you see the four angel shot buttons.”
There’s the “angel shot” that means mild assistance, a “neat shot” if a person needs help to their car, “the rocks” if someone is looking for a safe ride home and then a “shot with lime” signals staff to call the police.
“You’re able to put in your emergency contact so that if it is serious, you can put in the alert and everyone knows where you are and what happened,” said co-developer Jimmy LaSalle.
So far, 50 local establishments have signed up for the free app. It’s available in the northeast with plans to expand across the country.
“Over 80% of women have at one point or another have felt harassed or bothered or uncomfortable in bar situations or restaurants at the bar,” LaSalle said.
To download the app, click here.
