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‘Companion’ App makes sure you never walk home alone again 

Posted at 5:52 PM, Sep 07, 2015
and last updated 2015-09-07 19:11:22-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- It is a feeling most of us dread, walking home from a party or from a bar by ourselves. Runners and walkers who excercise alone also know the feeling.

"As a woman by like 14 I would be uncomfortable walking places alone because you get harassed by people," Marina Blough, a Richmond teenager, said.

But now a group of students at the University of Michigan hope their app makes everyone feel as though they never have to walk home alone again.

'Companion' was created so that a friend or a parent can digitally walk you home from a potentially scary scenario.

"I would definitely recommend this app to any family that wants to keep track of their children," Lexie Ernst, one of the developers said.

CompanionErnst said the app is somewhat simple to operate. Let's say you want to go for a run. Just type in your destination and send it to a friend who can track your location. If you get nervous you can send an additional alert or if you need to call police their is an option that allows your GPS location to be shared with authorities.

Ernst said the people using the app the most include college students, runners, parents tracking children getting on and off school buses, and parents tracking children studying abroad overseas.

Just search "Companion" in the App Store.