Bars around the world are serving up a secret code that could help women who feel threatened or uncomfortable on a date.
A growing number of bars and restaurants have installed signs in women's restrooms that give customers instructions for how to discretely ask employees for help.
The most recent sign was spotted at a Hooters in South Africa.
"Is your Tinder or Plenty of Fish date not who they said they were on their profile?" the sign reads. "Do you feel unsafe, or even just a little bit weird? We're here to help. Just go to the bar and order an angel shot."
If the shot is ordered neat, bartenders know to escort the customer to her vehicle. If ordered with ice, the bartender will call an Uber or Lyft. And, if the customer orders an angel shot with lime, the bartender will call the police.
A photo of the sign has been shared more than 23,000 times since it was posted on Facebook by Renaldo Gouws on Wednesday. While Hooters did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, Hooters South Africa posted what seems to be a nod to the "angel shot" policy on Facebook on Thursday, writing "All this talk about 'Shots' is making us kind of thirsty."
The concept seems to have originated at Iberian Rooster, located in St. Petersburg, Florida. In December, the Tampa Bay Times reported that restaurant posted a sign that is nearly identical to the one found at Hooters.
—stephanie duran (@ItsSteephh) January 9, 2017
Over the last year, similar signs at bars have gone viral on social media.
An English bar called The Brickyard instructs female customers to ask for "Rachelle" or "Jennifer" if a date isn't going well.
The Lincolnshire Rape Crisis support organization created a campaign to prevent sexual violence with signs that encourage women to ask for "Angela" at the bar if a date feels weird or unsafe.
—strawberry girl (@iizzzzzi) October 18, 2016
From 2009 to 2014, as dating apps grew in popularity, Britain's National Crime Agency saw a 450% increase in reported cases of rape occurring during the first face-to-face meeting of people who met online. If these signs become more prevalent, they could play a role in helping reduce that figure in the future.
