A good friend of mine wrote the following: http://survivalblog.com/head-up-eyes-open-by-hondo
A good friend of mine wrote the following: http://survivalblog.com/head-up-eyes-open-by-hondo
Facts matter...Feelings Can Lie
A very interesting article, thank you for posting it
I do have a question, regarding the earbuds. He mentions wearing them, while not playing any music. Is that giving off a prey signal?
I ask this honestly and politely. I have listened to several of Dr Aprill's discussions regarding victim selection, and that is what brought it to mind.
Thank you again.
I've walked around with earbuds but no sound on before. I actually had this very thought in mind. On the one hand, someone might view that as a 'go' signal for predation, but on the other hand, it could also remind you to be more aware than normal plus give you an added element of surprise. Not sure what the right answer is and would be interested in what others think as well.Originally Posted by SeriousStudent
Last edited by scw2; 10-31-2015 at 11:58 PM.
Think of them as urban camouflage; among other things, random idiots are less likely to intrusively try and strike-up insipid conversations with a person wearing ear buds. This is much the same as when a person uses a smart phone as a prop by pretending to look at it, but the user is in fact actually unobtrusively scanning their surroundings...
Facts matter...Feelings Can Lie
Regarding the earbuds, when I was in college I went to a school that was right in the downtown area of the largest city in the state, and for a couple years relied on public transportation to get there. I've been confronted multiple times by people looking for money in some fashion or another, and simply talked at by people who I don't want to have a conversation with. Turns out that wearing earbuds simply makes it less likely for people to talk to you and makes it easier for you to ignore folks who would otherwise get belligerent if they thought you were ignoring them on purpose.
Last edited by ReverendMeat; 11-01-2015 at 01:10 AM.
"Customer is very particular" -- SIG Sauer
A most excellent treatise on post-retirement mindset. Of course, he was aiming it at everybody, with good cause. And he wrote something that I've heard many times before, but have ignored… one should carry an intermediate less-lethal option… i.e., pepper spray. That just makes sense.
I must admit, though, that when I read about the earbuds, my first thought was: "Wait… that's hunting over a baited field!"
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Some good generic points in that piece, but I'll pass on the mental and tactical dynamic of being "cloaked". If that works for you - go for it.
It's been my experience that the overwhelming majority of bad guys don't look at you and filter your potential as a resistor on a measured scale. It's more of a GO / NO GO sorta thing. That's not a foolproof MO obviously, because they routinely end up on the wrong end of things when some innocuous looking victim unexpectedly starts perforating them with bullets.
But personally, I want to project "NO GO" and deter any potential interaction. I think the persona of "wolf" is more advantageous than a "wolf in sheep's clothing" since a conflict avoided is a conflict won.
Just one man's opinion, YMMV.
The path of least resistance will seldom get you where you need to be.
When I had to take public transportation to college I always wore ear buds, they came out when I got off the bus. A large portion of crime alerts sent out by university police involved people getting robbed who were listening to music or staring at their cell phone.
Truthfully, I think if you're a male, decent height, a large build and have what some would consider "muscles" there is less likelihood of being targeted. I mean, a criminal is not gonna tangle with the middle linebacker for the University of Alabama...they would however be much more confident about intimidating the foreign exchange student who weighs a buck twenty soaking wet and grew up in a nice, peaceful upper class european neighborhood where nothing bad ever happened and everybody got everything they wanted from the government.
Having been a regular to the local Big City, you meet a lot of interesting characters and panhandlers and...well I guess the word would be "beggars" are not uncommon. They are different from the three guys in hoodies who asked you for a buck, are staring you down and keeping their hands in their pockets or waistlines, or who start to take your flank before they even say a word. A panhandler will invade your personal space, but a firm but polite "no sir, I don't have any money to give you." solves the issue. The other guys...well if they're at that point, you may have to consider getting somewhere else at all cost because they may not take your word when you say you have no money. They might just decide to check your wallet themselves.
I tend to enjoy conversations with people, so I don't wear headphones or broadcast signals to tell people to stay away from me or that I am otherwise occupied. I value my life and try to be aware of my surroundings, but not at the expense of strangling all social interaction. Unfortunately, now smartphones have done just that...so really I guess if someone does approach you to begin a conversation, you may very well have reason to doubt their mental state...
You are a sick, sick man
Semper Gumby, Always Flexible
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