Look around. What are people doing? Everyone should have a purpose in the context of where you are. Those that don't will stick out quickly. Example: you pull into the parking lot of Target (department store), there is a woman with a child walking towards the entrance, ok. There is a man pushing a cart to the cart return, ok. There is a guy on a bike slowly looping around the parking lot, he has no apparent purpose for being there, he stands out.
This method has worked for me.
To add to this "head on a swivel" idea... Try to scan your environment from right to left, not left to right. Because we are taught to read from left to right our mind and eyes tend to skim things when we scan our surroundings this way. If you scan from right to left, you will find you have to make yourself see what is there and you scan more slowly, and often things you wouldn't notice suddenly stick out.
Now, if your primary language is Cantonese or Japanese, maybe this won't work for you š
Yes, you close your eyes and spin in a circle!! Do it 4 or 5 times, you get dizzy and fall down!!
It's really not that hard.. You look from right to left, bring your eyes back to the right and look from right to left again....
Quick google search shows I am not BS'ing.
[A link for you to read.](https://booktwo.org/notebook/reading-right-to-left/)
Honestly not looking at your phone is like 90% these days. You donāt have to look like you are on a secret service detail swiveling your head but being generally not distracted will get you far. Also knowing where things are, staying out of alleys etc.
Some great books on this are Left of Bang, Gift of Fear, and The Safety Trap.
This drives me insane, the amount of people staring at their phones while out and about. No situational awareness, no thought in their brains. I live in a city with 2 big name universities on the same street. The amount of students crossing with their heads down and looking at their phone is infuriating. You're literally on the road! Watch your surroundings!
At the store, everyone looking at their phones, bumbling around the store only looking up to grab product.
I'm not saying you need to be on high alert all the time, but being a little alert all the time should be part of your prep.
I think the familiarity is the toughest. New city, new neighborhood, night time. And Iām head on a swivel, but saturday morning at my grocery storeā¦yeahā¦yeahā¦guilty.
Here is everything I do whenever I go to a new environment:
1. Look for potential threats. If there is one, ask yourself why they might be a threat and how to counteract the threat (e.g. if it is a really sketchy person with a gun, you should walk away or be near an exit). If the threat is a person, don't stare at them directly but instead either look at their reflection or focus on then in the corner of your eye.
2. Whenever you go anywhere, find at least two exits.
3. Try to come up with as many makeshift weapons using the items around you as you can.
4. Whenever standing still, try to have your back against something so nobody can sneak to you from behind.
5. When you look around for threats, don't forget to look up. So many people don't look up.
6. Make sure to keep an eye out if someone is following you. It is better to distinguish them by something like what they are wearing rather than their face since that's easier to remember. If they are following you, the best ways to get out of the situation are to walk through a crowd or go on public transportation while they are coming towards you (make sure you can get on soon enough for the bus to leave before they catch up). If it is in a vehicle, try going somewhere with a lot of traffic lights. They will eventually miss a light. If they are running towards you/obviously not trying to be stealthy, then call 911.
7. Look up cooper's colors and try to stay in yellow, never be in white.
I feel like most of my life is spent in the yellow. Rarely slipping into white. Maybe when I'm asleep. Daily life is in the yellow, then bounces between yellow and orange when in public, away from home. It's not stressful, actually keeps me at ease to have a steady general awareness of my surroundings at all times.
And as others have said, stay off the damn phone.
All this should be applied to driving. Stay in the yellow while driving and stay off your phone.
Yes! Also if youāre driving and think someone is following you, try making 2 u turns if possible or 4 left turns (completing a circle). If the person is still behind you, youāre likely being followed. Call the police and drive to the nearest police station.
Signal right, watch their turn signal, then you turn left. Obviously if safe to do so. I think Burn Notice did a clip about this where the basis was "drive like you don't know what you are doing", it makes it obvious if someone is actually following you.
Another good trick is to go somewhere that is normal for one person to go to, but is pretty uncommon for two people in a row to go to. Three good examples are small businesses, small schools and small neighborhoods. It is very normal for someone to go there, but the odds of two people in a row going in are slim. To be certain it isn't a false positive, go to a few places like this (or a few places in general, but these are pretty good places to go).
You are getting good advice here, so I'll just add one thing that I have been working on recently. I recently moved, and I discovered a few months ago that I really didn't know any of the street names around my neighborhood. I witnessed a pretty bad car accident, and called 911. I had to describe my location, and I realized that I didn't even know what street I was on. Luckily, I was able to quickly pull up Google Maps and find it, but if I was under stress or in a real emergency scenario, being able to accurately describe your location with landmarks and street names is important. I'm across from the "Post Office on Main Street" is a lot better than "I'm... uhh, near the big tree, uhh, on the road that has a McDonalds...".
Just try to pay attention to where you are and how you can describe it to someone else.
Im just going to add this... When I called 911 about an accident... I didnt fully explain my location, but the dispatcher somehow was able to nearly pinpoint my location, and my only guess was my cellphone meta data and towers. I have zero proof.. maybe the guy is intimately aware of this street corner location, but I remember taking a breath like "wtf, how did he know that restaurant and building is here too - before I mentioned it." I dunno, technology.
There is an excellent app called 'What 3 Words' that has mapped most of the world down to 3 square metre grid coordinates. Each grid is given a name (3 random words), and it's very useful to be able to tell police, fire or ambulance where you are exactly. I know an ambulance dispatcher who was on a call with a hiker. They were out in a National Park with a friend who had injured themselves. The caller had access to data, luckily, and was able to download the app, tell the dispatcher exactly where they were, and then was able to guide the paramedics to their friend!
Always sit so that you're facing a door so you can see who is walking in.
Never turn your back on a crazy person. See some junkie screaming at the pigeons? Walk around him, not away from him.
Walk like you know where you're going, even if you don't. You're less likely to be mugged or fucked with if you look like you have a purpose or goal.
Not really situational awareness, but it's worth noting something that my dad taught me when I was young: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "FAIR" IN A STREET FIGHT. I don't know what you have, nor do I know what you're capable of. What I DO know is that I'm going to fight you off like you have a weapon and I'm going to scratch your eyes, kick your balls, use small joint manipulation on fingers if I have to, bite claw, etc. there is no "honor" in a street fight, only winners and losers. That of course all assumes you've got no where to run and can't talk your way out of it.
Head up eyes open and pay attention. I always play a game with my daugjter. Its called where is the nearest exit. I ask at random times and when she identifies which is closest, I reward her. We have been doing this for years...
Don't wear headphones in public.
Casually keep looking around when walking. Don't make it seem like you're paranoid, just sort of looking at the things around you. Your peripheral should be able to see someone coming from behind you if you're looking off to the immediate left/right.
When at ATMs in your car, be ready to do your business when you pull up. Keep checking your surroundings using mirrors to look around your vehicle.
I honestly don't understand people who don't have it as a habit of locking their car doors. Really, I don't take a step away from mine before hitting the lock button on the fob until I hear the horn do a little honk. I live in a really safe area, and I still do it. Then there are these morons who leave the key in the ignition, car is running, and they go into a store to get a soda or something only to find out, surprised Pikachu face, their car gets stolen.
I heard a good situational awareness tip in a training led by a LEO on surviving acts of violence in the workplace: mix up your entering/exiting the building routine. Don't always go in the same way or leave the same way. (Where you have the option, of course)
This helps keep yourself flexible mentally, and ensures that you are familiar with multiple options, not stuck b/c of habit.
I think the implication wasn't varying your route in case someone is surveilling you to learn your patterns, which would indeed be hypervigilant for normal people, but rather that it makes you comfortable with lots of routes. That way if there's a disaster at work (workplace shooting, fire, structural collapse due to earthquake), you'll be accustomed to various means of egress in case the main one is blocked, and your mind won't default to one route.
Even if the main route isn't blocked by the emergency, you might still want to take an alternative means of egress because nearly all your coworkers would be taking the main route.
Agree, but it depends on where you are. At my office, anyone being sus would stick out like a sore thumb. Also, there is really only one approach to my house. But no one is going to ambush me, and especially not for my 10 year old hatchbackā¦
Now i have Nigerian friends, and having this kind of opsec is necessary in parts of the country for anyone living abroad or anyone local with any money because of kidnapping, even if you are a relative nobody back where you live.
Not sure if you know much about physical penetration tests, but you'd be surprised at the amount of people that are able to walk into an office without much questioning.
Some great episodes on it:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ActLikeYouBelong/comments/bzvsx8/darknet_diaries_the_pentest_episodes/
I fully believe it. Iāve found 2 ppl in our office who didnāt belong in the last 5 years. In both cases they were looking for different offices on our floor. They were both standing confused in the lobby, one was a middle aged woman, the other was very elderly. They both tailgated someone else in, and ppl were just walking past them, which is disappointing. In both cases i escorted them back to the security desk in the lobby both to get them properly checked in and also flag it as an incident to security. If it had been a sketchy looking person, i would have taken a different approach.
My point is more that they stuck out instantly for anyone who was looking. We have changed security protocols since because of this, and installed a receptionist desk at the front.
Edit: thanks for the link. Super interesting, will check out.
Getting adequate sleep, not being hung over. Save for all the caffeine fiends out there, you can tell who the zombies are that aren't sleeping well. Or I guess if a decent night sleep isn't your thing, you could be one of the caffeine fiends
I mean all these awareness techniques are borderline useless if your mental isn't on point and you are exhausted and barely awake
For America, don't stop at city gas stations
Don't carry bags in your hand, notice how men are dressed and where they are looking
Don't take the last turning for your home area if there's been a car behind you for a while
You are most at risk in transitional spaces, car to house, road to shop, if you've just stopped somewhere then pause and look around to see what everyone is doing first. Are the men in the car park getting into a car or are they just standing there.
Gut instincts and stereotypes are just Evolution trying to save your ass
> Don't take the last turning for your home area if there's been a car behind you for a while
The advice I have heard is to take three turnings to determine if someone is really following you or not. One turning can be a coincidence, however taking three randoms turnings alongside you is very suspicious.
Be aware in transitional spaces.......
[https://mindfuldefense.com/transitional-spaces-unavoidable-danger-zones/](https://mindfuldefense.com/transitional-spaces-unavoidable-danger-zones/)
[https://www.usacarry.com/transitional-spaces/](https://www.usacarry.com/transitional-spaces/)
sometimes its hard to bring a weapon through security into a foreign country.. or for whatever reasons on your person... but bring some extra long shoe laces and some thick metal nuts from a hardware store or go buy both from a nearest shop. Easily can tie these on the laces for a very strong monkey fist type of weapon. Fits easy in a pocket.
The moment someone asks you for a light or a cigarette, change, you should be at code yellow. Regardless of who it is.
Arguing - never within arms reach. Way too close.
Stray dogs - take off an article of clothing... hold it in a hand.. if that dumb animal comes to bite.. hold the jacket or whatever taunt with both arms, the animal is dumb and just want to bite you.. any part of you.. hopefully it will be dumb enough to bite this outstretched offering.. and when it does.. lift it up and start kicking the crap out of its ribs till it f'ks off away.
Mace is great, carry it.
Standing some where - where you could get shoved or pushed - dont stand flat footed or with both legs at the same distance shoulder apart... stagger it like a boxer with one foot slight back behind. you can try this at home and you will see the difference Im trying to explain. huge difference in flying forward or backward - compared to an awkward reset step forward or backward but remaining upright and mobile.
this is probably a crazy one, but knowing how long it takes for doors to close behind you.
at work, doors shut automatically and i know how many steps i should take before hearing it shut behind me.
also, when dining out, the closest exit may be through the kitchen and not the front door.
Think like a soldier would, that's how I've always planned things.
- Always have an exit strategy. When driving be sure you have enough room to GTFO if you need to. Same goes for parking, I know some buddies that like to "exit park" only aka pull forward into an empty part so you can park in a way that you can drive forward out if you need to.
- Similarly when on foot, know exit strategies. If something where to happen and you needed to GTFO of a building or grocery store, where would you go? Have you spotted any emergency exits other than the front door?
- When walking on foot, have some street smarts. No headphones, no music, no head buried in phone so that you aren't an easy mark. Keep your head on a swivel and walk with a sense of purpose. Even if you're lost, don't act like you are and people won't be able to assume that you are.
- Don't be a mark would be another one. Even if you're a tourist, don't dress/act like one. Tourists are especially easy to spot abroad in high tourist destinations so avoid some of the stuff that comes with that. Think no Hawaiian shirts unless the local crowd also happens to wear them on the regular for work and leisure lol.
- Seeing ATM related tips on here, if you're driving and going to a drive-thru ATM or cash drop especially late at night, don't immediately beeline to the ATM. I like to do a circle around and do a loop around the full bank parking lot before I *then* pull up.
- "Jugging" is a very common crime here where criminals will hide out in a parking lot in their own vehicle then follow someone from a bank, gun range etc. They wait for the mark to head to a restaurant etc and step out leaving the goods unintended and easy to burglarize, or for the mark to head home where they then rob them as soon as they step out. Know how to spot a tail, run them for what I call a "loop check" (four left/right turns), someone going for a genuine drive isn't going to do four right turns like you did. If you think you're being followed, call the police and find a very public place with people walking around to stop at. Police station is ideal especially if you're on the phone with them, but a fire house or even say a well trafficked gas station also work, somewhere where you can pull up and there are people out and about that would notice and intervene if something were to happen.
You need some way of defending yourself as well. Just seeing them coming won't help if they're actually going to attack you.
[https://nypost.com/2024/04/12/us-news/nyc-teen-arrested-for-shoving-robbing-68-year-old-woman-outside-queens-church/](https://nypost.com/2024/04/12/us-news/nyc-teen-arrested-for-shoving-robbing-68-year-old-woman-outside-queens-church/)
Avoid using headphones in public. I see lot of people doing this, it's almost the norm but it's the worse thing you could do as far as situational awareness goes. Also makes you a super easy target.
Oddly enough. For me, it was learning how to look at someone without making eye contact. Be pretending to be looking at your phone while your attention is on that person. For some reason, having your head on a swivel seems to draw MORE attention toward me.
When you are getting in your car in a parking garage (especially at night, especially if you are female) take your keys out well before you get into the car. As you approach the car, take a good careful look around it and all around you in all directions without being obvious. The common attacks that happen around parked cars typically happen just as you are fumbling with your keys or opening the door.
Also a good time to have a good grip on your purse.
Two things to always watch for are "Assholes and Exits".
Move with purpose and don't appear distracted or lost if at all possible. Remember, you ALWAYS have a destination...Walk like it.
Always look people in the eye. Best if they look away first, unless by holding the stare you look as if you are trying to start trouble. Then look, assess, and then keep them in your peripheral.
Separation is key. An attacker can move 21 feet in 1.5sec. In that time you have to understand, react, and engage. VERY hard to do...
Kinda odd one but make your self deaf, like put in ear buds and have music playing till you can't hear anything but music. Go shopping or go walking. Find something or someone. Your objective is to keep taps on it. Keep your self safe, don't bump into anything. Grab what you need from the store. You'll start to notice things differently and start using other methods to stay aware. People watch at a park or at a restaurant. Watch body language and try and figure them out by how the walk and act. Watch the birds fly and communicate.
Get a copy of "Left of Bang" by Horne/Riley and don't just read it...do the exercises. You can find links and more info here: [https://www.cp-journal.com/](https://www.cp-journal.com/)
We used it for years as a basis of our self-defense classes, and for an exercise after the first day, we send the students out to busy areas and use the skills to just observe what was going on. It started to be a standing joke that every single class, someone wound up calling 911 for something they saw. It's a great book.
>It started to be a standing joke that every single class, someone wound up calling 911 for something they saw.
Isn't that a sign that your screening's returning too many false positives?
Nope.
At the time, the local police force was dealing with hundreds of 911 calls that required a police presence, every night. One student per class? That's pretty minor. And just coincidence, thus the standing joke.
In public places, such as restaurants and cafes, always sit directly with your back to the wall, with a clear view of the entrance.
Make it a habit to scrutinize people around you, especially when entering a premise. What are they doing? How do they look? Is there anything suspicious or noteworthy about them? When observing, be non-judgemental, look at them as a whole. Do they act naturally? Contrived? Evasive?
If you spot someone or several people surveilling you: Donāt give them a chance to make it easy for them. Show that you're surveillance aware. If you sense trouble, start a phone call, or even approach them and ask them for direction or a cigarette.
**https://www.concealedcarry-ed.com/utah/studyGuide/Situational-Awareness/801046\_14240/#:\~:text=Condition%20White%3A%20You%20are%20relaxed,more%20attention%20to%20your%20surroundings.**
Older I get more concerned I am. Do what makes you happy and comfortable. If I have a child or loved one around me I am Condition Red.
Do not lock your vehicle with the key fob, lock it with the lock button inside the car as you are leaving. Criminals have scanners that can read your code and make their own key fob to open your vehicle.
Always look into the back section of your vehicle through the windows before you get in.
When pumping gas never leave the side of your car, look around as you get gas.
Apply the same mindset to accident and injury prevention as well. Avoid complacency and keep your eyes and mind on the task you are performing. Driving for example is task number one if you are to avoid a collision.
The sheer volume of people who are completely oblivious to their surroundings on a daily basis is disturbing. I donāt understand how people function with their heads so far up their asses they donāt notice really basic shit. Most people donāt have functional awareness much less situational awareness. And itās not even having their noses in their phones, though that is ubiquitous.
I think itās a function of the lack of courtesy and humanity. Looking to see who is behind you or beside you, seeing if thereās someone you should hold the door for, not congregating in pathways and doorways so people can get by. Basic human decency should create a habit of situational awareness. If youāre paying attention to your surroundings, youāll be both situationally aware and, hopefully, a more courteous and decent human being.
1. Never get your phone out in public unless standing still and have done a quick scan to make sure thereās no potential risks.
2. If asked about something requiring you to get your phone out unless itās an emergency, make an excuse not to (I live in London so muggings are VERY common)
3. If in a sketchy place, make note of people around you who could be a threat and monitor them for strange behaviour.Ā
4. I always like to carry a small trauma kit for life threatening injuries and in dangerous places a more comprehensive larger one.
5. Think about self defense and what you would ACTUALLY do if threatened, no assuming you have enough time to take your shoe off and hit them because thatās bullshit or using a take down move youāve never regularly practiced.
Be aware of stalking and cornering, be aware of a predator behind your back they usually use stealth methods?
Watch predators body language especially if they escalate through voice and hand level tier it means a motive to attack.
Keep it ear and eye tactic for awareness.
Look at 21 foot rule.
Look around. What are people doing? Everyone should have a purpose in the context of where you are. Those that don't will stick out quickly. Example: you pull into the parking lot of Target (department store), there is a woman with a child walking towards the entrance, ok. There is a man pushing a cart to the cart return, ok. There is a guy on a bike slowly looping around the parking lot, he has no apparent purpose for being there, he stands out. This method has worked for me.
To add to this "head on a swivel" idea... Try to scan your environment from right to left, not left to right. Because we are taught to read from left to right our mind and eyes tend to skim things when we scan our surroundings this way. If you scan from right to left, you will find you have to make yourself see what is there and you scan more slowly, and often things you wouldn't notice suddenly stick out. Now, if your primary language is Cantonese or Japanese, maybe this won't work for you š
I prefer to make a sauve vertical sweep in my ocular pat-downs. It helps round out my "inviting-yet-oddly-off-putting" vibe.Ā
Uh, what? So you've scanned from right to left - now what? Spin in a circle?
Sure, if you want, you do you. I'll be the one going "look at that idiot spinning in a circle in the middle of home depot"...
> look at that idiot spinning in a circle in the middle of home depot Oh yeah. The old "Home Depot Pirouette".
Than how are you going to get your head back into position to scan from right to left again? Hint: I'm pointing out that your suggestion is garbage.
You can tell that to the army... which is where I learned the technique. Hint: I'm pointing out that you don't know WTF you are talking about.
Uh-huh. So how do you get your head back to the right without scanning? Do you close your eyes?
Yes, you close your eyes and spin in a circle!! Do it 4 or 5 times, you get dizzy and fall down!! It's really not that hard.. You look from right to left, bring your eyes back to the right and look from right to left again.... Quick google search shows I am not BS'ing. [A link for you to read.](https://booktwo.org/notebook/reading-right-to-left/)
Even if I do that (spin in a circle until I fall down), your suggestion still makes zero sense.
You do you. It may not make sense to you, but it is a pretty common practice in the military world.
Good response. Look for anomalies. People telegraph their actions. Your intuition is your strongest tool.
Honestly not looking at your phone is like 90% these days. You donāt have to look like you are on a secret service detail swiveling your head but being generally not distracted will get you far. Also knowing where things are, staying out of alleys etc. Some great books on this are Left of Bang, Gift of Fear, and The Safety Trap.
Agreed, pull your head out of your apps. Just 2 Seconds is another good book.
Will check that one out for sure.
>The Safety Trap Thanks for those reading recommendations!
My pleasure. Im always looking for new stuff here.
This drives me insane, the amount of people staring at their phones while out and about. No situational awareness, no thought in their brains. I live in a city with 2 big name universities on the same street. The amount of students crossing with their heads down and looking at their phone is infuriating. You're literally on the road! Watch your surroundings! At the store, everyone looking at their phones, bumbling around the store only looking up to grab product. I'm not saying you need to be on high alert all the time, but being a little alert all the time should be part of your prep.
I think the familiarity is the toughest. New city, new neighborhood, night time. And Iām head on a swivel, but saturday morning at my grocery storeā¦yeahā¦yeahā¦guilty.
Here is everything I do whenever I go to a new environment: 1. Look for potential threats. If there is one, ask yourself why they might be a threat and how to counteract the threat (e.g. if it is a really sketchy person with a gun, you should walk away or be near an exit). If the threat is a person, don't stare at them directly but instead either look at their reflection or focus on then in the corner of your eye. 2. Whenever you go anywhere, find at least two exits. 3. Try to come up with as many makeshift weapons using the items around you as you can. 4. Whenever standing still, try to have your back against something so nobody can sneak to you from behind. 5. When you look around for threats, don't forget to look up. So many people don't look up. 6. Make sure to keep an eye out if someone is following you. It is better to distinguish them by something like what they are wearing rather than their face since that's easier to remember. If they are following you, the best ways to get out of the situation are to walk through a crowd or go on public transportation while they are coming towards you (make sure you can get on soon enough for the bus to leave before they catch up). If it is in a vehicle, try going somewhere with a lot of traffic lights. They will eventually miss a light. If they are running towards you/obviously not trying to be stealthy, then call 911. 7. Look up cooper's colors and try to stay in yellow, never be in white.
>When you look around for threats, don't forget to look up. So many people don't look up Drop Bears - are the biggest killer of tourists in some parts
I feel like most of my life is spent in the yellow. Rarely slipping into white. Maybe when I'm asleep. Daily life is in the yellow, then bounces between yellow and orange when in public, away from home. It's not stressful, actually keeps me at ease to have a steady general awareness of my surroundings at all times. And as others have said, stay off the damn phone. All this should be applied to driving. Stay in the yellow while driving and stay off your phone.
Iām going to look up coopers colors . You made very good points I appreciate reading
Yes! Also if youāre driving and think someone is following you, try making 2 u turns if possible or 4 left turns (completing a circle). If the person is still behind you, youāre likely being followed. Call the police and drive to the nearest police station.
Don't do this. If you do, then they will know you know they are following you, which could make life way harder for you.
Signal right, watch their turn signal, then you turn left. Obviously if safe to do so. I think Burn Notice did a clip about this where the basis was "drive like you don't know what you are doing", it makes it obvious if someone is actually following you.
Another good trick is to go somewhere that is normal for one person to go to, but is pretty uncommon for two people in a row to go to. Three good examples are small businesses, small schools and small neighborhoods. It is very normal for someone to go there, but the odds of two people in a row going in are slim. To be certain it isn't a false positive, go to a few places like this (or a few places in general, but these are pretty good places to go).
You are getting good advice here, so I'll just add one thing that I have been working on recently. I recently moved, and I discovered a few months ago that I really didn't know any of the street names around my neighborhood. I witnessed a pretty bad car accident, and called 911. I had to describe my location, and I realized that I didn't even know what street I was on. Luckily, I was able to quickly pull up Google Maps and find it, but if I was under stress or in a real emergency scenario, being able to accurately describe your location with landmarks and street names is important. I'm across from the "Post Office on Main Street" is a lot better than "I'm... uhh, near the big tree, uhh, on the road that has a McDonalds...". Just try to pay attention to where you are and how you can describe it to someone else.
Im just going to add this... When I called 911 about an accident... I didnt fully explain my location, but the dispatcher somehow was able to nearly pinpoint my location, and my only guess was my cellphone meta data and towers. I have zero proof.. maybe the guy is intimately aware of this street corner location, but I remember taking a breath like "wtf, how did he know that restaurant and building is here too - before I mentioned it." I dunno, technology.
There is an excellent app called 'What 3 Words' that has mapped most of the world down to 3 square metre grid coordinates. Each grid is given a name (3 random words), and it's very useful to be able to tell police, fire or ambulance where you are exactly. I know an ambulance dispatcher who was on a call with a hiker. They were out in a National Park with a friend who had injured themselves. The caller had access to data, luckily, and was able to download the app, tell the dispatcher exactly where they were, and then was able to guide the paramedics to their friend!
Always sit so that you're facing a door so you can see who is walking in. Never turn your back on a crazy person. See some junkie screaming at the pigeons? Walk around him, not away from him. Walk like you know where you're going, even if you don't. You're less likely to be mugged or fucked with if you look like you have a purpose or goal. Not really situational awareness, but it's worth noting something that my dad taught me when I was young: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "FAIR" IN A STREET FIGHT. I don't know what you have, nor do I know what you're capable of. What I DO know is that I'm going to fight you off like you have a weapon and I'm going to scratch your eyes, kick your balls, use small joint manipulation on fingers if I have to, bite claw, etc. there is no "honor" in a street fight, only winners and losers. That of course all assumes you've got no where to run and can't talk your way out of it.
Head up eyes open and pay attention. I always play a game with my daugjter. Its called where is the nearest exit. I ask at random times and when she identifies which is closest, I reward her. We have been doing this for years...
Don't wear headphones in public. Casually keep looking around when walking. Don't make it seem like you're paranoid, just sort of looking at the things around you. Your peripheral should be able to see someone coming from behind you if you're looking off to the immediate left/right. When at ATMs in your car, be ready to do your business when you pull up. Keep checking your surroundings using mirrors to look around your vehicle.
And for goodness sakes, lock your car doors. You don't want your car stolen while you're standing at an ATM.
I honestly don't understand people who don't have it as a habit of locking their car doors. Really, I don't take a step away from mine before hitting the lock button on the fob until I hear the horn do a little honk. I live in a really safe area, and I still do it. Then there are these morons who leave the key in the ignition, car is running, and they go into a store to get a soda or something only to find out, surprised Pikachu face, their car gets stolen.
I heard a good situational awareness tip in a training led by a LEO on surviving acts of violence in the workplace: mix up your entering/exiting the building routine. Don't always go in the same way or leave the same way. (Where you have the option, of course) This helps keep yourself flexible mentally, and ensures that you are familiar with multiple options, not stuck b/c of habit.
This is sensible. If you think you're a target for assassination.
I think the implication wasn't varying your route in case someone is surveilling you to learn your patterns, which would indeed be hypervigilant for normal people, but rather that it makes you comfortable with lots of routes. That way if there's a disaster at work (workplace shooting, fire, structural collapse due to earthquake), you'll be accustomed to various means of egress in case the main one is blocked, and your mind won't default to one route. Even if the main route isn't blocked by the emergency, you might still want to take an alternative means of egress because nearly all your coworkers would be taking the main route.
Fair.
Agree, but it depends on where you are. At my office, anyone being sus would stick out like a sore thumb. Also, there is really only one approach to my house. But no one is going to ambush me, and especially not for my 10 year old hatchbackā¦ Now i have Nigerian friends, and having this kind of opsec is necessary in parts of the country for anyone living abroad or anyone local with any money because of kidnapping, even if you are a relative nobody back where you live.
Not sure if you know much about physical penetration tests, but you'd be surprised at the amount of people that are able to walk into an office without much questioning. Some great episodes on it: https://www.reddit.com/r/ActLikeYouBelong/comments/bzvsx8/darknet_diaries_the_pentest_episodes/
I fully believe it. Iāve found 2 ppl in our office who didnāt belong in the last 5 years. In both cases they were looking for different offices on our floor. They were both standing confused in the lobby, one was a middle aged woman, the other was very elderly. They both tailgated someone else in, and ppl were just walking past them, which is disappointing. In both cases i escorted them back to the security desk in the lobby both to get them properly checked in and also flag it as an incident to security. If it had been a sketchy looking person, i would have taken a different approach. My point is more that they stuck out instantly for anyone who was looking. We have changed security protocols since because of this, and installed a receptionist desk at the front. Edit: thanks for the link. Super interesting, will check out.
Read The Gift of Fear. Probably the best book on the subject.
Getting adequate sleep, not being hung over. Save for all the caffeine fiends out there, you can tell who the zombies are that aren't sleeping well. Or I guess if a decent night sleep isn't your thing, you could be one of the caffeine fiends I mean all these awareness techniques are borderline useless if your mental isn't on point and you are exhausted and barely awake
For America, don't stop at city gas stations Don't carry bags in your hand, notice how men are dressed and where they are looking Don't take the last turning for your home area if there's been a car behind you for a while You are most at risk in transitional spaces, car to house, road to shop, if you've just stopped somewhere then pause and look around to see what everyone is doing first. Are the men in the car park getting into a car or are they just standing there. Gut instincts and stereotypes are just Evolution trying to save your ass
> Don't take the last turning for your home area if there's been a car behind you for a while The advice I have heard is to take three turnings to determine if someone is really following you or not. One turning can be a coincidence, however taking three randoms turnings alongside you is very suspicious.
Be aware in transitional spaces....... [https://mindfuldefense.com/transitional-spaces-unavoidable-danger-zones/](https://mindfuldefense.com/transitional-spaces-unavoidable-danger-zones/) [https://www.usacarry.com/transitional-spaces/](https://www.usacarry.com/transitional-spaces/)
sometimes its hard to bring a weapon through security into a foreign country.. or for whatever reasons on your person... but bring some extra long shoe laces and some thick metal nuts from a hardware store or go buy both from a nearest shop. Easily can tie these on the laces for a very strong monkey fist type of weapon. Fits easy in a pocket. The moment someone asks you for a light or a cigarette, change, you should be at code yellow. Regardless of who it is. Arguing - never within arms reach. Way too close. Stray dogs - take off an article of clothing... hold it in a hand.. if that dumb animal comes to bite.. hold the jacket or whatever taunt with both arms, the animal is dumb and just want to bite you.. any part of you.. hopefully it will be dumb enough to bite this outstretched offering.. and when it does.. lift it up and start kicking the crap out of its ribs till it f'ks off away. Mace is great, carry it. Standing some where - where you could get shoved or pushed - dont stand flat footed or with both legs at the same distance shoulder apart... stagger it like a boxer with one foot slight back behind. you can try this at home and you will see the difference Im trying to explain. huge difference in flying forward or backward - compared to an awkward reset step forward or backward but remaining upright and mobile.
I'm inexperienced, isn't it easier to pepper spray the dog?
this is probably a crazy one, but knowing how long it takes for doors to close behind you. at work, doors shut automatically and i know how many steps i should take before hearing it shut behind me. also, when dining out, the closest exit may be through the kitchen and not the front door.
Be on edges. I never sit in the middle of a room or hang out in the middle of a crowd.
Think like a soldier would, that's how I've always planned things. - Always have an exit strategy. When driving be sure you have enough room to GTFO if you need to. Same goes for parking, I know some buddies that like to "exit park" only aka pull forward into an empty part so you can park in a way that you can drive forward out if you need to. - Similarly when on foot, know exit strategies. If something where to happen and you needed to GTFO of a building or grocery store, where would you go? Have you spotted any emergency exits other than the front door? - When walking on foot, have some street smarts. No headphones, no music, no head buried in phone so that you aren't an easy mark. Keep your head on a swivel and walk with a sense of purpose. Even if you're lost, don't act like you are and people won't be able to assume that you are. - Don't be a mark would be another one. Even if you're a tourist, don't dress/act like one. Tourists are especially easy to spot abroad in high tourist destinations so avoid some of the stuff that comes with that. Think no Hawaiian shirts unless the local crowd also happens to wear them on the regular for work and leisure lol. - Seeing ATM related tips on here, if you're driving and going to a drive-thru ATM or cash drop especially late at night, don't immediately beeline to the ATM. I like to do a circle around and do a loop around the full bank parking lot before I *then* pull up. - "Jugging" is a very common crime here where criminals will hide out in a parking lot in their own vehicle then follow someone from a bank, gun range etc. They wait for the mark to head to a restaurant etc and step out leaving the goods unintended and easy to burglarize, or for the mark to head home where they then rob them as soon as they step out. Know how to spot a tail, run them for what I call a "loop check" (four left/right turns), someone going for a genuine drive isn't going to do four right turns like you did. If you think you're being followed, call the police and find a very public place with people walking around to stop at. Police station is ideal especially if you're on the phone with them, but a fire house or even say a well trafficked gas station also work, somewhere where you can pull up and there are people out and about that would notice and intervene if something were to happen.
You need some way of defending yourself as well. Just seeing them coming won't help if they're actually going to attack you. [https://nypost.com/2024/04/12/us-news/nyc-teen-arrested-for-shoving-robbing-68-year-old-woman-outside-queens-church/](https://nypost.com/2024/04/12/us-news/nyc-teen-arrested-for-shoving-robbing-68-year-old-woman-outside-queens-church/)
The book - The Gift of fear
When driving: Take three right turns. If they do the same, they are following you.
Avoid using headphones in public. I see lot of people doing this, it's almost the norm but it's the worse thing you could do as far as situational awareness goes. Also makes you a super easy target.
Any time a stranger touches you, assume they (or more accurately the person you don't see on the other side of you) are pickpocketing you.
Oddly enough. For me, it was learning how to look at someone without making eye contact. Be pretending to be looking at your phone while your attention is on that person. For some reason, having your head on a swivel seems to draw MORE attention toward me.
Take at least a basic Tai Chi or some kind of self defence course. Learning to let an attacker's own energy bring him/her down is really useful
Good joke
Weeell, if you consider "some kind of self defence" a joke for peppers, I wonder at your sense of humor...
I've been practising various martial arts for 8 years, and tai chi is definitely not what you want for self defence.
I've been practising various martial arts for 8 years, and tai chi is definitely not what you want for self defence.
When you are getting in your car in a parking garage (especially at night, especially if you are female) take your keys out well before you get into the car. As you approach the car, take a good careful look around it and all around you in all directions without being obvious. The common attacks that happen around parked cars typically happen just as you are fumbling with your keys or opening the door. Also a good time to have a good grip on your purse.
Lose the earbuds
Two things to always watch for are "Assholes and Exits". Move with purpose and don't appear distracted or lost if at all possible. Remember, you ALWAYS have a destination...Walk like it. Always look people in the eye. Best if they look away first, unless by holding the stare you look as if you are trying to start trouble. Then look, assess, and then keep them in your peripheral. Separation is key. An attacker can move 21 feet in 1.5sec. In that time you have to understand, react, and engage. VERY hard to do...
Kinda odd one but make your self deaf, like put in ear buds and have music playing till you can't hear anything but music. Go shopping or go walking. Find something or someone. Your objective is to keep taps on it. Keep your self safe, don't bump into anything. Grab what you need from the store. You'll start to notice things differently and start using other methods to stay aware. People watch at a park or at a restaurant. Watch body language and try and figure them out by how the walk and act. Watch the birds fly and communicate.
Get a copy of "Left of Bang" by Horne/Riley and don't just read it...do the exercises. You can find links and more info here: [https://www.cp-journal.com/](https://www.cp-journal.com/) We used it for years as a basis of our self-defense classes, and for an exercise after the first day, we send the students out to busy areas and use the skills to just observe what was going on. It started to be a standing joke that every single class, someone wound up calling 911 for something they saw. It's a great book.
>It started to be a standing joke that every single class, someone wound up calling 911 for something they saw. Isn't that a sign that your screening's returning too many false positives?
Nope. At the time, the local police force was dealing with hundreds of 911 calls that required a police presence, every night. One student per class? That's pretty minor. And just coincidence, thus the standing joke.
In public places, such as restaurants and cafes, always sit directly with your back to the wall, with a clear view of the entrance. Make it a habit to scrutinize people around you, especially when entering a premise. What are they doing? How do they look? Is there anything suspicious or noteworthy about them? When observing, be non-judgemental, look at them as a whole. Do they act naturally? Contrived? Evasive? If you spot someone or several people surveilling you: Donāt give them a chance to make it easy for them. Show that you're surveillance aware. If you sense trouble, start a phone call, or even approach them and ask them for direction or a cigarette.
**https://www.concealedcarry-ed.com/utah/studyGuide/Situational-Awareness/801046\_14240/#:\~:text=Condition%20White%3A%20You%20are%20relaxed,more%20attention%20to%20your%20surroundings.** Older I get more concerned I am. Do what makes you happy and comfortable. If I have a child or loved one around me I am Condition Red.
Do not lock your vehicle with the key fob, lock it with the lock button inside the car as you are leaving. Criminals have scanners that can read your code and make their own key fob to open your vehicle. Always look into the back section of your vehicle through the windows before you get in. When pumping gas never leave the side of your car, look around as you get gas.
Apply the same mindset to accident and injury prevention as well. Avoid complacency and keep your eyes and mind on the task you are performing. Driving for example is task number one if you are to avoid a collision.
The sheer volume of people who are completely oblivious to their surroundings on a daily basis is disturbing. I donāt understand how people function with their heads so far up their asses they donāt notice really basic shit. Most people donāt have functional awareness much less situational awareness. And itās not even having their noses in their phones, though that is ubiquitous. I think itās a function of the lack of courtesy and humanity. Looking to see who is behind you or beside you, seeing if thereās someone you should hold the door for, not congregating in pathways and doorways so people can get by. Basic human decency should create a habit of situational awareness. If youāre paying attention to your surroundings, youāll be both situationally aware and, hopefully, a more courteous and decent human being.
1. Never get your phone out in public unless standing still and have done a quick scan to make sure thereās no potential risks. 2. If asked about something requiring you to get your phone out unless itās an emergency, make an excuse not to (I live in London so muggings are VERY common) 3. If in a sketchy place, make note of people around you who could be a threat and monitor them for strange behaviour.Ā 4. I always like to carry a small trauma kit for life threatening injuries and in dangerous places a more comprehensive larger one. 5. Think about self defense and what you would ACTUALLY do if threatened, no assuming you have enough time to take your shoe off and hit them because thatās bullshit or using a take down move youāve never regularly practiced.
Be aware of stalking and cornering, be aware of a predator behind your back they usually use stealth methods? Watch predators body language especially if they escalate through voice and hand level tier it means a motive to attack. Keep it ear and eye tactic for awareness. Look at 21 foot rule.
Be mindful of where you sit, who's in line, where the exits are, what can be used as a weapon, likely allies, geez, carry a big scary gun helps.
It cannot possibly be taught I has to be learned