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Spidey senses were tingling

HayesGreener said:
After so many years on the job, I enter a room like searching for boogeymen and terrorists, I insist on a table in the back, and take the gunfighter seat. My posse meets for lunch every Friday. It is a competition to see who arrives first to get the gunfighter chair. Some call it paranoia. I just say, well, you never know. And I wear shooting glasses everywhere I go.
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My lady and I have an understanding that when we go to a restaurant she knows I want the seat that gives me the best view of the front door and more.
In today’s society you can NEVER be to careful.
 
Whatever lifts your skirt and makes you comfortable I say.
Somehow, I've managed to live to be a senior citizen, by paying attention, without all the gunfighter/paranoid or just being prepared, if you prefer, crap. Despite in my youth being a bit of an outlaw doing stupid things with stupid people, in stupid places I had no business being in, in the first place. Guess that makes me stupid. In a restaurant I got more important things to think about than the seating arrangement, Like what's for supper.
Prison guards are funny creatures. They love closed doors and get absolutely giddy over locked doors. Good guards get used to listening for a door opened by a control room to close behind them as they walk though. I don't know of a guard that has not walked into Walmart or some such and stopped dead in their tracks, turned around to see why the door didn't close, and then realize they are at Walmart where people walk in and out all the time and the door doesn't open and close just for them. Thats situational awareness. It is also embarrassing as hell especially once you realize that no one knows what to hell you're standing in the middle of the isle doing nothing for.
 
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bc22wm said:
Whatever lifts your skirt and makes you comfortable I say.
Somehow, I've managed to live to be a senior citizen, by paying attention, without all the gunfighter/paranoid or just being prepared, if you prefer, crap. Despite in my youth being a bit of an outlaw doing stupid things with stupid people, in stupid places I had no business being in, in the first place. Guess that makes me stupid. In a restaurant I got more important things to think about than the seating arrangement, Like what's for supper.
Prison guards are funny creatures. They love closed doors and get absolutely giddy over locked doors. Good guards get used to listening for a door opened by a control room to close behind them as they walk though. I don't know of a guard that has not walked into Walmart or some such and stopped dead in their tracks, turned around to see why the door didn't close, and then realize they are at Walmart where people walk in and out all the time and the door doesn't open and close just for them. Thats situational awareness. It is also embarrassing as hell especially once you realize that no one knows what to hell you're standing in the middle of the isle doing nothing for.
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Um, I am sure that prison guard analogy made sense to you. Hey whatever works for you. Me, taking 2 seconds to pick a seat with a view works. It's my job to protect my wife and if it takes two seconds to be in a better position I will waste two seconds, if it took an hour that is what I would do over worrying what to eat.

As far as what makes you stupid, I think you have already decided what that was and was not.
 
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In my family it does not matter who takes the gunfighter seat. My wife has had to draw her gun twice in self defense and she had to quickly get her grand kids to a safe place when a thug walked into a shopping center just yards away from her and sprayed the shops opposite of where she was standing with a full auto AK. She is hyper situationally aware all of the time. Her sidearm is never out of reach and she has a one second draw from cover.

She lived in South Africa most of her life.
 
Those close to me know I'm armed with a firearm and knife most of the time I go out. They know I prefer to sit in certain places and usually ask me where I want to sit...:)

On top of that I have several relatives have trained in martial arts like I have. Some of them have become my students and they know I emphasize awareness in the martial arts classes. We do drills that not only work on self-defense techniques but also awareness of what is behind and to the sides of us and where the exits are.

I've seen some pretty stupid stuff over my 65 years of living, especially when I worked as a bouncer, bodyguard, and in mental health. Rarely does anyone's actions surprise me but I do my best to not be complacent or too comfortable.

As far as the comment about avoiding places that have trouble or picking out when you go out, sorry but you're missing the point. I've seen simple arguments between a couple who looked like they were educated and not prone to violence, escalated into one of the parties drawing a knife and stabbing the other.

Some people snap and when they do you better hope you take the right action or "somebody gonna get hurt real bad.".

There is a balance between being prepared/aware and making others' nervous by giving off weird vibes. There's also a time and a place to make direct eye contact as a final warning before things escalate. But if you can't backup the "look" then it's only a matter of time before somebody calls your bluff.

I think it's a good idea sometimes to do a simple scenario training and have it recorded. A lot of times under stress we do not realize some of the body language we do (or how we talk under stress). As a good friend once said, "Shut the f*ck up motherf*cker" is not a de-escalation technique...:)

A lot of people tire out quickly under stress because they forget to breathe. Sometimes taking a deep breath, apologizing, can dramatically alter the negative energy in a situation. Patrick Swayze said it best in Roadhouse "Be nice.". Don't take things personal and be as nice as you can.

Good job in being aware...:)
 
bc22wm said:
It is also embarrassing as hell especially once you realize that no one knows what to hell you're standing in the middle of the isle doing nothing for.
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The first time I walked into a Walmart when I got back to CONUS from Germany I walked through the front door and pulled out my ID. Then I realized there was nobody there to check it.

I was out hiking one day and I walked through a historical site where I used to do security. I walked past one of the buildings and purely out of habit reached out and checked the door to make sure it was locked.
 
I've read a few posts about "practicing Situational Awareness", I don't know that Situational Awareness is something you can "practice". I don't think it's something you do it's something you either have or you don't.

I honestly don't know if you can teach somebody situational awareness any other way than by putting them in a position where they have to pay attention to what's going on around them or they're going to have to suffer actual consequences.

I learned situational awareness by working in an environment where situational awareness is a critical skill. It's been my experience that getting caught by surprise once or twice will really teach you to pay close attention to your surroundings.
 
The Night Rider said:
I honestly don't know if you can teach somebody situational awareness any other way than by putting them in a position where they have to pay attention to what's going on around them or they're going to have to suffer actual consequences
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Back in the dark ages when it was you vs. 50-60 inmates at a maximum-security prison. You had nothing a ring of big brass keys, you learned situational awareness PDQ or learned that wasn't the job for you.
 
I don't know if situational awareness can be taught, but it can be learned. Self defense class adjourned for a group lunch. Instructor asked some pointed questions about what I should have observed in the walk to the restaurant. I have since made it a point to practice. Check the parking lot before I exit the company door. Look around before I get out of my car anywhere. Disable the program that automatically unlocks my doors when Park is engaged. Leave the dang phone in my pocket in public.
 
HayesGreener said:
After so many years on the job, I enter a room like searching for boogeymen and terrorists, I insist on a table in the back, and take the gunfighter seat. My posse meets for lunch every Friday. It is a competition to see who arrives first to get the gunfighter chair. Some call it paranoia. I just say, well, you never know. And I wear shooting glasses everywhere I go.
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i do this with my va brain squeezer, except i block the exit to his office so he has to listen and pay attention
if he wants to hear whats in my brain..by golly he is getting the full download.
:ROFLMAO:
 
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The other day I was pumping gas for a rare trip to the office, it was 5am and I was at QT. There was a dude in a hoodie on the sidewalk in front of the store walking back and forth quickly, seeming agitated, there was also a dark color Dodge idling over by the air pump... agitated dude was making me nervous so I pulled my shirt up and tucked it behind my G29, clearly showing, which is not normal for me. I turned in a circle acting like I was watching the gas pump while showing... the car idling went over by the carwash and picked up the walking dude and they screeched off... Probably the closest I have been lately.
 
The Night Rider said:
I've read a few posts about "practicing Situational Awareness", I don't know that Situational Awareness is something you can "practice". I don't think it's something you do it's something you either have or you don't.

I honestly don't know if you can teach somebody situational awareness any other way than by putting them in a position where they have to pay attention to what's going on around them or they're going to have to suffer actual consequences.

I learned situational awareness by working in an environment where situational awareness is a critical skill. It's been my experience that getting caught by surprise once or twice will really teach you to pay close attention to your surroundings.
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I thought I was situationally aware until I spent 9 years working in the worst neighborhoods in north St. Louis. That's when I actually became proficient in situational awareness.
 
MrMichaelActual said:
The other day I was pumping gas for a rare trip to the office, it was 5am and I was at QT. There was a dude in a hoodie on the sidewalk in front of the store walking back and forth quickly, seeming agitated, there was also a dark color Dodge idling over by the air pump... agitated dude was making me nervous so I pulled my shirt up and tucked it behind my G29, clearly showing, which is not normal for me. I turned in a circle acting like I was watching the gas pump while showing... the car idling went over by the carwash and picked up the walking dude and they screeched off... Probably the closest I have been lately.
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Just so you're aware, in a lot of jurisdictions what you are describing would be menacing or brandishing.
 
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