Daily Mindset for Protecting Yourself

[Deebow]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/0...m-shooting-at-san-francisco-tourist-hot-spot/

I got this list sometime ago and when a saw this story, it made me think of it. I wrote this list down when I first started in Law Enforcement as the tidbits of wisdom working with guys that had seen almost everything in their daily work around bad folks; some of them truly rotten to the core. It helped keep me grounded and safe because it helped to make sense of some things after they happened and help explain situations that "normal" people would be baffled by.

Bad things can and do happen to good people

Do not attempt to apply your own morality to criminals. They don't think like you do.

There are evil people in the world who do not care if you have a family or friends that count on you. They will show you no mercy and you should not expect any.

To the criminal, you are a target. The criminal mind seeks to take advantage of the weak. Projecting an image of helplessness or submission only encourages criminals to take advantage of you.

Prepare yourself right now for the fact that you will at some point in your life you will be involved in a physical altercation with an adversary who desperately wants to win at all costs and will do anything to you in order to achieve that end.

If you have to fight, bring the fight hard and fast. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

Be Polite, Be Professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

Right now, someone, somewhere is training to beat you.

Promise yourself right now, that no matter what happens, that you will survive.

It makes me angry that no one was there to immediately shoot the BG in the face.

Read More

 

[Riot]

Sad story to just shoot some random person...this made me laugh, though...

Two TV crews reporting on the killing were later mugged at the scene with a masked gunman pistol-whipping a camera operator. The robber took cameras from KNTV and KTVU before he jumped into a black BMW and fled the scene.

 

[Deebow]

Sad story to just shoot some random person...this made me laugh, though...

Yeah, I laughed too. Good Job Kommufornia; even the media are getting robbed.

 

[Provincial]

Yeah, I laughed too. Good Job Kommufornia; even the media are getting robbed.

They deserve it, since they have promoted the madness that has led to this dire situation.

 

[mjbskwim]

I'm one of the few still on Yahoo mail.I look at the news feed after I check the empty box,I mean inbox.
I filter thru the Hollywood BS and right now,there is a lot of people killing each other.
It's lookin' to be a long summer.
Keep on your toes

 

[chemist]

Most crimes are property crimes, so not making yourself a target also applies to your stuff that somebody would like to grab.

I see clueless people - often females - chattering away on their not-so-smartphones while blindly wandering toward a bunch of young folks hanging out and eyeing everybody, and it drives me crazy. In other countries you put your phone away when you walk on the street, because someone will snatch it and run - and that's the best outcome you could hope for.

Bad guys often look neat and well dressed, and it takes only moments for them to victimize you. You have to put yourself in their shoes to imagine where your weakest and most vulnerable points are, if you're going to avoid risky situations.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best, cope with the rest.

 

[mjbskwim]

I've put this up before
They showed some violent prisoners a bunch of people walking around various places,caught on security cameras at malls and such.
Almost every prisoner picked the same people for the 3 categories,definitely,maybe and no go.
Just by how the people carried themselves and their situational awareness.
Plenty of victims out there for low lifes to attack.All you have to do is act a little smarter than them and you can be ignored.

 

[chemist]

Yeah, situational awareness is like putting the "club" on your steering wheel - it doesn't deter a criminal, just deflects them to pick an easier target.

 

[ConcreteJungle]

cooper color codes...read them, learn them, use them!

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

There is no longer any such thing as relaxing and having a good time. Somebody should always be designated as "having the door".

I still see LEO'S in public (perhaps eating lunch together) with their backs to the doors; since I rarely take my eyes off the doors, I watch the door for them.....and everyone else.

Observing yourself from the standpoint of a potential threat is a good reliable perspective. Simply pick danger areas by identifying good places for an ambush to be conducted....and mark them. Identifying potential highspeed avenues of approach will add a lot of obtuse angles to your perimeter....but they need to be covered.

People (like the current us president) being bothered by the sound of your car doors being locked (as they walk by), shouldn't deter you from protecting yourself.

 

[40calruler]

I agree with all of the above. It really seems conducting yourself like you do not care if you continue your walk to your car or if you have to drop an idiot. I find that 99% of guys who are "tough" will not maintain their "death stare" when they are getting one back that is a bit angrier. The wife tells me I looks like I want to snap guys in half when they stare me down....I do. That "stare" is something i know many on here have. Of the folks I have met from here there is not one I would say I know I could take. Different crowd. Which is why I like it here! Men should damn well be men and protect themselves and their own.

Then there is that 1% of bad guys that knows they are tougher than you and do not care how puffed out your chest is. They are the reason for many of my scars. I liked to drink and pick fights when I was a kid. Now I like to drink water and coffee and work in my yard. Funny how having kids changes all that.

 

[ConcreteJungle]

I agree with all of the above. It really seems conducting yourself like you do not care if you continue your walk to your car or if you have to drop an idiot. I find that 99% of guys who are "tough" will not maintain their "death stare" when they are getting one back that is a bit angrier. The wife tells me I looks like I want to snap guys in half when they stare me down....I do. That "stare" is something i know many on here have. Of the folks I have met from here there is not one I would say I know I could take. Different crowd. Which is why I like it here! Men should damn well be men and protect themselves and their own.

Then there is that 1% of bad guys that knows they are tougher than you and do not care how puffed out your chest is. They are the reason for many of my scars. I liked to drink and pick fights when I was a kid. Now I like to drink water and coffee and work in my yard. Funny how having kids changes all that.

Well put. I keep the "stare" incognito 98% of the time. My wife always asks me what i'm searching for whenever we go anywhere since I'm always scanning the area.

 

[ConcreteJungle]

There is no longer any such thing as relaxing and having a good time. Somebody should always be designated as "having the door".

I still see LEO'S in public (perhaps eating lunch together) with their backs to the doors; since I rarely take my eyes off the doors, I watch the door for them.....and everyone else.

Observing yourself from the standpoint of a potential threat is a good reliable perspective. Simply pick danger areas by identifying good places for an ambush to be conducted....and mark them. Identifying potential highspeed avenues of approach will add a lot of obtuse angles to your perimeter....but they need to be covered.

People (like the current us president) being bothered by the sound of your car doors being locked (as they walk by), shouldn't deter you from protecting yourself.

It's funny how LEO's do that, i've never understood it.

 

[John Gault]

I was looking for somewhere to post a recent happening while traveling that shows me how as much as I think I'm "situational aware" things happen fast and it's way easy to get caught off balance...

So traveling home to Oregon from Wyoming this week we stop at a rest stop in Washington, wife is driving at this time and we've been on the road for 18 hours straight. Guy comes out of nowhere (1) to back window where my niece is sitting and asks if she has an empty bag. Now this guy looks like the guy you see with the sign on the highway if you get me... but he's smiling and not aggressive (2) Caught everyone by surprise. Where did he come from? Anyways we did actually have a brown grocery bag and the niece gave it to him and he left to the other side of a couple semi's in the parking lot. Wife chews me out for being so casual about his approach... I stammer back with something like Jesus was a dirty looking guy too... Wife and Niece leave to use restroom and I see this guy come back around walking straight for me with bag. Can't see either of his hands. Another guy out of corner of my eye coming around the back side of my truck... I'm moving so I can see them both...

Because I'm on vacation and traveling I'm carrying on my hip in a Military style holster. I also have another pistol in truck in open view. As guy with sack comes around my open truck door I unlatch the holster safety but the guy is right in my face before I know it with this bag and I still can't see hands. Literally gets so close that I push back lightly some and I'm honestly worried at this point but he's still smiling.

Guy smiling, hands me the bag and says he runs a fruit stand in Idaho and wanted to give us some nectarines.. Maybe I was right, maybe this guy is Jesus.

The other guy I spotted is headed over to a Semi about 100 ft away... Not connected to this event.

Lots of things ran thru my mind and it's a very Fast and yet Slow type of an event. Not sure how to describe it. Just wish that a person didn't have to run events thru so many "options".. I think in the end this is why the innocent get whacked at such a higher rate than the bad guys because those of us who like to think the best of people or are at least willing to give the option of a good outcome will typically be surprised when it's not one of the vastly large majority of people who mean no harm.

That guy would have owned me if he meant me harm and it didn't feel good to know it and yet I couldn't just make myself be an bubblegum and say something like: Don't come any closer, or ?

I was sick to my stomach (not from the fruit, it was very tasty) for a couple hours continuing to process all the what if.... (1) (2) (3) Park in an open area, Be more aware, Be willing to be an bubblegum?

 

[Medic!]

I just give a pleasant smile to guys that think there tuff.

Most people have no plan, or ability to take someone apart. ''The look'' Wont help you when it's time to put your hands on someone. So you better know how.

 

[Joe13]

I just give a pleasant smile to guys that think there tuff.

Most people have no plan, or ability to take someone apart. ''The look'' Wont help you when it's time to put your hands on someone. So you better know how.

I would say confident eye contact has prevented a lot of possible iffy situations - or I'm too lucky or ugly to get into it with someone...

Hard targets are generaly left alone because the world is full of soft targets.

 

[Medic!]

I agree a certain look helps. But for me a little smile works. Just me.

When you give a guy your best Eastwood look. And he just smiles? Maybe he knows something you don't.
I don't give a rat's a$$ how bad you look. When things get physical. It won't help you.

 

[Oathkeeper1775]

The Daily Mindset; how often are people publicly-observed being too comfortable (rehtorical)....they are 100% comfortable, wearing pajamas, flip-flops, ear-pieces tied to loud music or rap, or having their heads buried into their phone...

100% confident their automobile won't break down....so they dont need dourable swalking shoes....oblivious, blind, simply asleep.

Easy targets

Tisk

 

[Joe13]

100% confident their automobile won't break down....so they dont need dourable swalking shoes....oblivious, blind, simply asleep.

Easy targets

Tisk

Hey! Leave my flip flops out of this


I always keep my boots an pack in the truck if I'm more then a few miles from home.

I certainly know what you are talking about though.

 

[Joe13]

I agree a certain look helps. But for me a little smile works. Just me.

When you give a guy your best Eastwood look. And he just smiles? Maybe he knows something you don't.
I don't give a rat's a$$ how bad you look. When things get physical. It won't help you.

Agreed.

Confident eye contact from me is generally in addition to me smiling and/or saying "Hello", "Good Morning" or a "Pardon Me" if I have to walk by a bit close or take a step to the side to create a bit of distance.

I was not refering to "hard target" as a mean one necessarily - though it has worked for me well there too.

And aren't we all internet yahoo's that are all 6'2", 240lbs of pure muscle and brawn? What do I have to be afraid of out there