Every day defensive and situational awareness tips?

[Misterbill]

This works very well on a personal level. But when enough people leave a power vacuum in the community, it gets filled with SOMETHING. I'm not advocating everybody try to be a hero in every circumstance. But at some point you have to stand up for your community. There are smarter ways to do it than confronting a gang at the ATM at 3am. I will definitely grant that. Our major cities would not be the crime havens they are now, if people there had the same attitudes towards community and self-reliance that people do in more rural areas.

Note before you flame that I am acknolwedging the HUGE difference between stupidly responding to meaningless aggression and "the monkey dance" because your pride is hurt, and being an active part of standing up for your right to be where you need to be and for your community to be a safe place. I invite discussion of where that line gets drawn.

I take something of a stand- as I've said in other discussion about Opsec/PerSec that I will fly the flag, have my political stickers/signs s I see fit in order to normalize my attitudes in the community. There's no reason for the "nobody I know voted for Nixon" phenomena.

I have a hard time not seeing this as bravado, despite your protestations to the contrary.

"My neighborhood," (I thought about it and it's about 2 blocks to the east, six to the west, two to the south and three to the north), is someplace I will IMMEDIATELY confront you if I think you're up to something shady. Since I'm armed all the time and far better trained than any street-punk I ever heard of, I have no fear in such a confrontation. (I will call the cops BEFORE said confrontation BTW and if they say they're on their way, I'll wait for them. Otherwise it's on.)

BUT, in that neighborhood we have an Albertsons. If I "ping" and think the place is about to get robbed, I'll let the clerks know and then GTFO of there, see what happens, and call the cops as needed. I'm sure as Hell not going to confront someone I think is about to rob the joint by myself, no body armor, no mace, no taser and no police union to get me out of a jam if I was wrong. -NOT-GOING-TO-HAPPEN. -This is self-preservation.

OUTSIDE of my neighborhood, I'm going to be a lot more circumspect. If I see you doing a petty crime, I'll confront. If I see you HURTING SOMEONE, I sure as Hell will confront and stop it. The rest of the incredibly wide variant of crimes? Ill call the cops.

My radar pings? I'll probably just GTFO and go home and read about it (maybe) in the paper.

My legal rights as a civilian in WA State are quite limited and come with extreme penalties for making ANY mistake. The degree to which I'm willing to take a risk is directly proportional to the distance from where I live.

It's not pretty, it's not terribly brave. But that's reality as I understand it.

 

[ATCclears]

For home, get a dog. The extra eyes and ears help, and some/most will likely be deterred by a larger, barking dog.

 

[Thebastidge]

If I "ping" and think the place is about to get robbed, I'll let the clerks know and then GTFO of there, see what happens, and call the cops as needed. I'm sure as Hell not going to confront someone I think is about to rob the joint by myself, no body armor, no mace, no taser and no police union to get me out of a jam if I was wrong. -NOT-GOING-TO-HAPPEN. -This is self-preservation.

Even a cop should do that in that situation- call for backup and go back in when reinforcements arrive. Confronting an armed man without overwhelming force on your side is foolish.

I'm only talking about the idea that no one should get involved, that's what we pay the cops for, only the cops can do anything about crime, total abdication of responsibility etc. People who would passive-aggressively call the cops first time they hear loud music at a neighbours' before even asking them to turn it down. People who won't get involved if they see someone trying to break into your car or house next door- won't even call the cops because they don't want to be involved.

We all need to be a part of our community, not just a person who lines in a house in a place. Part of the connected web of people and relationships that makes up a community.

 

[ocarolan]

... If I see you doing a petty crime, I'll confront. If I see you HURTING SOMEONE, I sure as Hell will confront and stop it.

Just curious, what do you mean by "confront"?

For an example, suppose you park on the street at 9pm and are walking to your house. You see a dilapidated pickup and a guy outside it beating a woman with a tire iron. How would you confront?

Here I think the self-defense gurus would say "call the police unless you are in jeopardy". Someone causing harm to others is likely to try hurting me if I confront him. One of us will get hurt or killed. If it's him, I'll get sued. Most likely the event victim will be his wife or children, who will support HIS version of events in court. "My husband was a nice guy, we were just having a heated discussion, then this stranger came out and pointed a gun at us..."

Anyway, confronting feels like the right thing to do, but I'd like to understand this better...

 

[Father of four]

Just curious, what do you mean by "confront"?

For an example, suppose you park on the street at 9pm and are walking to your house. You see a dilapidated pickup and a guy outside it beating a woman with a tire iron. How would you confront?

Here I think the self-defense gurus would say "call the police unless you are in jeopardy". Someone causing harm to others is likely to try hurting me if I confront him. One of us will get hurt or killed. If it's him, I'll get sued. Most likely the event victim will be his wife or children, who will support HIS version of events in court. "My husband was a nice guy, we were just having a heated discussion, then this stranger came out and pointed a gun at us..."

Anyway, confronting feels like the right thing to do, but I'd like to understand this better...

Comments like that is one of the reasons society is the way it is today. To much "what can happen to me" instead of seeing someone in need and doing something to help them.

Reminds me of a video I recently saw of a guy attacking a women and her baby with a knife. He was stabbing and stabbing the women and someone was just standing across the road video taping it instead of trying to get the guy off her. People were also riding by and no one stopped to help the women and baby. Finally..... some guys came to their rescue after much more damage had already been done to them

I am not saying we should jump in every fight we see, but far to often these days people just watch.

 

[OregonPlinker]

When my wife and I first started dating she couldnt figure out why I didnt just pay attention to her. I always look at the door in a restaurant when it opens. At the zoo I give people the look if they get to close... I dont care if its a chick with a stroller or not. She is just as likely to try and pick my pocket as the next guy or gal... My wife finally asked why I was so paranoid and my reply was " Im not paranoid, Im proactive".

 

[Swedish K]

Just curious, what do you mean by "confront"?

For an example, suppose you park on the street at 9pm and are walking to your house. You see a dilapidated pickup and a guy outside it beating a woman with a tire iron. How would you confront?

Reminds me of when I was working Warrants for Dept. of Corrections. The warrant office is open 24/7. One night I heard some yelling outside at about 10:00 and went out on the 2nd floor catwalk that ran across the street to the parking garage and looked down to see a pimp beating the snot out of one of his working girls. I yelled down to the guy something to the effect of "hey whats going on down there?" and was told to go back inside and mind my own business... I said something like sure thing, went back in and called dispatch. In 2 or 3 min there were a bunch of cops there hooking the guy up and hauling him off to county jail. I guess the guy didn't have a clue where he was and was stupid enough to think that he could scare someone into ignoring the situation... I looked at it as job security - more inmates means more work...

 

[Riot]

Much of what is actually being advocatted is nothing more than looking for confrontations. This mentality "this is my neighborhood!" is nothing short of an ego with a gun. Should you let someone parish in front of you? Hardly. Nevertheless, if I see something fishy I'm bugging out and so should you. Being a cowboy is asking to be treated like a perp from a responding officer or another person carrying.

 

[Misterbill]

Just curious, what do you mean by "confront"?

For an example, suppose you park on the street at 9pm and are walking to your house. You see a dilapidated pickup and a guy outside it beating a woman with a tire iron. How would you confront?

Here I think the self-defense gurus would say "call the police unless you are in jeopardy". Someone causing harm to others is likely to try hurting me if I confront him. One of us will get hurt or killed. If it's him, I'll get sued. Most likely the event victim will be his wife or children, who will support HIS version of events in court. "My husband was a nice guy, we were just having a heated discussion, then this stranger came out and pointed a gun at us..."

Anyway, confronting feels like the right thing to do, but I'd like to understand this better...

OK, guy hitting ANYONE with a crowbar is POSSIBLE 1st-degree assault or attempted murder (depends on what the prosecutor wants to do).

The issue is WHY he is hitting an (apparently) unarmed person with that crowbar. If he's hitting someone with a crowbar who just attempted a strong-arm robbery, he maybe 100% in the right.

How about you ASK HIM to stop (ok, TELL him) and see what the deal is before you do ANYTHING?

Real Life is not black and white, DO or DON'T DO x. There are always grey areas. You should know the laws if your going to carry a firearm. Shame on you if you can't be bothered, and small sympathy from me if you didn't bother.

If I see someone beating someone else with a crowbar, sure as Hell I'll stop and confront, meaning specifically, that I will ascertain what is going on, forcefully if necessary, and act as that information pans out.

I'm really not worried about getting into a confrontation where there is clearly justification under law. The only violent confrontation I'm going to be extremely careful about is anything that looks like domestic violence unless it looks like someone is going to get killed. This is because we all know that plenty of D/V victimes will testify their S/O is an angel and you just randomly shot him for no reason, and the bruises, cuts and knife wounds on her body were just from a "bad fall."

ETA: I'm very unconcerned with being sued. I'm VERY concerned that I'm doing what I'm allowed to under law, which is a very limited set of options in quite specific circumstances. NO ONE should think that they have the same rights as cops. YOU DON'T.

But stopping my car and yelling at kids doing graffiti is hardly aggressive behavior. If those same kids pull a gun on me, then it's straight-up self defense.

Don't confuse seeing a crime in progress and confronting it with the actions of say George Zimmerman, who witnessed ZERO criminal behavior, chased a kid down for looking out of place and "scary" and wound up killing that kid in what he now claims is self-defense. The one is clearly within legal grounds. The other is likely to get you into very serious trouble.

 

[Redcap]

For home, get a dog. The extra eyes and ears help, and some/most will likely be deterred by a larger, barking dog.

Get more than one and train them well. I have three, the smallest being 80lbs...all very smart and very well trained.

 

[Thebastidge]

Much of what is actually being advocatted is nothing more than looking for confrontations. This mentality "this is my neighborhood!" is nothing short of an ego with a gun. Should you let someone parish in front of you? Hardly. Nevertheless, if I see something fishy I'm bugging out and so should you. Being a cowboy is asking to be treated like a perp from a responding officer or another person carrying.

I don't need to have a gun on me to feel justified in stopping someone who is doing something wrong in my neighbourhood. It's called community. Someone messing with my neighour's property will do it to me next. There's a big difference between being aggressive and being protective. It's really a shame some people can't see it. We've been conditionedinto passivity so that any discussion of NOT being passive automatically gets replies like this. I'm not going to cowboy up, get my posse and lynch anybody. I'm not going to shoot first and ask questions later.

There's a myriad options in between scurrying away from the scene of a possible crime with my tail tucked, and going all "death wish" on somebody.

Too many people will trust their own judgement and quickly criticize someone else who is saying essentially the same thing, because they don't trust that person's judgement (automatic reaciton, not justified with examples and results.)

I'm going to give you all the benefit of the doubt of being adults, law-abiding, ethical people who try to do the right thing, and then we can have a discussion that helps us all feel out the boundaries on what the legal and right things to do are.

 

[Burt Gummer]

Very good and well thought out tips here.

I have avoided being in fights, robbed, victimized, shot or stabbed, etc in my life by doing the 'ol exit stage left. There have been many times where my ego has kicked in, regret/worry that I was a coward for ignoring some asshat who has wanted to challenge me and I've known in most cases I could easily dispatch the person.

Not riding in a police car or having physical damage soon heals those insecure feelings however.

When I have to be a hero I will be, not just 99% of the time when the gain is nonexistent or small, but the penalties are great.

There is also the old saying that No Good Deed Goes Unpunished and the longer I live the more I believe that to be absolutely correct.

A direct full-on attacker trying to take my life will meet with a vicious defense and counter defensive assault with everything I can muster and a 230g bullet. Just about everything else gets the 'EXIT STAGE LEFT."

 

[HansC]

I Every Day Carry a blind, deaf, miniature dachshund, hanging upside down cradled in one arm next to my body. He has his own booster seat in my work truck and goes on service calls with me. He's spent his life within my arm's reach. Weird little guy. People love to meet him. His presence has a huge effect on people, especially on those that are frustrated, angry, or emotionally unbalanced. Thousands of people a year come up to me to pet the dog. This will sound ridiculous, but having him around has an immediate positive impact, and I'm effectively invisible except as a conduit for people to meet the little fellow. I'm 6'4", but people never feel the need to test themselves against me or try to fit me into some arbitrary pecking order. It isn't as macho as carrying a pitbull around, but nobody tries to get in a pisssing contest with a guy who has an eleven pound weiner two feet long.
Like guns or anything else, few people will bother to put the work in to get the most out of their dog. My little bundle of birth defects picks up on people's intentions faster than I do, and simply by paying attention to him, I have an idea of how people are going to behave often before they do. In wild areas, he moves really slowly, but he sniffs out all kinds of interesting things I'd otherwise overlook. Walking under the bay bridge in Waldport, his paws spread out and he hunkered down, alerting me to quicksand I would have obliviously waltzed into. This is a handicapped dog. A good border collie is smarter than most people. Dogs can extend your senses greatly while providing amazingly loyal companionship.

I joke with people that I got him since my wife asked for a watchdog, or that I just don't feel safe without my guard dog around, but there is tremendous value in both brightening someone's day and as never being seen as a threat. When I'm cut off in traffic, I can just reach over and pet the dog, and not get upset. Having a helpless little creature that requires constant care keeps me human, and reminds me to be compassionate towards others. At the smaller gun shows, where he's allowed in, he sniffs out good deals for me. A dog can be a pretty good tactical resource.

For what it's worth, I don't sit in the corner of a restaurant watching the door. That guy is easy to spot. I sit where nobody can see my hands.

 

[Boomerang]

suppose you park on the street at 9pm and are walking to your house. You see a dilapidated pickup and a guy outside it beating a woman with a tire iron. How would you confront?

I wouldn't confront because I don't know what happened. What if she attacked him with a knife or a gun and he's defending himself? So my first action would be to dial 911, then I would be to try and determine who the GG in and who the BG is (verbally, from a distance), then possibly act accordingly.

 

[Botte Hork]

I Every Day Carry a blind, deaf, miniature dachshund, hanging upside down cradled in one arm next to my body. He has his own booster seat in my work truck and goes on service calls with me. He's spent his life within my arm's reach. Weird little guy. People love to meet him. His presence has a huge effect on people, especially on those that are frustrated, angry, or emotionally unbalanced. Thousands of people a year come up to me to pet the dog. This will sound ridiculous, but having him around has an immediate positive impact, and I'm effectively invisible except as a conduit for people to meet the little fellow. I'm 6'4", but people never feel the need to test themselves against me or try to fit me into some arbitrary pecking order. It isn't as macho as carrying a pitbull around, but nobody tries to get in a pisssing contest with a guy who has an eleven pound weiner two feet long.
Like guns or anything else, few people will bother to put the work in to get the most out of their dog. My little bundle of birth defects picks up on people's intentions faster than I do, and simply by paying attention to him, I have an idea of how people are going to behave often before they do. In wild areas, he moves really slowly, but he sniffs out all kinds of interesting things I'd otherwise overlook. Walking under the bay bridge in Waldport, his paws spread out and he hunkered down, alerting me to quicksand I would have obliviously waltzed into. This is a handicapped dog. A good border collie is smarter than most people. Dogs can extend your senses greatly while providing amazingly loyal companionship.

I joke with people that I got him since my wife asked for a watchdog, or that I just don't feel safe without my guard dog around, but there is tremendous value in both brightening someone's day and as never being seen as a threat. When I'm cut off in traffic, I can just reach over and pet the dog, and not get upset. Having a helpless little creature that requires constant care keeps me human, and reminds me to be compassionate towards others. At the smaller gun shows, where he's allowed in, he sniffs out good deals for me. A dog can be a pretty good tactical resource.

For what it's worth, I don't sit in the corner of a restaurant watching the door. That guy is easy to spot. I sit where nobody can see my hands.View attachment 47902

Love your post man. I am not a fan of dogs, but a small one like yours I could deal with. It's a conversation starter and disarms. I have it when I go out with my son. For some reason some people look at me funny outside (well, checking the mirror I can see where they come from), but when I go out with my 2.5 y/o son (big eyes, supersocial with everybody and his hair has never been cut, which is a result of his desire to not have it touched plus an extremely strong and stubborn will and loud voice, but he does attract positive attention), it just opens people up. Old grumpy guys, young baggy-clothed "cool" kids with trashy tattoos, average Joes, grannies, girls in general, he brings great responses.

I recently started carrying. My awareness was up already, due to my interest and therefore paying more attention to the world around me, I think that helps. Just keeping my eyes and ears open. Probably still miss more than the most observant among us, but I see think I more than the average person.

 

[jawbone]

Train yourself to be constantly aware of the common objects in your environment that you could use as an improvised weapon. Make a concerted effort to look around wherever you are.

There are 7 basic classifications of common objects that can be used as weapons:
1. Stick-like objects (brooms, canes, golf clubs, pool cue, etc.) Swing and thrust. Aim for head, neck, collarbone, or anything that tries to grab you.
2. Rope-like objects (belt, dog leash, bike chain, water hose, etc.) Whip, choke, tie.
3. Knife-like objects (pen, scissors, broken bottle, etc.) Stab and/or slash.
4. Rock-like objects (cell phone, coffee mug, salt shaker, ash tray, etc.) Bludgeon or throw. If you have to throw, aim for the chest and throw at a close distance to minimize the chances of missing.
5. Shield-like objects (e.g. chair, trashcan, table, vehicle, etc.) Use to block your aggressor's access to you.
6. Aerosols, liquids, and small objects (e.g. change, keys, sand, wristwatch, food, etc.) Use as a distraction by throwing/spraying towards face, then either attack (e.g. kick to groin) or flee.

A nice heavy leather belt makes an awesome weapon. Especially one with a sturdy buckle.

 

[Bunny]

4, If confronted, don't worry about being "rude." BE RUDE. BE PUSHY. Be clear about your space and insist that that space be respected. Treat anyone who violates these insisted upon barriers as a SERIOUS potential threat.

This happened to me. I went to Fred Meyer one night, walked out to the car, and as I was putting bags in the backseat I could see someone walk past the back window to the side out of the corner of my eye. I figured they were just going to their car like I was. Well when I turned around, there was a creepy skinny punk/goth guy standing about 3 inches from my face with a blank stare. It scared me to death and I started yelling at him to get the bubblegum away and he just stood there motionless, silent, and expressionless like a zombie. I pushed past him to get in the car, locked the door, and got the heck out of there. It scared the bubblegum out of me.

I learned to be extra alert when loading the car or doing any task that might distract me from my surroundings.

I also don't let anyone walk behind me.

And I make it a point to go from point A to point B fairly quick. I don't take my sweet time to get where I'm going.

I don't do errands at night anymore either. Especially not alone. Not unless it's an emergency. Whatever it is, it can wait for morning.

I do a lot of the other cautionary things suggested in this thread too.

 

[Bunny]

I wasn't. I don't think I had a CHL at the time. I did however pick up some pepper spray the very next day.

 

[Bunny]

Nothing wrong with a little progressive evolution.

 

[.45's and .38's]

If carrying & walking with others, friends or family or your child, keep them on your reaction hand side, incase someone starts shooting, & you need to get the heck out of somewhere, dont tie up your shooting hand incase you need to run & hold hands to lead them to safety, keep your gun hand/side clear