bdickens
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Alluding to another thread, another reliable method for avoiding trouble is to avoid mouthing off at people.
Avoidance As A Strategy
- Thread starter Trunk Monkey
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Trunk Monkey
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Lotta truth to that
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Trunk Monkey
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There have been variations on this topic before and every time it comes up someone responds with "By Gawd I go where I want." If that's you fine, I'm not trying to change your mind. I'm just explaining my philosophy based on my experience.
I've had quite a few run ins with trouble in my life. Over time I started noticing patterns. When I changed the patterns I noticed that a lot of the trouble went away. True story bro.
I've actually never had a problem at an ATM but enough of the experts recommend avoiding them that I just do. I'm also a follower of Dave Ramsey and he (along with several other financial advisers) recommends keeping cash on hand at all times so I really have no need of an ATM anyway.
The last time someone tried to take my gun was in a convenience store. The last run in I had with a crackhead was in a convenience store. The last time someone pulled a knife on me was in a convenience store. That last time I spent an ungodly amount of money for a thousand calories worth of red corn syrup, carbonated water and caffeine (AKA red Mountain Dew) was in a convenience store. After a while you figure it out. Someone already said it but I get gas at half a tank so I don't get caught short and I have time to get gas when I choose. Which is almost always on my way home from work during the morning rush hour.
As for the rest stops, I'm a guy. I've never been anywhere in America where there's so much nothing that I have no choice but to stop at a rest stop where there's also not so much nothing that anyone is going to notice if I whip it out behind a tree.
I don't go to bars because I'm a reformed alcoholic and I have no business in a bar.
I didn't mean for this to turn into me justifying my life choices (or denigrating yours). I've had enough run ins with street rats to want to avoid the places where they congregate.
I've had quite a few run ins with trouble in my life. Over time I started noticing patterns. When I changed the patterns I noticed that a lot of the trouble went away. True story bro.
I've actually never had a problem at an ATM but enough of the experts recommend avoiding them that I just do. I'm also a follower of Dave Ramsey and he (along with several other financial advisers) recommends keeping cash on hand at all times so I really have no need of an ATM anyway.
The last time someone tried to take my gun was in a convenience store. The last run in I had with a crackhead was in a convenience store. The last time someone pulled a knife on me was in a convenience store. That last time I spent an ungodly amount of money for a thousand calories worth of red corn syrup, carbonated water and caffeine (AKA red Mountain Dew) was in a convenience store. After a while you figure it out. Someone already said it but I get gas at half a tank so I don't get caught short and I have time to get gas when I choose. Which is almost always on my way home from work during the morning rush hour.
As for the rest stops, I'm a guy. I've never been anywhere in America where there's so much nothing that I have no choice but to stop at a rest stop where there's also not so much nothing that anyone is going to notice if I whip it out behind a tree.
I don't go to bars because I'm a reformed alcoholic and I have no business in a bar.
I didn't mean for this to turn into me justifying my life choices (or denigrating yours). I've had enough run ins with street rats to want to avoid the places where they congregate.
There was a murder in a nearby mall the other day. Big place, fancy stores.
Such crimes have not been uncommon there.
The earnest-looking TV reporter said yes, there have been some serious crimes there, but most occur outside the buildings,
It is some distance from the city with the worst crime in the country, but predators travel to the good oases.
Some time back, my doctor's wife witnessed two carjackings there in the same week.
I stopped going there altogether. And I carry a gun.
I mentioned that to an officer who works in the office of the County Police Chief. She replied that she does not go to any malls--at all. And she carries a gun.
We have now followed suit. We don't miss it.
We are careful in our choice of ATM. We go in mid day, and never alone.
We stay off public transportation (no guns allowed, by the way).
We follow the practices outlined by Brian Dickens in a post above.
Recent changes in enforcement policy have made it much less likely that anyone will be charged for any but the most serious crimes. The perps know that, and they are emboldened.
Yes, avoidance is our first strategy.
Such crimes have not been uncommon there.
The earnest-looking TV reporter said yes, there have been some serious crimes there, but most occur outside the buildings,
It is some distance from the city with the worst crime in the country, but predators travel to the good oases.
Some time back, my doctor's wife witnessed two carjackings there in the same week.
I stopped going there altogether. And I carry a gun.
I mentioned that to an officer who works in the office of the County Police Chief. She replied that she does not go to any malls--at all. And she carries a gun.
We have now followed suit. We don't miss it.
We are careful in our choice of ATM. We go in mid day, and never alone.
We stay off public transportation (no guns allowed, by the way).
We follow the practices outlined by Brian Dickens in a post above.
Recent changes in enforcement policy have made it much less likely that anyone will be charged for any but the most serious crimes. The perps know that, and they are emboldened.
Yes, avoidance is our first strategy.
I pretty much avoid people everywhere, all the time. Someone also mentioned not looking like an easy target. Absolutely. Of course, that may be easy for me, but probably not so easy for everyone.
Honestly, though, situational awareness isn't really that hard. But people today are utterly oblivious to what should be obvious danger around them. They think everything is fine, and everyone is a wonderful person. And I'll just not say any more about that.
Honestly, though, situational awareness isn't really that hard. But people today are utterly oblivious to what should be obvious danger around them. They think everything is fine, and everyone is a wonderful person. And I'll just not say any more about that.
What might emigrating from religious persecution and trying to move to the Virginia Colony have to do with staying away from violent criminals for the purpose of personal safety?
Who among the peele whom I would avoid might have any knowledge at all about whether I am doing so, or about any trepidation that I may have? Why would I care?
That's obvious.
That's not as cool to talk about on forums.
Phaedrus/69
Member
Or better yet, be homeless!
Or, if you like to live on the edge, stop at a rest stop to take a leak and get coffee!
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Trunk Monkey
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What rest stop do you go to that has coffee?
Not that it matters because I'm of an age where caffeine and long road trips don't mix
Lots of them on the Ohio, Indiana and PA turnpike's have fast food places that sell coffee.
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Trunk Monkey
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That's not what I'm talking about. I am talking about a no services, State rest area. Such as you might find in the panhandle of Nebraska or the middle of New Mexico.
Avoidance is but one of many strategies one can employ . I don't avoid malls, atms, rest areas, churches or sides of town because I may view it as a place where trouble can happen. What I do is view the whole planet as a place for trouble so situational awareness is key. If you see something fishy or have a gut feeling turn around, what ever you had planned change it. Don't let your ego override you common sense. Some one calls you a punk, fag or insults your mother so what avoidance is key here. You get PO'd and you want to fight big mistake, first thing I do is make sure one loses their composure because they are enraged and that becomes a weakness. I'll run from a fight every time, but if you catch me, there is hell to pay. You have to gas up your car in the middle of the night so you can go to work the next day, use common sense, get up 20 minutes early and gas up in the morning. You need cash from an ATM does it have to be in a secluded dark place at night, why not just have cash at home in a safe where your guns are in case of an emergency, just go to the bank and make small withdrawals from the bank lobby every payday.
We have become a nation of complacency and convenience and no one has patience. Reminds me of a prayer "Dear Lord grant me patience, NOW!" If and when the time comes and it becomes an unavoidable scenario and there is a confrontation, just because you have a sidearm on your person still does not mean that you can defend yourself with deadly force, so it would be also a wise strategy for you to learn hand to hand combat or some form of boxing or martial arts. What is wrong with not knowing how to defend yourself physically.
We have become a nation of complacency and convenience and no one has patience. Reminds me of a prayer "Dear Lord grant me patience, NOW!" If and when the time comes and it becomes an unavoidable scenario and there is a confrontation, just because you have a sidearm on your person still does not mean that you can defend yourself with deadly force, so it would be also a wise strategy for you to learn hand to hand combat or some form of boxing or martial arts. What is wrong with not knowing how to defend yourself physically.
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My only point is, YES, avoidance is a great strategy, but "staying home" isn't as safe as everybody seems to think it is.
Of course, it may be years before we can see real time numbers for 2020, that's to be expected, but, annually, the average of deaths due to household accidents is a little over
99,000. In order they are
1. Poisoning
2. Choking
3. Falling
4. Drowning
5. Fires or burns
You are three times more likely to be a casualty from an accident in the home as a car accident, but the statistic is a little deceptive, (and probably inaccurate) inasmuch as a large reason for this is that everybody spends so much time at home.
Which has increased for many of us recently, due to factors we can't talk about, here. But, in any event, the number should be on the rise, for this year given the unique circumstances.
OTOH, Coffee from a vending machine, at a rest stop, may not be deadly, but usually,
one sip, and you'll wish it was...
Of course, it may be years before we can see real time numbers for 2020, that's to be expected, but, annually, the average of deaths due to household accidents is a little over
99,000. In order they are
1. Poisoning
2. Choking
3. Falling
4. Drowning
5. Fires or burns
You are three times more likely to be a casualty from an accident in the home as a car accident, but the statistic is a little deceptive, (and probably inaccurate) inasmuch as a large reason for this is that everybody spends so much time at home.
Which has increased for many of us recently, due to factors we can't talk about, here. But, in any event, the number should be on the rise, for this year given the unique circumstances.
OTOH, Coffee from a vending machine, at a rest stop, may not be deadly, but usually,
one sip, and you'll wish it was...
I see. Guess you're limited to Starbucks cans or energy drinks from a vending machine then. Actually, the Boy Scouts (or whatever they're called these days) used to set up and serve free coffee at rest stops (the ones with just a restroom and vending machines) occasionally. Haven't seen that for a while, but I don't frequent roads that have those so I don't know if they still do that or not.
Just out of curiosity, do you have any stats on the percentage of people who get killed or seriously injured at a rest stop vs. the percentage that are killed or injured while driving on the interstate? I strongly suspect that it's more dangerous to drive on the road that passes the rest stop than it is to use it.
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Trunk Monkey
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I don't even think they have vending machines anymore
Maybe not now. Haven't been to one since Covid.
What should one conclude from that?
The topic here has to do with violent criminal attack
The OP specifically mentioned rest stops. I think Dibbs was comparing the risks of being at home vs. being at a rest stop, a fair comparison I think. Violent criminal attack is not the only risk to be avoided in life. I brought up the theory that you're probably safer at a rest stop than you are driving down the highway, statistically speaking. That may be hard to prove, given the lack of available statistics on attacks at rest stops (at least that I could find). That lack of statistics though may give us a bit of a clue in itself.
IMO, it bears upon the issue of Avoidance, because we are all sequestering for increased
periods, in our homes, and that home fatalities statistic, without our being aware of the true factual numbers, could be doubling or tripling, as we speak, with the new "stay at home " paradigm, and we all just assume that "being home" is a safer avoidance strategy, when in fact, it is far more dangerous to embrace "the safer alternative", of being at home, than we all think.
Avoidance, in public, is great, but when you step thru your own front door, it's not all fluffy bunnies, and flowers, either.
periods, in our homes, and that home fatalities statistic, without our being aware of the true factual numbers, could be doubling or tripling, as we speak, with the new "stay at home " paradigm, and we all just assume that "being home" is a safer avoidance strategy, when in fact, it is far more dangerous to embrace "the safer alternative", of being at home, than we all think.
Avoidance, in public, is great, but when you step thru your own front door, it's not all fluffy bunnies, and flowers, either.
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Trunk Monkey
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I understand what you're saying but violent criminal attacks is within the scope of this forum, slipping in the bathtub isn't.
Having said that, I have a mat in the bottom of my bathtub to help me not slip so yes I do mitigate known risks. There's a fire extinguisher hanging right next to my stove.
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