A slightly different take on Situational Awareness.

[Cayle]

It was a sensible precaution when I had that job, it would be overly paranoid now that I'm retired.

Why?

You could very well still be a target from that line of work. It's only paranoia until something happens.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Fifteen years as a pedestrian, bicyclist and bus passenger in south central Los Angeles ingrained situational awareness into me.
Imagine bicycling Compton twice per workday... .

 

[Kleanbore]

Why?

You could very well still be a target from that line of work. It's only paranoia until something happens.

What are you trying to say?

 

[Hangingrock]

Our residence is adjacent to a State Park. The multitudes come and on occasions inadvertently trespass on to the property thus you may on occasion come face to face with strangers. Twenty plus years you learn to read people but not all. We are polite with those people we come across. There are those among the strangers that are nettlesome thus we conceal carry. So far things have worked out.

 

[EMC45]

I like to see the door, I also like to know all egress points of my surroundings. I don't eat my meal or have my social time like a jumpy chihuahua however. I can remain aware and not be keyed up like a nut.

I also listen and look for cues (body language, vocal tones, volume etc.). Watching and distilling information as it's received can allay a lot of tension or problems. Also keep in mind that sometimes problems can arise from within the establishment (co-worker disagreement, estranged loved ones etc.). Local to me at a diner, a young lady (wait staff) was knifed to death in the parking lot in front of her mother picking her up from work by a cook from the back of house. She was 18 and he was 20 I believe. He liked her, she didn't like him. It happens - sadly.

The other thing I'm a stickler for is cell phone useage. If I'm out, I put my back to a wall or pillar to use my phone (which is rare). I also won't use it unless absolutely necessary (like if I lost my wife while wandering around the grocery store )

 

[ClicheBro]

I have my own color code. It works really well.

 

[chaim]

Have you seen the car line at your local school lately? Soccer moms in their heavy, loaded Suburbans with their noses in their phones …. just imagine a child getting hurt or injured, much less another driver or pedestrian.

It happens. I'm a teacher, I think it has been about a year in my school system since a kid was injured in a school parking lot by a car. Luckily, I can't remember hearing about anyone being seriously injured or killed in the 17 or 18 years I've been teaching (now, off school property, that is a different story).

 

[Goosey]

On the same subject,

 

[aaaaa]

^ a very telling statement in that video he says if you carry and don't know how to wrestle, you just brought the other guy a gun.

 

[Kleanbore]

On the same subject,

A bicycle ad, embedded in the stupidest video I have ever seen.

 

[The Night Rider]

the stupidest video I have ever seen.

What makes this video stupid? Please be specific.

Did you watch enough of the video to get to the part where he was actually a cop and he actually used to interact with criminals daily for a living?

 

[Kleanbore]

What makes this video stupid? Please be specific.

Did you watch enough of the video to get to the part where he was actually a cop and he actually used to interact with criminals daily for a living?

The lack of anything useful.

 

[aaaaa]

A bicycle ad, embedded in the stupidest video I have ever seen.

I almost bailed on the video but he does have what I (a novice) consider decent advice beginning about here (queued to 5:41).

 

[The Night Rider]

The lack of anything useful.

Maybe a little more specific? The guy made perfect sense when he was talking about using barriers and listening to your gut and how to create a reactionary Gap and how to position yourself in an elevator.

I used to have a job where I encountered Barking Moonbats every single night and I learned by experience to do all the things that he was talking about.

Have you ever heard a trainer talking about "The Interview Stance"? That's a real thing. There's a reason the cops stand like that when they talk to people and that's exactly what he was talking about.

I am not attempting to say this in a pejorative sense but if you think that that video was 15 minutes of wasted, useless information you are very ignorant on this subject.

 

[Kleanbore]

if you think that that video was 15 minutes of wasted, useless information you are very ignorant on this subject.

There are a few small nuggets in it, under piles of nonsense such as "don't discuss situational awareness, I want to have fun".

The guy's background appears to be law enforcement--in which proximity is a requirement, and initiating a confrontation does constitute a criminal act. The civilian must start with avoidance, and step one is situational awareness.

 

[The Night Rider]

There are a few small nuggets in it, under piles of nonsense such as "don't discuss situational awareness, I want to have fun".

Go up to the search bar of this very forum and type in the term "Situational Awareness"

1. I challenge you to find anybody that gives you a valid definition. I challenge you to find any reference to anybody who's not a professional that actually defines the term.

2. Count how many people talk about "increasing their situational awareness" like it's a switch you can turn the volume up and down on. Count the number of references you get to keeping your head on a swivel (which by the way is a behavior that will get you noticed) and how many people talk about "I always sit with my back to the wall" which is exactly what that guy was talking about.

What's the value in telling somebody to "increase their situational awareness" if you don't can't tell them how to do it? Do you really want to know how to "Increase your situational awareness"? Get your ass kicked a couple of times that will usually do it.

The guy's background appears to be law enforcement--in which proximity is a requirement,

You live in a civilized society in which proximity is a requirement. Did you listen to what the guy was talking about? He was talking about normal conversational distances. Cops don't stand 20 ft away from you and interview you. When you go shopping do you tell people to stay away from you?

When a crackhead approaches you to put the mooch or the mug on you. Some proximity is going to be a requirement. Are you going to start yelling at them when they're 15 ft away and tell him not to come any closer? That's going to start a confrontation I guarantee it.

This isn't specifically germane to this discussion but when I was doing stuff like this for a living I made it a point I never raised my voice unless it was absolutely necessary. Where I live open carry is legal. I've had multiple homeless people walk up to me usually not carrying a gun but quite a few with a Bowie knife on their belts. Can't draw down on them, not about to let them walk right up on me was that knife on their belt or that wonderful impact weapon disguises a water bottle in their hand. Conversational tone "Hey bro that's close enough, what can I do for you?"

That creates an immediate reactionary Gap and provides you information just as that video says. Because if you ignore the boundary that I just set, something's up. If you continue to approach me after I specifically and politely asked you not to, you're a threat.

Initiating a confrontation does constitute a criminal act.

I think that depends on your definition of initiating a confrontation.

The civilian must start with avoidance,

Much Truth.

And step one is situational awareness.

Okay. How do I practice situational awareness? How do I Define situational awareness? How do I know how situationally where I should be? How do I increase my situational awareness?

 

[theotherwaldo]

It's called paying attention.
I check out each person as they approach.
For example, one of our neighborhood crack-heads came in yesterday.
He started getting disruptive, so I asked him to leave.
Before I allowed him to approach me or any of the staff I gave him the experienced once-over.
No unusual lumps in the clothing or anything out of place.
He got more disruptive so one of the staff called the police.
The station is only a block away, so they got here quickly.
He tried to get physical with them, then tried to run away.
They took him away in cuffs for three hots and a cot.
Luckily for him, he dropped his crack pipe in the restroom. I tossed it in the trash.

I've had other crack-heads or other drug users come in and try to get physical with me or members of the staff.
It's important to spot them coming in, to notice if they're carrying anything unusual, even to see if they are mixing their drugs and O.D.ing - before they vomit or pass out or whatever.
It also allows me to pin them to a wall with a chair if they really start to freak out,
It really upsets the staff and patrons when this kind of thing happens.

-Libraries are such peaceful, quiet places... .

 

[lemaymiami]

First rate Waldo… you must be a librarian…

Seriously, public places that are available to us all - are also available to those you really don’t want to have anything to do with… After noting that some dislike the concept of “situational awareness”, here’s a thought… pay attention to what’s going on around you. The problem avoided isn’t such a bad thing.

 

[Kleanbore]

Go up to the search bar of this very forum and type in the term "Situational Awareness"

1. I challenge you to find anybody that gives you a valid definition.

The thread is about the definition in the OP. It'll do.

You live in a civilized society in which proximity is a requirement. Did you listen to what the guy was talking about? He was talking about normal conversational distances. Cops don't stand 20 ft away from you and interview you. When you go shopping do you tell people to stay away from you?

When a crackhead approaches you to put the mooch or the mug on you. Some proximity is going to be a requirement. Are you going to start yelling at them when they're 15 ft away and tell him not to come any closer?

None of that has to do with the thread. It's about reacting to situations--avoidance, evasion, escape, deescalation, and if necessary, close quarter combat.

 

[citizenconn]

-Libraries are such peaceful, quiet places... .

Reading people is one of the first skills I work to teach my library employees. In fact, I cover it fairly extensively in the interview process. Thankfully my current (mostly academic) library is relatively peaceful with few problems, even though we are just south of downtown Houston. I can't tell you how many times I've had to have the police remove armed individuals over the years though.

My first library job many years ago was at a large public library across the street from a large church-run homeless shelter. City officials were finally forced to crack down on our problems when it was discovered some homeless ladies were running a prostitution ring out of our basement after hours.

 

[The Night Rider]

Situational Awareness is the ability to identify, process, and comprehend the critical information about an incident. More simply, it is knowing what is going on around you.

Quoted from

https://emilms.fema.gov/IS2200/grou...ility,actual incidents and developing hazards.

 

[Goosey]

A bicycle ad, embedded in the stupidest video I have ever seen.

He takes too long to get to the point, but his presentation style is entertaining and he has good ideas, or at least worthy of consideration. He thinks a high-lumen flashlight is the most useful self-defense tool, for example. But this channel is more focused on hand-to-hand combat and martial arts.

 

[Blue Jays]

"…A bicycle advertisement…"

The bearded dude with the hard2hurt tee-shirt is sufficiently entertaining yet he has zero bicycle knowledge.
His electric bicycle company main sponsor absolutely needs to adjust the bicycle to properly fit him, pronto.

 

[theotherwaldo]

You never know what is going to trigger a situation.
Right now I'm watching one that started out as a family meeting with a councilor that now has five cops in attendance and one person in handcuffs.
It's after closing time, but I'll keep the place available until they work things out.

So peaceful... .

 

[Jeff White]

Right now I'm watching one that started out as a family meeting with a councilor that now has five cops in attendance and one person in handcuffs.

That’s an easy one to predict. Those things are always tense and emotional. I hated those calls. The presence of a councilor or clergy is guarantee of a peaceful meeting.