Situational awareness failure

[WrongHanded]

But that's when they get you!!!!!!!!

I say this seriously and jokingly. I realize we will try to live in safer places so that we don't have to be constantly on guard, but at the same time, how many times have we seen where people were shocked at something that happened in their safe communities?

I absolutely agree. And whilst it's been easy to relax a little rather than being on guard all the time when in public places, that awareness is something I sometimes wish I'd retained a little more. However, the level of awareness I had back in my home town was one of constantly and actively scanning for potential threats. These days I rarely find myself in places I feel require that level of diligence (though it does happen).

There's a balance to be struck, and I think that's partly dependent on the social environment we find ourselves in at the given moment.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Situational awareness isn't a list of does and don'ts it's a mindset. What it really comes down to is paying attention to your surroundings and the people in them. Especially pay attention to the people who are paying attention to you because they're probably sizing you up and deciding whether or not you're a mark.

If you want a list I'd suggest the rule of stupids

Don't go to stupid places
At stupid times
With stupid people (or where stupid people congregate)
To do stupid things.

And always have a plan for if things go south.



Be a Russian

Do that and you'll be fine

 

[Readyrod]

I also worked in a mental health facility for almost a year. That was an environment where one minute a patient was fine and the next he decided that you were the Antichrist and you had to die. That only has to happen a couple of times before you really start paying attention to what's going on around you

That was definitely part of my problem in this case.

The one thing that I have found that works real well is pepper spray. I had a lunatic tweaker tell me one morning that he was going to kill me with an axe. He then proceeded to start digging through a shopping cart looking for the aforementioned ax.

Yea, pepper spray. I'm going to start looking it up. I think there is a mega thread on it in THR.

Long ago I got in the habit of constantly looking around ("keep your head on a swivel" & peripheral vision is my friend ), analyzing/gauging the people around me and also not passing close by structures behind which someone could hide. Especially when I am doing something that normally occupies someone's complete attention (making them an easier target), like loading groceries in car, I am always glancing around.

I do that when I'm cycling. I have a quickscan that I do to check see if anything is heading in my direction. I guess that I need to do it at all times.

I'm less situationally aware than I used to be, mostly due to having lived in a much safer place for the last decade or so. It's been easy to relax a little more.

Same here, unfortunately that was what got me in trouble.

Listen to your intuition so that if something doesn't feel right then move to a different parking area.

Ultimately I think I was lulled into a false sense of security because it is safe here, and then I didn't pick up on my instincts, and finally I wasn't aware. Also anger kicked in and I think it made me make wrong reactions.

 

[Readyrod]

There are some fun and interesting videos on inattention blindness that are microcosm examples for loss of situational awareness.

Whoa, that was enlightening.

 

[GBExpat]

In my experience, many/most folks are oblivious as they move thru the world.

How many drivers have you witnessed that are apparently suddenly surprised at the last moment when there is something blocking/slowing their lane (where'd that cement truck come from?!) ... something that was easily visible to you from far away as you naturally scanned the road ahead (and behind) for potential issues?