STAYING SAFE ON THE STREETS – Part 1: Avoidance

Let’s say you are walking in the park with your wife/girlfriend and suddenly three bad guys come near you with a knife and the well-known line “hand over your wallet”. You saw them approaching, but your ego didn’t let you choose to escape them when you had the chance.

Nowadays, violence is more and more common and I thought a series of articles regarding how to spot signs of trouble is a welcome addition.

The first step is avoidance, a very simple, yet often neglected one. Above all else, it means controlling your emotions and, most importantly, your EGO as to not get carried away by negative emotions and start a conflict with someone. A conflict you could have avoided.

You should make yourself a hard target, something robbers and other thugs don’t like. You can use a color coding system to evaluate potentially dangerous situations. Code White means that you are unaware of what’s going on around you, and this is exactly what thugs look for. Code Yellow signifies awareness and observance. You are aware of secluded doorways or entries, comment in your mind what is going on around you. For example, people enter Code Yellow when crossing a busy street.

Code Orange is a rising threat. You may see across the road some suspicious individuals and if they suddenly cross the road towards you, the code will alert you and help you assess the situation.
Code Red is the last stage, when the previous situation becomes a real threat and you must either run (recommended) or defend yourself. If there is no danger, simply drop to Code Orange or Yellow.

Of course, the premise is that you always are “switched” to Code Yellow. NEVER allow yourself to stay in Code White, ever again.

Others tactics are avoiding known trouble spots. Never go to bars or clubs that attract suspicious people. You may avoid having to “defend” your seat if someone searches for trouble.
While driving, don’t get mad on the other motorists, stay calm and continue driving. There’s no meaning to getting into a fight over such a trivial matter. Don’t take it personally, some people need to blow off their steam.

When we think about it, why let our ego take control over us and step into a situation we might later regret ? No matter where you are, be aware and try spot and avoid possible signs of danger. Don’t think about peer pressure or what your girlfriend might think of you if you choose to avoid the bad guys mentioned in the beginning of the article. Actually, she might even congratulate you for avoiding them and not trying to act like a touch guy.

Practice these tactics until they become everyday habits, something so natural to you like putting your seat belt on and some day, who knows, just like a seat belt, they may save your life.