Does it Disturb anyone...
...that I often do the same thing whilst walking around campus, or at the mall? Btw, the giant planters at the Pine Ridge Mall are far too heavy to use directly as weapons, but would be effective as an obstacle if you could get someone to crash into them. Oh, and the benches outside the entrance nearest Walden Book are bolted to the concrete, so don't plan on hitting anyone with them. The marquee sign just inside is loose, and could result in the classic Jackie Chan ladder hijinx.
I'm especially likely to do this when it's dark out and I see someone approaching me. I automatically take stock of what's on me (keys--effective brass knuckles and eye gougers; backpack--if loaded, a good club) and what's around me.
3 comments:
I tend to troll up and pretend other people don't exist when I'm in crowded places. If something did happen, the assailant would probably have to shoot me just to get my attention.
I have a tendency to react to movement with an automatic "threat assessment," which will be revised depending on whether the person keeps moving towards me or not, at least at night. During the day, if I'm in a relatively crowded place, I relax a little. Not completely, but I'm less fixated on possible threats.
...I was about to say I'd never been attacked, but that's not quite true... In second grade, some of the tough boys decided that it might be fun to gang up on a lowly nerd-girl. It was their bad luck that it was within sight of my mom's car, as she'd come to pick me up that day. For some odd reason I got left alone after that. My best guess is that it's because I didn't act like I was afraid of them. *shrugs*
Now I've rambled right off topic. Sort of back on it... Richard Wabrek (my second taiji teacher) likes to show a police training video where they showed convicts video footage of people walking on the streets and asked the which ones they'd go after. Without exception, they picked the ones looking down, not paying attention to their surroundings; never the alert ones who were aware of their surroundings.
Which means I should have mugged one guy this afternoon... I was trying to get close enough to doublecheck the schedule. He was in the way, and nearly backed straight into me three times. *mutters*
I kinda look like a terrorist, so people tend to leave me out of their evil schemes. Maybe they see me as one of the "awake and aware" ones?
Funny and poignant post.
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