The Training We Hate Part 2

Vigilance is the second item we need to keep at the front of our discipline altar.  We all love to go out and train to shoot and scoot, quick draw, dump ammo and do suppressing fire on the square range. In all reality, if you have to resort to those actions, your tactics have failed or you have just won the suck lottery. Most of us will never have to draw and fire a weapon to save our lives. Military and Police are more likely to, but as a regular citizen, the odds are against the need unless you go looking for it.

The idea is to never have to resort to that use of force. Civilians don't have a team of lawyers on staff for free to them, nor do they work for the same person who would be prosecuting their case. In our litigious society, you have to think like each bullet you carry has a $10,000 minimum fee once discharged in public. You can lose everything you have at 1200 FPS in a suspect shooting situation. That includes your freedom, your wealth, your family and the right to ever own a firearm again. Very few wives will still be there for you if you catch a 20 year prison term. If you enjoy the thought of your wife/girlfriend with another man, go out looking for trouble.

Being aware of your environment and situation, keeping your thoughts unclouded and be keen to the disposition of the people around you and can keep things from going off the rails quickly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B7BverMLYM&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_B7BverMLYM&has_verified=1

The first part has the footage, the last part is instructional, I can't speak to it's validity.

These attacks were preventable. Vigilance and common sense tell us what we should do to avoid conflict and analyze our situation. Is going to the ATM at night on a busy city street a good idea? No. But you feel like you should be able to you say? Too bad. The world doesn't work that way. The world doesn't conform to your preconceived ideal lifestyle. That gun on your hip doesn't guarantee you;ll be able to stop a threat. It enabled you to stop most threats at a proper distance, but there are no guarantees in life. You must make your own luck and deviate from your perfect world at time to keep yourself out of harm's way.

Caution is the better part of Valor. A questionable environment that you must enter should be entered and left during hours of lowest crime. Mornings after 6am til 10am are generally best due to the criminal element (for the most part) being asleep during those hours. Research your intended areas of operation before you must spend time there. In my job, I'm at a new location every few months. In order to evaluate that area, I may drive by the location to find the best parking, as well as decide the most favorable time to enter the area outside of heavy traffic. Heavy traffic is your enemy, movement is restricted and your egress will be blocked. Modern traffic cam systems can save you a trip. Most modern cities have traffic cams streamed 24/7. Refrain from making last minute lane changes to reach your objective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqFrGmU2RS8

Fast forward to 1:00 for the result of a last minute lane change.

Jailers keep jails cold for a reason. The cooler the temperature, the less likely a person is prone to fight. Hot people get upset easier and are more willing to get into a confrontation. Ask any cop and they will tell you, extra units are needed on hot nights and during full moons. That would be another time to stay out of urban environments as well as areas where heavy drinkers are located.

Clothing can also make you a target. Rival team fans can be a danger to your personal security. I don't wear sports team attire for this reason. Anything that can draw attention to you makes you a target. A flashy watch, high dollar kicks, jewelry and high fashion clothes can be your undoing. Even that fancy phone can cause you to be accosted. Put the phone away, it's just a distraction unless you are using its reflection to watch your surroundings.

Your vehicle can be a juicy target for a car jacker. Make it hard for them, tint your windows to ensure your car is least attractive to them. If they can't see who and how many people are inside, they will generally move on. Those fancy wheels might as well be bait for criminals. Please steal me! The exception to that rule is lifted trucks. Most rural trucks that are lifted seem to have an NRA sticker on them. That same sticker might tell a thief there is a gun in the car, so don't rely on that as a deterrent. Stickers that expose your political alliances and sports affiliations can lead to stereotyping and certain traffic behaviors. Your goal is to be as vanilla as possible. Blend in and drive defensively. Be courteous to even the worst drivers. The object is to arrive at your location and get back home safely.

There are many instances where not standing out is vital to remaining safe. All you have to do is make everyone else around you an easier target than yourself. Most thieves look for the low hanging fruit, as long as you do your part and be vigilant by keeping your valuables out of view and harder to get to than most other people, you should remain safe and whole.

More Personal security tips will be forthcoming. Stay tuned.