I read the article when it came out, my husband made a point of showing it to me. It's definitely something that all women should be aware of, imo; not only being aware of your surroundings, but being careful not to put yourself in surroundings/situations which could be dangerous.

Thanks for posting that SP1grrl ! Good idea about tacking it so more women can read it here.

...

Excellent, SP1...and yep...gut feelings are there for a reason.
I am one who doe not carry. But I do feel I am aware of my surroundings and am no shrinking violet should someone challenge me physically. Yes, I DO have the disadvantage if I am approched by an armed attacker, but as stated here, I hardly PUT myself in a situation where that scenario is PROBABLE.

Originally Posted By SP1Grrl: Trust your instincts.  If I go somewhere or see something that makes me uncomfortable (ie, that feeling in the pit of my stomach), I exit stage left immediately.  It may be nothing, but I'm sure as heck not going to take the chance. You can't get hurt if you're not there.  Don't sit around and wait for something to happen.

Absolutely.

If it doesn't feel right, chances are it's not.

This is a great topic for this forum!

Girls, you ought to watch "Safe in the Street" by Marc "Animal" Macyoung.  I bought it for SHEISLEGEND.

Safe in the Street

A criminal assault is fast, vicious and overwhelming, that's why criminals attack that way. It ensures their success. What you may not know is that it takes time to develop the conditions to do this. This makes the street thug predictable. There are definite -- and easily identified -- danger signs that precede criminal attacks. This video will teach you how to recognize these signs so you can take non-violent steps to prevent yourself from becoming the latest victim of violent street crime.

Because the criminal's goal is immediate victory at little personal risk, he will select victims who appear safe to attack and then he will develop the pre-attack conditions. In this video, Marc MacYoung, a street savvy personal safety expert from the darker streets of Los Angeles, will show you how your attitude and actions can convey the idea that attacking you is not a safe bet and that you are not "victim material." Through non-violent maneuvering  he tells you how best to respond in order to avoid being considered a potential victim, because foiling his attempts to 'set you' up sends a powerful message to a potential attacker. Namely: Don't do it.

You'll learn the Five Stages of Violent Crime, an internationally recognized and court-tested system for identifying impending attack and the appropriate reactions to each. Plus, you will discover the many ways criminals "interview" a victim to determine vulnerability to attack, what a developing crime looks like and insights into the criminal's mind and how he operates.

Of equal importance is, if the situation does turn violent, you will learn how to articulate to the police and courts important details about the situation  -- and why you reacted the way you did. This skill is vital in determining, not only if you will be prosecuted, but winning in both criminal and civil court if avoidance doesn't work and you have to defend yourself.

This video is of special value to self-defense instructors, attorneys and anyone who has someone they are concerned about that other person's safety. Sit them down and have them watch it.

tag

At first I thought this was going to be a post about the different states of awareness. Since a link hasn't been posted for that yet...

States of Awareness

Originally Posted By SP1Grrl: Originally Posted By pattymcn: tag Now why would you 'tag' this when you know it isn't going anywhere?

cause i want to see what others will add


tag  

Great info.  Thanks for the insight.  I carry and I also do IDPA to stay focused and brushed up.

Equal or Greater Force

This is my submission. Its a great book very easy to read and not alot of fluff.

Something to keep in mind is where to go when things go wrong. Its sound silly but what if what happens is a threat not to you, but to everyone. In a fire for instance, do you want to have to look for the door or do you want to know where it is and go? I want to just go. If someone wants to start slinging lead in the mall the wife is going right out the nearest fire exit. I might not, but I am armed and she isn't. Once you start looking at stuff like that its hard not to look at the whole world that way.

Originally Posted By SP1Grrl: I know that a lot of you ladies here don't carry on a daily basis.  For whatever reason that may be (uncomfortable with the idea, 'my husband carries, so why should I?', 'nothing's going to happen', 'I'm not sure if I can go into this store/that place with my sidearm', etc.), there are still things you can do to help protect yourself.  I think the most important is situational awareness.  Being aware of your surroundings is key to helping you stay out of a potentially bad situation.  I'm linking this article from SWAT mag, and I think all you ladies will benefit from reading it and heeding its advice.  The link is on the home page of the site as well, but I just wanted to make sure you were aware it was there. I'm going to give it a couple days and then tack the thread, since many don't look at the tacked threads when they come into the forum.  If any of you fellows here would like to add anything to this, please do.  We welcome your input. Situational Awareness...SWAT, Jan 2004

Thanks, and Mrs. B2 gets this tomorrow.  

She has been through an "armed robbery" (asst. bank manager), waiting for the next one, but this is "good bull" in a short format for the ladies to know!  Still trying to teach her to shoot, but my girls are equipped w/ Fox Labs pepper spray... (minimum).

B2

Originally Posted By Glockgirl26: Gavin DeBecker has written a good book about situational awareness and learning how to trust your instincts called The Gift of Fear.  DeBecker is kind of anti-gun, but he raises some really good points and issues in his book.  It's worth a read.

DeBecker's book is excellent, my local library had it. Once you read it you and start to absorb the message you will find yourself remembering past situations where you either did or did not follow up on your intuition .

He also has a book for parents of young children.

I try to get my wife to be religious about being armed while out running errands, etc. but she has gotten admittedly complacent. I recently picked up a Kel Tec P11 that is pocketable and am trying to minimize the times I am not armed.

rj

The NRA course 'Refuse to be a Victim' is very helpful to develop the proper mindset for avoiding criminal attack.  I took the instructor's course and found it very enlightening.

Sorry I do not have a link because the news here did not see fit to even have it on the news. But a lady that lives very near to us and shops at the same Kroger we do came home from Kroger. She opened her door and then proped the screen door open so she could unload the bags from her car. Well It seams some guy followed her home from the store and when she took a load into the kitchen her ran in and hid in the back of the house untill she got done and locked the house up again. He then came out and was going to attack her But timed it wrong as she had just let her 2 rather large dogs out of the gagrage! He was going at her just as they came out of the garage and they went after him. He fled out the front door! The point to the story is don't drop your guard anytime or place. Just because your home does not mean you are safe. My wife got a bit shaken up when she was telling us the story because she does the very same thing when she gets home from the store! NOT ANY MORE!

Tagged for the wife to read later.

We just learned of a situation that happened to our 18 yr old niece at her work place. It is 10:07 pm, on 2/1/07, this incident happened not even 2 hrs ago.


She works behind the front desk of a Vocational School in our area, and the school offers adult training  in the evening. She said that she witnessed a young African American male smacking his young non-African American girlfriend around in the lobby right in front of her. She  told them to leave or she would call the police. They walked out, only to have the male return a few minutes later, by himself. My niece was doing some filing and when she turned around, the guy was "about to grab her from behind", in her own words. She told him that he was on camera, and he stated that he "didn't care" and "you should mind your own business, bitch". He did leave and she did call the police without further incident. They said they would increase patrols. She is afraid  that this punk may return at a later date to cause her some trouble. OR worse, WE are worried that one day he may be waitng outside for her when she leaves one night, possibly with some of his "boys". If you know what I mean.

So we are in high alert about this. My wife immediately suggested that she gets a keychain pepper spray device, one she could have at the ready when she is walking to her car. She is only 18 and can not CCW. I will point her in the direction of some of these articles, hopefully she will glean something useful from them. As soon as she told us this I came to the Ladies of AR15.com, hoping some of you may be able to give me some advice that I may pass on to her. Thanks  everyone. I will check this quite often to keep up on your suggestions.

If anyone thinks that this may be better presented as a new thread, please IM me, and we can make it so. I want to keep it out of GD, for obvious reasons, and keep it where as many of the women may see it as possible. Thanks again, Ladies.

Originally Posted By SP1Grrl: I'd be on high alert, too.  The pepper spray is a good suggestion since she can't CCW.  What about a self defense class also?  If that's not feasible, then you can at least show her a few moves she can use to get out of certain situations.

I could suggest that to her.( the self defense class). We have told her to park under a light pole. Have her stuff in a shoulder bag so her hands could be free, or she could drop the bag if necessary. Keys in hand. Maybe have a person walk her out, or leave in a group. Once she gets home, it's not a problem. There are no "african males" in our neighborhood, so the appearance of one would certainly raise some eyebrows. Not to mention what would happen to any idiot is dumb enough to do something around our house.

I could show her some of the old Marine Corps basic hand to hand combat moves I was taught, many moons ago.

Don't for get the taser nothing says let go of me more then a few thosand volts running thru his nuts!!!!!!!!!! over and over once he is down she should keep him down!!!!  

Cool Page 2 is Mine!

Originally Posted By Shootingcpl: Don't for get the taser nothing says let go of me more then a few thosand volts running thru his nuts!!!!!!!!!! over and over once he is down she should keep him down!!!!   Cool Page 2 is Mine!

You know....that would make an EXCELLENT birthday gift for her. Non-lethal, but effective and disabling.....Good Call ShootingCpl

I have a suggestion for your ladies. I am doing this at work and it vastly increases my perceptions.  COUNT PEOPLE. All day look around whenever you remember  and count the people visible to you. EVERY time you think about it count the people around you. Not a running total but just a snap shot of how many people are near you . After two weeks I am getting much better at recognizing how many and seeing people that I often have not "seen" before.  Try it and then you will realize that you are NOT paying attention at all.

Great idea! But not just at work.
I tried this this week everywhere. It made me look around and notice people.
Good habit to get into.
Thanks Hound!

This is a very good post, very informative.  I'll have to follow all the links when I have the time to do so.  
I've been in some pretty sticky situations, lucky enough for me, I've gotten out of them before they had gone to far.  As of right now, I dont carry, but I hope to, soon.  Not only for my own protection, but the safety of my child as well.

Your are most welcome..........

If I might add...

more color discriptions.

I agree with the self defense class that would a good idea also carrying the pepper spray and having a wand in her purse, or a tazer either but knowing how to use these and being careful of your surroundings are the key things. always watch your  surroundings.I live in a big city Las VEGAS  so much goes on here and you have to be careful.

Originally Posted By Shootingcpl: Sorry I do not have a link because the news here did not see fit to even have it on the news. But a lady that lives very near to us and shops at the same Kroger we do came home from Kroger. She opened her door and then proped the screen door open so she could unload the bags from her car. Well It seams some guy followed her home from the store and when she took a load into the kitchen her ran in and hid in the back of the house untill she got done and locked the house up again. He then came out and was going to attack her But timed it wrong as she had just let her 2 rather large dogs out of the gagrage! He was going at her just as they came out of the garage and they went after him. He fled out the front door! The point to the story is don't drop your guard anytime or place. Just because your home does not mean you are safe. My wife got a bit shaken up when she was telling us the story because she does the very same thing when she gets home from the store! NOT ANY MORE!

That is a good story....I don't even answer/unlock the door until my dog goes to the window first!  I also keep the doors locked through stop and go traffic, as well as what another posted earlier about scanning for viable exits.  I am rarely without one of my two kids, so knowing "where to throw them" is vital!

Hey I'm new to the site but this is the first thing i read. its good to stress the importance of awareness becasue people are getting crazier. Good article.

Thanks for the great post SP1grrl...I grew up in a different era, but have come to recognize that in today's world we need to be on guard at all times and in ALL places...instead of just "defensive driving" we need to incorporate "defensive living!"
I do carry where I legally can, have taken my CHL, now just need to send in the paperwork so I can carry more places!


Jane

Better late than never.  h
It might seem like you can relax and enjoy the scenery, but you must always look.  More important than looking, you must see what is there.  Are you seeing the beautiful landscape around you, or are you looking at the top of a dump truck and wondering why it is there when your grandfather has no use for such a thing?

And are you preparing yourself for the possibility of danger?  Defensive driving teaches a simple reaction to the sight of a dump truck on an old, narrow road when there is no reason for a dump truck to be there.  Take your foot off the gas and put it over the brake pedal.  That way, if he enters your lane, you can stop faster.  The more vigilant among us might even stop, turning off the road, if we think that there might not be enough room for the truck to pass, or he might not pass safely.

Part of the reason we think he might not pass safely is because we saw him do something, or several things, that indicated that he didn't care about our safety.  This is called telegraphing.  A telegraph was a signal that arrived before the sender.  If you recall old westerns, you've seen telegraphs that said the sender will be in St. Louis tommorrow at noon.

Now we know what you're going to do, and when you're going to do it.

Assholes telegraph.  They mostly don't start shooting when they make threats and get nasty, but the worst of things has happened plenty of times.  Workplaces are not safe havens.  There have been plenty of killings at work, likewise in churches and schools.  We think of these places as safe, but they are not always safe.

You're working away at your job when the company asshole, Bob (my name he
The typical response to this is to ignore it and keep working.  "If it doesn't concern me, it won't happen to me."  But what if Bob starts shooting, or stabbing people?  Those in the area will get hurt.  Those out of the area will not get hurt.

You can offer up excuses about protecting your coworkers and the integrity of your job for staying around when violence is imminent, but the truth is that your greatest responsibility is to yourself.  The cops won't rush in blindly to an active shooter.  They will say that their officers do not waste their lives and no matter what the bad guy did, the police would like to survive the day.  They're right.  Your own life depends on you to preserve it.  If you don't who will?  And if you have loved ones who need you to help provide for them, think what will happen if you're crippled and now they have to provide for you.

The first mission of any gunfight is to survive it.  I'm talking about planning to surivive it before it happens.  Make an excuse and leave.  "Sorry, Bob, but Fred told me to take these files to the shipping department."  Push past him.  You keep walking.  No matter what he says.  If he threatens to stab you in the back, keep walking and when you get out, shut the door.  What's the worst thing that could happen?  Bob is violent and he plans to kill everyone in the area.  At least you tried to get out.  If he stabs you and you get out, you are that much closer to medical care.

Make yourself aware of places to escape.  A friend was offered a lucrative job in the World Trade Center, which he would only take if they bought him a parachute.  He said that in 1996, and they laughed at him.  They're not laughing now.  An escape is a way out of the building, or a hiding place behind a door that can't be breached.  Offices have document rooms with solid doors.  These can't be breached without special tools..  Conference rooms and executive offices often have solid doors, too.  You can test them by knocking.  Hollow doors sound like it; solid doors make a dull thud when you knock.  Which ones can be locked from the inside?  Know the environment and what will happen based on which way you turn - the decision tree.  If I turn left, the only way to escape is to lock myself in the Xerox room.  If I turn right, I can go throught the reception area and out the door.  Et cetera, et cetera.

If you are starting to have an attack of guilt because Bob said that he was going to kill your boss and you didn't stop it, remember two things.  First, if Bob was ready to kill your boss, he was ready to kill you, too.  After the first one, the rest are all free is an old saying from Unintended Consequences.  They can only give you the death penalty once.

Second, if your coworkers failed to recognize that a dangerous situation was developing, it is their fault and not yours.  You are responsible for yourself.  They are reseponsible for themselves.  As the survivor, you can go to their funerals.  They can't return the favor.

A few days ago my 23 year old daughter and I went to a park to see a M-60 Patton Tank.  My friend had suggested that we take a look at it since it had been used in the war he was in.   The park was right on a main road so we didn't think it would be a dangerous place to go.   We visited the plaques in honor of the soldiers then we went over to the tank itself to see it.   As soon as we started looking at the tank, we both noticed a dirty suspicious looking man pretending to look at the plaques, but watching us.  Then we noticed another man standing on the sidewalk behind us with an "ice cream" cart.   They had both come out of nowhere...and it was obvious they were up to no good.

We had intended on taking pictures of each other near the tank that day so I had my camera with me.   First I took out my cell phone and opened it.  Next I said to my daughter (in the same tone I might use if I was asking for a Tic-Tac...but loud enough for the guys to hear)..."Sarah....do you have your PEPPER SPRAY?"   My daughter replied, "I sure do!"
She was already getting it out before I had asked her and smart thing that she is....she was already checking the wind direction.  

She pulled out the pepper spray, I pulled out my camera and pretended to take a picture of her and then I aimed it at the guy and said, "Oh.  my...this picture didn't turn out."  
I guess he didn't like the cell phone, pepper spray, camera combo.  He took off to talk to the guy with the ice cream cart (told you they were working together).   Then they left as quickly as they had come.  

Being aware of what was going on around us..probably saved us from some trouble that day.  But we hated the idea that just because we were women...we were thought of as easy prey.    We both agreed that we felt much safer at home with our guns by our sides.

Thanks for the article.

I open carry here in Montana most of the time.

Catherine

While some ignorant people would recommend that an unarmed woman could do some damage with a key used as a dagger,  I would suggest that a 10" kitchen knife works quite a bit better.   Better yet...everyone should carry.  I'm not kidding.

Got your CCW?  If your state allows it,  why not?


You never know when evil may seek you out.  So always be prepared for it.   Evil doesn't like getting shot five or six times in the eyeball.

CJ

Hi Ladies,

I just joined the forum and wanted to say that I think being aware of your surroundings is, indeed, the first and best way to protect yourself. I'm in the process of getting my CC permit, but in the meantime, I carry a pocketknife and pepperspray. The pepperspray is attached to my purse with a clip I can easily yank off if needed. Thanks for all the wonderful input.

Some thoughts.

1. If you get that strange feeling something is wrong it is. Pay attention to your own warning system.

2. Dump your purse out and look at what is in it.

3. Got a pencil then you have a weapon.

4. Got a pen then you have a weapon.

5. Have a rat tail comb then you have a weapon,

6. Have hairspray then you have a weapon.

7. Is your purse heavy then you have a weapon.

9. Do you carry any other liquids in your purse then you have a weapon.

10. Wear heels. Then you have a weapon.

Ladies our purses/bags are weapon lockers if you stop and think about it and that's before adding a gun,tazer, or pepper spray.

Remember these vulnerable areas: eyes, nose,feet,knee and ears. Take a self defense class. But whatever you do fight.make noise and fight.

Man chiming in ... I didn't read the article but agree with the above post 100% beaware of the surroundings . I try to instill this on my children as well .
Spot any potential threats as far ahead of time as possible to better avoid them .

OLD link I know , but can someone provide me an updated link?    I would love to show that to my wife.

As a point of interest, one of my best friends got robbed a few days ago, AT GUNPOINT, in his store.

The store is a tanning salon with a smoothies bar.   Not exactly a cash cow.  

The armed felons got away with 56 dollars.  My friend was laughing at these two young retards
as he handed over the money.


When I asked him why he wasn't armed, he said that the lease terms prohibit weapons.

To which I replied,  "So what's more important? Your personal safety or the need to kiss your stupid landlord's ass?"


I think he gets it now.


CJ

This is a very good read.  

You know my BF carries and I find myself getting comfortable with my protection.  He is a survivalist.  Until I met him I never really understood what danger I would put myself in without even thinking about it.  Who would think that a simple walk through a wooded city park could make you a victim.  I never thought that way.  

You want to think it'll never happen to you, right?  Til you here about a friend at work leaving a grocery store in the early evening getting a gun put to her head and robbed!  Not only that, but the store is less then a mile away from my apartment.  I shop there and usually I do my shopping alone.  

I think the biggest thing for me to remember is to take a breath, look around, and NEVER be in too big of a hurry not to check your 6!  I've been taught to run scenarios through my head, too.  I don't think it makes me fearful; I think it keeps me from being the victim.  

TY for the article!  

Thanks for the info.
My guy carries but I am also thinking of carrying. It could come in handy I would think. One type senario would or could be....what if the guy or person you are with carries, but could be in a situation where they would not be able to draw on if needed? If YOU carry also, you might would be in a situation where you could. Might save someones life.You never know...
My gun is like a body extension, I am quite comforable with it.
Guess it is because my dad taught us girls (sis) at a young age. I will always remember that the rest of my life. I think it's great when parents teach thier kids how to, no matter if they are a boy OR girl.
Saw a man at the range the other day, teaching his young daughter how to shoot . Made a smile come to my face.......you could see the closeness they had in father/daughter relationship. Yess guys..... it's great to teach the girls too.... BTW...... she had a big rifle.....

Your brain IS very important. Being fully aware of you situation, where you are at in all times can save your butt. I think everyone has a gut instinct built in ( hopefully ) and you should listen to it more if your gut instinct is right most times. 9 times out of 10, it is. Least with me it is.
Having good perifial vision helps too.