That why I really LOVE it here! Most guys think your a goofy "female" (smiling here) who doesn't know jack about anything except kids and home..you know the type girls....
You can learn to control your facial features, you know, a good poker face  will work wonders... They think you might be helpless or dumb....but...be they better careful.

When we lived in Fla. there were alot of crimes like that. I would always LOOK first at my surroundings before getting out of the car OR getting into a car. (always LOOK inside your car too, BEFORE you get in ) whether you are at home or in a public place.
One guy was in a womans vehicle when she came out of Walmart. The guy made her drive all the way down to Miami. She was awful lucky he didn't kill her then. I wonder if she knew that?
It's not just the big cities that this happens to. We lived in St. Petersburg for 11 years, no real problems. Then moved to a much smaller town. My hubby actually had a gun aimed at him from some boys in the next vehicle at a red light. Glad I was at home then.
Nothing happened. Guess the kids were shocked to see a person flip them off and say...F...Y.  
Point of entry to the truck was wrong, they had thier windows up too. dumb kids looking to scare people. Wrong guy to pick on.

First thing I usually do is look at where I am at. The people and what they are doing. No trouble or problems, then I look at the places to get to if there might be a problem come up. Doors, exits, racks, shelves.... where is there cover to go to if things go bad? where is the advantage point if you ae carrying?  I try to remember each store in my head, like a map. Rememeber it for the next time too. And watch for any changes in exits or entries that might be there..
Just how I think. But I like to try to be prepared everywhere I go.

One thing you might need to know. Pepper spray wont always put someone down.
A self defense class would be great.
I grew up around alot of blacks/ mixed races in my school. I can tell you from experience..........she has already got his attention. He came back. Thats a first sign. Most people who are harmless wont even think of coming back.Aparrently, he he thought about her and what she said. He has a attitude already. Have her watch her back. Always try to keep a eye behind or around you. Watch for movement.
Keys can help if held right. Don't put your finger in a loop on the keychain if she has one. They can get your finger broken.
Just because your neighborhood is non black does not mean she is totally safe. Some think they are sneaky enough to slide by, get in and out without being seen. Some adults could think she might actually know that person since she is a young kid and not think anything of it if they were to see him.
Yess.....your hand to hand combat skills would do her quite a bit of good. You never know when it could come in handy anywhere! You need to teach her ASAP. Seriously.

Umm...you don't use the keys as a dagger......it's held differently. Keys comming out through your fingers, like spikes. using them you can rake the face, chest or arms, jab the eyes, if you are fast enough.
Who carries a 10 inch kitchen knife if they are out of house.......or for that matter.....around the house all the time??
If you are carrying a 10" blade.....you are illegal as hell ( away form the home ).... technally speaking. Different states have different laws on how big a blade you can legally carry.

well hell...guess it seems like i talk to myself alot.....

Thank you.
Sorry if I seem to rattle off. These are all new to me. I just answer them or I might have something to say I guess. But I didn't realise  it all catches up in the end?
LOL...seems like I am talking to myself some...

Situational awareness is only as good as the mindset that follows it. You must be prepared to act. Flight or fight, you decide which is the best course of action. If you're aware of your surroundings then you should have an escape path/plan plotted out in your head already. We're talking in a manner of milliseconds here. If you must fight, remember to hate the attacker as he/she is trying to hurt/kill you and/or your family. You must will yourself to survive the encounter and inflict as much pain on the other person as possible. I know that sounds odd but you must push yourself to the extreme when faced with extreme circumstances.



SA gives you the upper hand in a situation as it allows you to retreat or deescalate before anything happens. It also will nix any surprise for yourself and hopefully act as a deterrent using common sense and staying calm up to this point . The best part is it gives you a few seconds beforehand to think up a solution or strategy should you need to fight. In all cases I believe mindset is what will get you through it as SA will do you no good if you freeze up and cannot formulate a plan of action.



Guess I'm bumping an old post. Always valid, I suppose.



ETA: The four stages of fighting are: Observation, Avoidance/Retreat, Deterrence, and Deescalation. If all 4 fail then it has come to the actual fight itself.

Being aware is def the way to go. As well as knowing what you are capable of in a situation that is dangerous. If you are unaware, it is good to go to some classes that teach you how to handle yourself in a bad situation. There is a girl in our community that had men break into her home while she and a small child were awake and home. She just stood there. Luckily they were only there because they thought here house was a house of drugs. It was not, and they left after stealing a few unimportant things (compared to what they could have done). Even luckier, they didnt see her as a target for worse things.

Point being. If she were trained on how to handle that situation, and what she could have done, she might have been able to leave the home with her child and not taken the chance of being harmed or the child being harmed.

Took me awhile to read this whole thread in between kiddo interuptions(then I had to log my husband out and remember my info to reply LOL) . .very good read!

I liked the "count the people tip" for when I am out and about in town . . . .  usually I am just counting cows and making sure bushes dont look any different or nothing "stands out" differntly then the day before.

Being aware of your surroundings is so important! I live in southern AZ and illegal border activity is getting very bad down here. One of our ranch neighbors (Rob Krentz . .there is a thread in Hometown Arizona) was murdered the end of march while out on his ranch checking livestock, water, and fences. . . .

Every day we are each faced with our own challenges to "stay aware" I know I will get distracted by my kids while in town, or when I meet someone I haven't seen in awhile in the grocery store . .but the more aware we are of our surroundings and the more "weapons" we have the safer we will be.  I know an extra gun in your purse can get heavy along with everything else but it is worth it and they have some awesome lightweight models out now(I have a Ruger LCP .380) it weighs less then my wallet LOL. Whatever you carry make sure it is easily accesible and that you know how to use it to its upmost potential!  Be safe ladies

We live in a very remote area.  Believe me when I say it is not easy for someone to commit a violent crime and expect to get away from here.  Whenever we travel, I do carry.  I have a great purse holster that I got at a gun show.  My husband carries, and that is fine and well, but what if something happens in a lady's room at a rest stop or at the mall when he's not with me?  I have my CWP, and I'm not afraid to use it.  I am very familiar with the gun I carry, or I wouldn't carry it.  I have had someone try to break into my house when I lived alone.  I was date raped.  I no longer feel like a victim, or a possible victim.    

nice one.
I am teaching my 9 and 11 children sitational awareness at this time.
The other day when we got in the vehicle there was a man,
who looked to be of questionable character walking around(I know, thats racist),
but I had my kids follow them with their eyes until we left the scene.

I told them it was very important to know their surroundings at all times.
I hope it helps.

I think going with your gut is a good warning sign, if it feels gross- leave! I refuse to not live life just because I’m “scared” or whatever… I’m a single girl, and I go out and do stuff alone… which I think nothing is wrong with that, but I’ve learned a few lessons.
First- over confidence doesn’t necessarily mean anything- my “I’m not scurred” attitude means I may just not be paying attention, because I’m overcompensating thinking nothing is going to happen to me.
Second- I have a “tough-girl, punk-rock” exterior. Wow. Duh. We know that means absolutely nothing! LOL, right?!
I’ve done two things really stupid:

1. Took off in the middle of the night, just me and the 5 lb. Chihuahua, on an 8 hour road trip through nowhere Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas- without telling anyone. Stopped at a rest stop (you know, one of those with some grass and a bathroom and that’s about it) at about 11:30 at night. Wow. STUPID!

2. Took the dogs for a walk in a notorious sex park, in a particularly deserted and woody area of the park.  Alone. At dusk. Wow. STUPID!

So, no. I’m not going to hole up in my house and be a recluse, but I’m also going to learn my lessons from the real dumb things I’ve done.  Sometimes situational awareness begins before you are in the situation…

One of the things, in addition to situational awareness, is the ability to defend yourself. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is excellent for women. It is specifically designed for a smaller opponent (with the proper technique) to take on a larger and stronger opponent in close quarters. The fact is, if you are attached it isnt likely going to be a guy running towards you from 100 feet away. Learning how to defend yourself when some one grabs you is just as essential as learning how to operate a firearm. You almost need both to be effective in that type of situation.

“She is only 18 and can not CCW.”

I’m probably going to be the only person on this board to openly espouse such a thing, but if my daughter is ever in the shadow of a credible threat from a violent, abusive piece of shit, she will be trained, armed and situationally aware if I have anything to say about it, and I don’t care about the letter or the law if adhering to it comes at the cost of the safety of my loved ones.

The law is now on the side of the aggressive criminal element, anyway, so it makes no difference anymore. You’re going to pay a steep price whether you submit to violent criminals or successfully defend yourself from them in today’s political climate.

I’ll choose being alive and in court for myself and my loved ones over being brutalized and killed because the law said we should never fight back.