04/25/2024
On days like today the rain is the only thing you think about. On the one hand most criminals don't want to go out in this either. But on the other hand, it can severely impact your situational awareness and readiness.
Likely your head is dug down deep in your coat, you're looking down so you don't get rain in your face, your hands are in your pockets to stay warm. You're not looking up, you aren't ready to defend yourself.
You meander from awning to awning to stay out of the rain as much as possible, not thinking about the possibility there might be someone around that sharp corner.
Because most people don't want to be out in this there likely aren't nearly as many witnesses around either if something happens to you.
The pouring rain masks light footfalls behind you.
Now our company is not about trying to make everyone beat their chest and think they are a warrior and always need to be ready. Where these pictures were taken just happens to be an area frequented by abusers of illicit substances, many which have used them to the point it could be argued their sanity is permanently gone. There are constant disagreements between homeless people here and between the different personalities of the mentally ill. So this is one of those areas where despite the rain it is important to keep your head up, your hands ready, check your corners and take them wide.
Another thing you can do is if you're wearing a jacket with sealable pockets seal your valuables up so they aren't easy to grab or if you get pushed down so your expensive phone or other valuable doesn't go skittering out easy for the assailant to grab. Some people like to carry their keys as a possible defensive tool. Our preference is to keep them sealed up so they can't be stolen and remove them from the pocket at the right distance so you can apply them directly to the vehicle in a smooth manner rather than having to stop and dig through your pockets.
