False positives

Discussion in 'Self Defence' started by Smitfire, Mar 1, 2023.

  1. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    One of the by-products of being switched on and "aware" to self defence concerns is that you can get false positives.
    Situations you thought warranted action that turned out not to be a danger. A stranger following you home who just happened to be walking the same way as you for example. Someone approaching in the street who's genuinely asking for directions.
    I had a funny one the other day.
    I was walking my dogs in the woods and heard raised angry voices ahead. I couldn't see people, or make out the words, but there was was lots of shouting back and forth.
    I assumed two other dog walkers were arguing (one dog attacked the other perhaps?) and thought it was easier to just avoid it all. I like a simple life.
    So I walked down a different path and skirted the area to get back to my car.
    As I got round the other side of the woods I heard raised voices behind and much closer.
    I turned to look and appraise the situation only to be met with about 20 people dressed as Wizards, Elves and Orcs. Carrying fake weapons, staffs and adorned in various bits of armour.
    It turns out the "angry" voices I heard were them LARPing about in the woods pretending to cast spells at each other and dispatching the hordes of chaos and destruction!
    Not quite the potentially troublesome situation I imagined in my head.
     
    axelb, hewho, aaradia and 3 others like this.
  2. Dan Bian

    Dan Bian Neither Dan, nor Brian

    Sounds to me like you acted appropriately!
    Accidentally finding yourself in the middle of a magical skirmish could see you being shot with arrows, or turned into a goat by an embittered warlock.

    In all seriousness, I'd say you took the right action - you perceived a possible threat, so moved to avoid it before it was thrust upon you.
     
    hewho likes this.
  3. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    And then ironically there are so many people out there not switched on.
    Just did a 50 minute running route which takes me through the local Uni campus (it's an official city exercise route with various exercise stations along the way).
    I ended up running up behind three different women who had no clue I was there until I was at their side in their peripheral vision. Something I really try and avoid.
    I cough loudly, scuff my feet and then finally shout "coming up behind you!" as I approached.
    All had their mobiles in their hands, ear buds in, walking in fairly isolated paths on their own.
     
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  4. Dan Bian

    Dan Bian Neither Dan, nor Brian

    The general lack of awareness of people irks me greatly, especially when at the supermarket. I just don't understand how some people haven't wandering under a bus.
     
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  5. Xue Sheng

    Xue Sheng All weight is underside

    In Beijing one night with my wife and couple of her friends, walking back to her mother's home, basically a whole lot of high rise condos.

    Its dark, I'm in a REAL large city, and I am the only white guy in sight, and to make things worse...I have blond hair, so I stand out like a sore thumb. I am in an area of Beijing where foreigners just don't go. I am walking about 6 to 10 feet behind my wife (who is a Beijingren) and her friends who are also from Beijing. All of a sudden I get the feeling we are being followed. I take the next 90 degree turn, but I turn 180 degrees and I see the biggest, young, Chinese guy I have ever seen, think Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime...but taller (Arnold is 6'2"...I'm 6'1") The guy stops and pretends to be looking at the sky.... I continue walking...he continues following.... I started thinking what I would have to do to protect my wife and her friends....based on his size and his age, I was not sure I could stop him, but I sure as heck could slow him down and leave him with a painful memory, thereby allowing my wife and her friends to get away...... he followed us all the way back my mother-in-laws building. And I felt a bit more relaxed when we entered the building. As we got on the elevator I looked to see were he was and he was in the lobby trying to see where we were going.

    The next morning I realized what was probably going on. This young Chinese guy saw a foreigner, who is WAAAAAAY far way from anywhere a foreigner might be, especially at night, following 3 Chinese women and he was making sure they were safe..... If we were in NYC my feelings would have been spot on...but in Beijing...it was , happily, entirely different.
     
    Smitfire likes this.
  6. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    A friend of mine told me about how he started running. Usually a few kilometers in the dark after work, so he just ran on the pavements in the neighborhood (which is not the best in the city, and there are no parks close). Running peacefully, he happened upon a women and ran from behind her. I think he said he would usually switch to the other side of the road, but it was hard to do that there. So he decided to slowly jog past her. And when he did, BAM! He got smacked with a handbag right in the face :D
    He then explained and the lady was really sorry, I think. But... Anyway, I could not stop laughing when he narrated the story :D
     
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  7. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    I just shout, "on your left."

    Actual footage.
     
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  8. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    I once nearly smashed a door down going tactical on a vacuum cleaner. :D
     
    Nachi likes this.
  9. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    Yes that's what I normally do. Give people at least 5/10 foot of clearance, if not more.
    But as you said that's not practicable in every situation.
     
    Xue Sheng and Nachi like this.
  10. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    Did Henry's cheeky smile clue you in that he wasn't a danger?
     
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