SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

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Capa
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You fellows all make very good points. Put hands on valuables, hold tight, run away from urchins, and yell as loudly as you can, "Hoy Pickpocket!"

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Mike J
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On 7/6/2018 at 4:27 PM, Capa said:

When walking down the street, I never, ever make eye contact with anyone. If someone says, "sir" to me, I ignore that.

Now I am curious, are you serious or making a joke? :89:

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Capa
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Posted (edited)
28 minutes ago, Mike J said:

Now I am curious, are you serious or making a joke? :89:

Serious about not making eye contact, joking about ignoring people that say "sir." Sometimes I do ignore, and sometimes, I will look at that person. It depends on the circumstances and my general frame of mind at any particular time. I think it is a good policy, after all, I am not out there to make acquaintances, I am out there to get from point A to point Z.

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Old55
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Mike, Capa is very serious. I can tell those things I know how he rolls Or trolls .:thumbsup:

He wears reflective sunglasses a foil lined fedora low on his brow and keeps at least two hungry dobbies on a short leash anytime he ventures outside the bunker. 

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Mike J
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19 hours ago, Old55 said:

Mike, Capa is very serious. I can tell those things I know how he rolls Or trolls .:thumbsup:

It just seems so odd that someone would want to live like a prisoner and be so fearful of interacting with the local population.  The best part of my walks are when I give and receive greetings from other people.  Maybe that is the advantage of living in a small town like Moalboal.  I cannot help but feel the best way to be safe is to be an accepted member of the community you live in.  Know your neighbors, take the time to speak with vendors, smile when you see a parent holding the little ones.  These actions tell those around you that you respect them and want to be a part of the community, and not an outsider.  Just my opinion of course and not worth more than that of anyone else. :popcorn:

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Tukaram (Tim)
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I rarely make eye contact because I have always found it to be rude... not sure where I picked that up... but, I love wandering the streets of the city. I smile at everyone, and say hi to most.  It helps me to enjoy my time, and also helps size up people & situations. I find that most people are friendly and honest, but I try to watch out for those that are not. In over 30 years of travel I have been pickpocketed once. Without victim blaming, I know exactly what I did wrong in the situation to allow the person to take advantage of me.

When I lived in the city it would not be uncommon for me to be out and about until 1 or 2 in the morning. I never ran into any trouble, mostly because I do not look for trouble. I go places that I would tell you to stay away from - but I stay very aware of the situation. I have lived here almost 6 years (really, wow!) and have never felt unsafe at any time here.

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JDDavao II
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2 hours ago, Mike J said:

It just seems so odd that someone would want to live like a prisoner and be so fearful of interacting with the local population.  The best part of my walks are when I give and receive greetings from other people.  Maybe that is the advantage of living in a small town like Moalboal.  I cannot help but feel the best way to be safe is to be an accepted member of the community you live in.  Know your neighbors, take the time to speak with vendors, smile when you see a parent holding the little ones.  These actions tell those around you that you respect them and want to be a part of the community, and not an outsider.  Just my opinion of course and not worth more than that of anyone else. :popcorn:

I make eye contact with everyone I can. As someone who is profoundly hard of hearing, my eyes (and my wife) are all I have. Usually, that eye contact generates a smile or a nod. That's just about the only connection I can make any more. Although I was able to have a short conversation recently in the mall with a FilAm from Vancouver, BC who was in town for visiting family. His voice happened to fall into the range that I can hear.

I smile and wave at all my neighbors, even the ones who simply use our road as a shortcut. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm a dork for smiling while they're speaking their language with my wife. Maybe they just think I'm a happy guy. Everyone gets a "hello". I smile at all animals and children attached to adults. People are people and everyone is proud of their dog or child and share that smile.

My wife will sometimes say, "Don't smile at those people, we don't know them." And I simply say, "I'm an American. I represent my country. I want everyone to go home and, in passing, say to their friends, "I saw an American today. He smiled at me. He seems nice."  

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Jack Peterson
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Posted (edited)
11 minutes ago, JDDavao said:

I make eye contact with everyone I can.

 Here in the PI it seems a nice thing to do, I find that if they (The local) look First, things are good

11 minutes ago, JDDavao said:

"I'm an American.

 I take your Point but as a Brit I tend not to look directly at that many Foreigners, why? Too many years in the UK and Spain with the Retort of " "What he F...k are you looking at" and it can happen here too, If I am spoken too I will look and  if a conversation is to follow then OK but always aware of what is around me I am sure other Brits can follow me on this :89:

 Not so much now but in the Past we have seen (well I have) mainly Brits [ and a few germans] that can be just looking for trouble, we know it takes all sorts but memories of bad Vibes can be hard to shake. On the other side of the coin I have myself found a cold streak run up my spine if the looks i get last longer than they should, so, Time to move to another place methinks:rolleyes:

 Sorry but sometimes we have to be honest :wink:

Edited by Jack Peterson
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hk blues
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1 hour ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Here in the PI it seems a nice thing to do, I find that if they (The local) look First, things are good

 I take your Point but as a Brit I tend not to look directly at that many Foreigners, why? Too many years in the UK and Spain with the Retort of " "What he F...k are you looking at" and it can happen here too, If I am spoken too I will look and  if a conversation is to follow then OK but always aware of what is around me I am sure other Brits can follow me on this :89:

 Not so much now but in the Past we have seen (well I have) mainly Brits [ and a few germans] that can be just looking for trouble, we know it takes all sorts but memories of bad Vibes can be hard to shake. On the other side of the coin I have myself found a cold streak run up my spine if the looks i get last longer than they should, so, Time to move to another place methinks:rolleyes:

 Sorry but sometimes we have to be honest :wink:

I would agree with you on this, It's been my experience that when people (well, males) make eye contact/look for longer than would be usual, it usually means they are looking for some kind of interaction and the circumstances will dictate if it's good or bad interaction.  Honestly speaking, i am just not that interested in interacting with people I don't know in certain specific situations.  Am I unsociable - probably yes.  Have I been mugged/ripped off/assaulted etc - nope.  So my philosophy seems to be ok in that respect. 

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