You are very right about watching out for things that don't fit. Thanks to some very poorly planned construction, I now have to drive home through an area where a LOT of homeless spend their days. They generally stay on the sidewalks. Since I'm in my vehicle, I just drive on. The other day, I saw several of them in the street under an overpass I normally drive through. My brain said something's not right. So, I turned down a side street. As I was turning, I saw big fight break out. I would not have wanted to be going through that when it started.
As the old flight instructors would say- 'get your head out' (of the cockpit).
Even without a phone out it can be easy to have your brain lost in things that have nothing to do with your current environment. Dinner plans, work, ect. Instead, be where you are.
Something friends of mine have told me is that if I go to a local carnival or fair, especially if it's not a place I'm familiar with, I need to watch what the parents with small children and old folks are doing. If they start to leave and are being replaced by young men with their girlfriends, you need to leave soonest.
Don't be afraid to bail on your plans if the going gets too weird.
A couple of years ago, I was supposed to run some essential errands in PNG. Now, there was a big bout of unrest in the capital, but I figured that that was there, and I was not there, so I should be okay.
I got to town, but things were... off. Not quite as bad as when I got to look down the barrel of a FN MAG, but still off. The first store we went to was still open. The second store we went to was kicking everyone out and locking up. This should have Been a Clue to Leave. But we pressed on to the third location- which was closed, with lights out.
And it was at that point where it was very obvious that we needed to Not Be There Right NOW!- and we done got out of there about 10 minutes before the riots started.
What I should have done was call the place I was wanting to go before I left. Had I done so, I would have not left. Failing that, I should have took off & left town when the second store was kicking people out. I got fixated on my errand, and almost had a Bad Time.
Being able to adjust is something many people cannot do. It's obvious in traffic.
Driving around town and someone forces their way to the right to make a turn. Instead, it would have been easier to either take the next block to move over and then turn right and go back a block while off the main road, or to turn left, make a U-turn, then go straight across at the light. But they literally can't think of how to execute a variation. A big part of what Ian is working toward is noticing your surroundings in such a way you can make that adjustment. Just as you're saying - "I should have picked up this clue and changed what I was doing."
Note the stepping out of the flow of traffic. When you walk into a location if you stop in the path you're going to get off readings because you're annoying the people that you're blocking.
Basically, what the Fort Benning School for Rambunctious Boys called a security halt. Every now and again, particularly when you change environments, stop, look, and listen - not just for *imminent* threats, but so you can "get the vibe" so "wrong" sticks out more.
Your advice about the cellphone is very good. It'll take a lot of self-discipline to give up those constant endorphin hits though. Meh, maybe it's only a matter of life or death. If so, then easy choice. My takeaway from the post is "Pay Attention". Simple. I sometimes wonder how my life would be if I had paid better attention early on. But I was fortunate in joining the Navy at 17 and staying for 26 years. Paying attention pays huge dividends I learned.
Remember, too, this is Ian's prescription for training. After you train, you can start adding back in other things, like checking to see who called you without taking your eyes off your surroundings.
May I give you a for instance of where I badly assessed my surroundings and ask how to have approached it better? Bamako, Mali, February 2025, main road from the parliament to the airport (where Jihadists caused quite a bit of trouble in '24). I was in the middle vehicle of a three vehicle convoy. My security chief was well familiar with me and overly tolerant of my habit of videotaping the passing scenery, even in the city. Police intercepted us. They forced my front and rear vehicles to pull over separate from mine and me and my staff of three out of the vehicle. Whether confining themselves to Bambara rather than French of choice of not, it was a bit touch and go. I quickly called my Malian contact at a high ranking official's office and it was only him yelling through the phone that he wanted to speak to the officer in charge that saved things from going very badly indeed. It all worked out and, when moving again, the security chief apologized profusely for foolishly permitting me to have the window open and a camera recording. I have my ideas as to where I went wrong but should like to hear yours, placing yourself in my shoes and having done something more intelligent for situational awareness.
Note to self: Avoid Mali. Glad it worked out for you, David.
Back in 1975 I was ashore in Karachi, walking around in clean, pressed casual clothes, shined black Cordovan Wingtips, freshly showered and shampooed, wearing a Rolex watch. What finally caught my attention was the grinding poverty, the huge number of idle people looking my way. I was afoot, with 2 friends and by then at least 2 miles away from our ship. We ducked into a merchant seaman's bar for a beer. We heard a loud whistle from the bartender and suddenly there appeared 5 or 6 employees with long rattan canes who began beating a dark-skinned man to a bloody pulp. The police came and dragged him away, barely conscious but wailing. The bartender said, "Pick pocket", and then went back to polishing glassware. We took a taxi back to the ship. Didn't go ashore again until Mombasa. We stuck out like a sore thumb there, but the vibe was different. Same kind of poverty, no beggars, but smiles everywhere, friendliest people you'd ever want to meet. The only downside, such as it was, was when I was returning from the outskirts of the city about half drunk at o-dark-thirty, walking down a dirt road with high grass and bushes on either side. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard Judy Garland singing. "...lions and tigers and bears..oh my!" in my head. My awareness then was, "You are in Africa, Chief, get some spring in your step."
Playing 'spot the expat' is a fun game for expats all over- and trying to figure out what they are. Expat in travel shirt, travel shorts, black socks, and dress shoes? German tourist.
Expat in button up shirt & long pants, no tie? Manager on contract.
Expat in hiviz shirt, shorts, and Bluntstones? Regular worker on contract.
Expat in old clothes, with wife in old clothes and a half dozen kids? Missionary.
I don't think it occurred to the locals that I would be other than French. Race is no small factor and Russians have "a way" about them that would never let them be mistaken. Mali made a decisive and intentional shift away from France and I suspect the officers spoke in Bambara for exactly that reason.
"We are training, and distractions during training produce garbage training."
I won't entirely agree. As I was thinking about how I handle my phone when in public, I realized that my check-it-for-who/what method is because I was trained in what can be a HIGHLY distracting environment: flying airplanes. Part of the training was learning to filter things for importance and ignoring those that wouldn't immediately kill me if I had other things going on. If I'm upside down, coming through a loop, I'm not answering radio calls on the control frequency unless I can safely do it while still flying out the loop (safely). I'm listening for a "go around" order from the tower while attempting to land in a horrible crosswind but I'm not going to be debating it with them nor worrying about any other stuff they're telling me.
That training carried on into regular life. It's partly why I miss chapters in the audiobook while driving, etc.
"In your mind, state each observation."
In the olden days I would have said, "Preferably without moving your lips." But with the ubiquity of earbuds, everyone on the street looks like a crazy person now.
"a mental circle around yourself, about 10 to 12 feet in radius"
I think a lot of people aren't really aware of how large a 10-12 foot radius circle is. "Small" bedrooms in America are often 10'x10' [IOW, a 5' radius.]. Or, stand with your arms outstretched to your side; then have your friend do the same with their right fingertips touching your left fingertips. Their left fingertips - waaaay over there - are about 10 feet away. [EDIT: Oof. Their fingertips are about 10 feet from your other fingertips, not from your noggin. They're only about 7 feet from your center.] To get 12 feet, add another elbow to finger tip plus a hand spread to that. (You will need another friend for that.) Go do that on a sidewalk to see how big that bubble is. It's truly informative.
Excellent training! As a bit of dessert after supper; do a mental review of the day's memorable events. Maybe in a discussion around the table with friends and family. Details count!
I'm reminded of a PTerry line, where Vimes talks about how different watchmen look at the streets of Ankh-Morepork. The new ones would would give it a glance, and be in danger because they missed things. The more experienced ones would -look-, checking foreground and background, light and shadows.
The most experienced ones like Sgt. Colon or Nobby would just give it a glance, because they had already seen everything.
You are very right about watching out for things that don't fit. Thanks to some very poorly planned construction, I now have to drive home through an area where a LOT of homeless spend their days. They generally stay on the sidewalks. Since I'm in my vehicle, I just drive on. The other day, I saw several of them in the street under an overpass I normally drive through. My brain said something's not right. So, I turned down a side street. As I was turning, I saw big fight break out. I would not have wanted to be going through that when it started.
As the old flight instructors would say- 'get your head out' (of the cockpit).
Even without a phone out it can be easy to have your brain lost in things that have nothing to do with your current environment. Dinner plans, work, ect. Instead, be where you are.
On the pilot front, another adage (the flip side in some ways) is "Leave it on the ground." So you can "be where you are."
Something friends of mine have told me is that if I go to a local carnival or fair, especially if it's not a place I'm familiar with, I need to watch what the parents with small children and old folks are doing. If they start to leave and are being replaced by young men with their girlfriends, you need to leave soonest.
Don't be afraid to bail on your plans if the going gets too weird.
A couple of years ago, I was supposed to run some essential errands in PNG. Now, there was a big bout of unrest in the capital, but I figured that that was there, and I was not there, so I should be okay.
I got to town, but things were... off. Not quite as bad as when I got to look down the barrel of a FN MAG, but still off. The first store we went to was still open. The second store we went to was kicking everyone out and locking up. This should have Been a Clue to Leave. But we pressed on to the third location- which was closed, with lights out.
And it was at that point where it was very obvious that we needed to Not Be There Right NOW!- and we done got out of there about 10 minutes before the riots started.
What I should have done was call the place I was wanting to go before I left. Had I done so, I would have not left. Failing that, I should have took off & left town when the second store was kicking people out. I got fixated on my errand, and almost had a Bad Time.
Being able to adjust is something many people cannot do. It's obvious in traffic.
Driving around town and someone forces their way to the right to make a turn. Instead, it would have been easier to either take the next block to move over and then turn right and go back a block while off the main road, or to turn left, make a U-turn, then go straight across at the light. But they literally can't think of how to execute a variation. A big part of what Ian is working toward is noticing your surroundings in such a way you can make that adjustment. Just as you're saying - "I should have picked up this clue and changed what I was doing."
Note the stepping out of the flow of traffic. When you walk into a location if you stop in the path you're going to get off readings because you're annoying the people that you're blocking.
So here's to the hedgehog, he's sharp as they come,
You'll never get through his impregnable bum,
With his nose up his arsehole and rolled in a ball,
The hedgehog can never be buggered at all.
Hiya Nanny!
https://www.lspace.org/fandom/songs/warren-mars-hedgehog-martian.mp3
Delightful, PFC Billy. I would have pegged that a camp song during the Boer War but oddly enough it seems to have a Terry Pratchett origin.
https://warrenmars.com/poetry/ribald/hedgehog.htm
---------------------------------------
A side note. Never say never. A priapic and inebriated sailor can be a very enterprising soul.
Yep, thus my reference to Nanny Ogg who is known to sing it when she's in her cups.
Thanks, Richard. I hadn't remembered until you added Ogg to Nanny. All of Pratchett's books are ripe for a re-read now. I kept them all.
The full lyrics...
https://www.lspace.org/fandom/songs/hedgehog-song-6.html
Basically, what the Fort Benning School for Rambunctious Boys called a security halt. Every now and again, particularly when you change environments, stop, look, and listen - not just for *imminent* threats, but so you can "get the vibe" so "wrong" sticks out more.
Your advice about the cellphone is very good. It'll take a lot of self-discipline to give up those constant endorphin hits though. Meh, maybe it's only a matter of life or death. If so, then easy choice. My takeaway from the post is "Pay Attention". Simple. I sometimes wonder how my life would be if I had paid better attention early on. But I was fortunate in joining the Navy at 17 and staying for 26 years. Paying attention pays huge dividends I learned.
Remember, too, this is Ian's prescription for training. After you train, you can start adding back in other things, like checking to see who called you without taking your eyes off your surroundings.
May I give you a for instance of where I badly assessed my surroundings and ask how to have approached it better? Bamako, Mali, February 2025, main road from the parliament to the airport (where Jihadists caused quite a bit of trouble in '24). I was in the middle vehicle of a three vehicle convoy. My security chief was well familiar with me and overly tolerant of my habit of videotaping the passing scenery, even in the city. Police intercepted us. They forced my front and rear vehicles to pull over separate from mine and me and my staff of three out of the vehicle. Whether confining themselves to Bambara rather than French of choice of not, it was a bit touch and go. I quickly called my Malian contact at a high ranking official's office and it was only him yelling through the phone that he wanted to speak to the officer in charge that saved things from going very badly indeed. It all worked out and, when moving again, the security chief apologized profusely for foolishly permitting me to have the window open and a camera recording. I have my ideas as to where I went wrong but should like to hear yours, placing yourself in my shoes and having done something more intelligent for situational awareness.
Note to self: Avoid Mali. Glad it worked out for you, David.
Back in 1975 I was ashore in Karachi, walking around in clean, pressed casual clothes, shined black Cordovan Wingtips, freshly showered and shampooed, wearing a Rolex watch. What finally caught my attention was the grinding poverty, the huge number of idle people looking my way. I was afoot, with 2 friends and by then at least 2 miles away from our ship. We ducked into a merchant seaman's bar for a beer. We heard a loud whistle from the bartender and suddenly there appeared 5 or 6 employees with long rattan canes who began beating a dark-skinned man to a bloody pulp. The police came and dragged him away, barely conscious but wailing. The bartender said, "Pick pocket", and then went back to polishing glassware. We took a taxi back to the ship. Didn't go ashore again until Mombasa. We stuck out like a sore thumb there, but the vibe was different. Same kind of poverty, no beggars, but smiles everywhere, friendliest people you'd ever want to meet. The only downside, such as it was, was when I was returning from the outskirts of the city about half drunk at o-dark-thirty, walking down a dirt road with high grass and bushes on either side. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard Judy Garland singing. "...lions and tigers and bears..oh my!" in my head. My awareness then was, "You are in Africa, Chief, get some spring in your step."
Playing 'spot the expat' is a fun game for expats all over- and trying to figure out what they are. Expat in travel shirt, travel shorts, black socks, and dress shoes? German tourist.
Expat in button up shirt & long pants, no tie? Manager on contract.
Expat in hiviz shirt, shorts, and Bluntstones? Regular worker on contract.
Expat in old clothes, with wife in old clothes and a half dozen kids? Missionary.
You can always tell Americans from Europeans by their shoes.
"Expat in travel shirt, travel shorts, black socks, and dress shoes? German tourist."
Or an American agent.
I've seen a few of those when the Embassy staff comes to visit, and they tend to the classic 5-11 tac tux look.
Did they pull you over *because* you were taking video/pics?
Or because no one up to any good keeps their windows open?
Officially? Videotaping people without their consent. Unofficially? They thought I was French.
Aha. You either needed a more discreet way of videoing, or to just use your mind to store the journey.
The French thing has no solution I can see.
I don't think it occurred to the locals that I would be other than French. Race is no small factor and Russians have "a way" about them that would never let them be mistaken. Mali made a decisive and intentional shift away from France and I suspect the officers spoke in Bambara for exactly that reason.
When i make the mistake of letting myself slip out of situational awareness, things like hitting a deer happen.
"We are training, and distractions during training produce garbage training."
I won't entirely agree. As I was thinking about how I handle my phone when in public, I realized that my check-it-for-who/what method is because I was trained in what can be a HIGHLY distracting environment: flying airplanes. Part of the training was learning to filter things for importance and ignoring those that wouldn't immediately kill me if I had other things going on. If I'm upside down, coming through a loop, I'm not answering radio calls on the control frequency unless I can safely do it while still flying out the loop (safely). I'm listening for a "go around" order from the tower while attempting to land in a horrible crosswind but I'm not going to be debating it with them nor worrying about any other stuff they're telling me.
That training carried on into regular life. It's partly why I miss chapters in the audiobook while driving, etc.
"In your mind, state each observation."
In the olden days I would have said, "Preferably without moving your lips." But with the ubiquity of earbuds, everyone on the street looks like a crazy person now.
"a mental circle around yourself, about 10 to 12 feet in radius"
I think a lot of people aren't really aware of how large a 10-12 foot radius circle is. "Small" bedrooms in America are often 10'x10' [IOW, a 5' radius.]. Or, stand with your arms outstretched to your side; then have your friend do the same with their right fingertips touching your left fingertips. Their left fingertips - waaaay over there - are about 10 feet away. [EDIT: Oof. Their fingertips are about 10 feet from your other fingertips, not from your noggin. They're only about 7 feet from your center.] To get 12 feet, add another elbow to finger tip plus a hand spread to that. (You will need another friend for that.) Go do that on a sidewalk to see how big that bubble is. It's truly informative.
Some people tend to get a bit too relaxed about social distances inside stores and markets. Pickpockets love stores here in PNG for that reason.
Excellent training! As a bit of dessert after supper; do a mental review of the day's memorable events. Maybe in a discussion around the table with friends and family. Details count!
Love it. I'll do it.
I'm reminded of a PTerry line, where Vimes talks about how different watchmen look at the streets of Ankh-Morepork. The new ones would would give it a glance, and be in danger because they missed things. The more experienced ones would -look-, checking foreground and background, light and shadows.
The most experienced ones like Sgt. Colon or Nobby would just give it a glance, because they had already seen everything.