I don't think I've seen any threads on this topic before (at least not recently). I saw a recent thread asking why it was important not to print when carrying concealed though, and I wanted to carry it a step further.
Everyone's heard the old joke about the two squrrel hunters who confront a bear. They start running away and one tells the other, " We should just stop and try to hit it with our .22s, maybe we'll get lucky, there's no way we'll outrun it."
The other says, " I don't need to outrun the bear, I just need to outrun you!"
The first time I heard the term grey man was in reference to SERE school, where it is a survival technique when in captivity. Basically, the idea is not to stand out in any way that would bring attention to yourself. The idea is to blend into the background as much as possible so that you aren't targeted for special attention. The grey man blends into the shadows and is ignored. He is forgotten about and missed when any punishment or penalties are meted out.
Why is this something that is important for us to think about? Well, here's a couple situations where it could be important. It is unfortunately becoming increasingly common for people to be held as hostages/kidnapped by the drug cartels in the areas bordering Mexico or by car jackers in many major urban areas. There have been many bank robberies and terrorist attacks where hostage taking was a key element.
Home invasions as well as robberies that begin as burglaries where the thief thinks he's entering an unoccupied home or business happen all the time.
People are mugged or held up on the street often too. I have a couple thoughts on that. The first is that the grey man doesn't look like a weak target that invites attention, nor does he look like a hard target that might cause an assailant to be more cautious vigilant, and violent in his attack.
I'm reminded of the Seabee years ago that was discovered on a hijacked flight that was killed by the hijackers because (it was speculated) they considered him a greater risk. When I fly I try to remember to keep my military ID in my pocket instead of my wallet, in part, because of this.
Ideally, an attacker would choose a different victim that seems like a more inviting target (i.e. more wealthy, less aware of their surroundings, more susceptible). Since sometimes there's little or nothing one can do to prevent an attack, by not appearing to be a hard target, a thief or robber is less likely to shoot first and just retrieve your wallet from your bleeding body.
Having a bumper sticker or sign on your truck or home that says, "protected by smith and wesson" is advertising that your vehicle is more likely to have a weapon in it and invites it to be broken into.
Can anyone else offer some thoughts on this concept and on ways to minimize your profile?
Everyone's heard the old joke about the two squrrel hunters who confront a bear. They start running away and one tells the other, " We should just stop and try to hit it with our .22s, maybe we'll get lucky, there's no way we'll outrun it."
The other says, " I don't need to outrun the bear, I just need to outrun you!"
The first time I heard the term grey man was in reference to SERE school, where it is a survival technique when in captivity. Basically, the idea is not to stand out in any way that would bring attention to yourself. The idea is to blend into the background as much as possible so that you aren't targeted for special attention. The grey man blends into the shadows and is ignored. He is forgotten about and missed when any punishment or penalties are meted out.
Why is this something that is important for us to think about? Well, here's a couple situations where it could be important. It is unfortunately becoming increasingly common for people to be held as hostages/kidnapped by the drug cartels in the areas bordering Mexico or by car jackers in many major urban areas. There have been many bank robberies and terrorist attacks where hostage taking was a key element.
Home invasions as well as robberies that begin as burglaries where the thief thinks he's entering an unoccupied home or business happen all the time.
People are mugged or held up on the street often too. I have a couple thoughts on that. The first is that the grey man doesn't look like a weak target that invites attention, nor does he look like a hard target that might cause an assailant to be more cautious vigilant, and violent in his attack.
I'm reminded of the Seabee years ago that was discovered on a hijacked flight that was killed by the hijackers because (it was speculated) they considered him a greater risk. When I fly I try to remember to keep my military ID in my pocket instead of my wallet, in part, because of this.
Ideally, an attacker would choose a different victim that seems like a more inviting target (i.e. more wealthy, less aware of their surroundings, more susceptible). Since sometimes there's little or nothing one can do to prevent an attack, by not appearing to be a hard target, a thief or robber is less likely to shoot first and just retrieve your wallet from your bleeding body.
Having a bumper sticker or sign on your truck or home that says, "protected by smith and wesson" is advertising that your vehicle is more likely to have a weapon in it and invites it to be broken into.
Can anyone else offer some thoughts on this concept and on ways to minimize your profile?