split second decisions that can make the difference between life and death.. safety

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There are a few things I've experienced that made me have an 'aha' moment with safety.  I'd like to talk about my top 5 AHA moments from experts that made a big difference in changing my personal perception in possible dangerous situations.  Most of us have heard basic things like don't yell 'help' if your being attacked because people hesitate when it comes to getting involved in a dangerous or physical scuffle, it's better to yell 'fire' because people are usually concerned with protecting personal property like houses and cars.  Sad but true.

I'm a big fan of Gavin de Becker author, security specialist for governments, corporations and individuals.  I've had 3 major AHA moments concerning a few of Ganvins points he is famous for talking about.  He feels most people second guess their instincts in dangerous situations.  Becker wrote a book about this very subject titled, The Gift of Fear.  It's an eye opening read to which I've had several AHA moments.

#1 The elevator aha moment: 

Becker discusses an woman facing an elevator moment St. Francis College (2013, September 19). Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNtXjIiJ0PU&t=1085s:

Imagine a woman last at night.  She is on the tenth floor.  And she pushes the button for an elevator.  And the elevator comes and the doors open and there is a man inside that causes her fear.  It might be the look of him or what he is wearing or the context.  Whatever it may be, we don't need to know.  She has a feeling of fear.  What does she do?  She says, I don't want to the the type of person who does not get into an elevator and reacts to fear.  I don't want to the the kind of person who is afraid all the time.  So, she gets into a steel sound proof chamber with someone she is afraid of.  And there is not another animal in nature that would ever consider such a thing.  My aha moment is I will never look at elevators the same.  And I will not enter one again if I feel fear.

#2 The instinct to run aha moment:

Gavin de Becker has appeared on many Oprah shows in the past.  On one of Gavins appearances he asked the audience if a gazelle in the wild hears a noise behind it would it decide to ignore the sound because it would be rude to run away?  Or, would it listen to its instincts and run?  Its a question that makes one ponder how many times you may have ignored your own better judgement for the sake of 'not being rude.'

#3 The ignoring danger aha moment:

Becker recollects a past experience in his book, 'The Gift of Fear' that he was speaking at a college.  It was a large auditorium filled with students.  After Becker finished his talk it was question and answer time.  There was a male student sitting in the first row who raised his hand.  When Becker called on him the student placed a briefcase on his desk in front of him and said he brought a gun to school today and planned on killing some people.  After announcing this he he tilted his case to the right and left causing it to make a sound showing there was in fact something heavy inside.  Was it a gun?  No one knew.  Some students laughed shifting nervously in their seats while others  slowly got up and quietly exited the room.  When the student opened the briefcase it was plan to see there was only a book inside.  This begs the question why didn't more people exit the auditorium if there may have been a gun inside the briefcase?  Was it better to sit in their seat or flee to safety?

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There is another man close to my heart by the name of Sanford Strong who served as a police officer for 20 years and is a survival expert.  I remember watching this Oprah show, How to protect yourself against an attacker when it aired in 1991.  To be honest I don't remember anything about this show except for one part only.  He said something that would stick with me through the years to this day that I will not forget.

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The Oprah Winfrey Show (2015, August 3). The oprah winfrey show, Aha! 20 Years Of Lessons [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC6sirSLCsk

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#4 my Sanford Strong survival aha moment:

I sat glued to the couch watching Strong on the stage jump out of his chair and walk towards the audience full of women direct eye contact with several of them.  Then Strong turned glaring the camera down pointing at the lens while referring to attackers and I quote, Never allow them to take you somewhere else.  Never!  If anyone watching this program has never drawn the line.  You better make it when they decide to move you from crime scene number 1 to crime scene number 2.  This had the affect of changing my perception and the way I viewed everything I was told before about what to do in survival situations.

#5 fear the isolated crime scene B aha moment:

Equally as important a safety expert make a statement backing up Strongs claim from another Oprah show, This Show Could Save Your Life 1994.  The expert was outside at a bus stop on a busy street.  The expert stated, I could rob them here.  If I take them to a secondary crime scene to a place where I have more control she's at least going to get raped.  This aha moment drove home the fact that the isolated second crime scene area needs to be avoided at all cost because the victim is unfamiliar with crime scene B, the attacker has more control and because no one else will know the victims location.

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VIDEOS ON SAFETY SURVIVAL WORTH WATCHING

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• The Gift of Fear
• Gavin de Becker's Safety Tip for Women
• Gavin de Becker, The Gift of Fear