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People Are Sharing Their Knowledge On Being “Street Smart”, Here Are 30 Of Their Most Useful Tips
Humans are cautious creatures who avoid ending up in sketchy situations at all costs. But when you find yourself walking in a dimly lit alley or riding the subway late at night, you can't help but feel your senses go on high alert, wondering about things that could potentially save your valuables or even your life.
Reddit user lofisky wanted to find out what they are, so they made a post on Ask Reddit: "People with 'street smarts', what is your most street tip?" Within just a few days, thousands of people took the opportunity to share their precious wisdom and help people ensure their safety even in the most dire situations.
Below, Bored Panda wrapped up some useful pieces of advice and put them all in one place for you to read. So take out your notebook, grab a pen, and write down a thing or two on how to protect yourself against threats. And if you still feel the need for some more street tips, take a look at our previous posts right here and here!
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#1
The most practical self-defence item you can own is a very high-powered flashlight, especially one with a strobe function. Drawing a weapon will always escalate a situation, and may cause any aggressor to fight with lethal force. You also cannot use a weapon pre-emptively except in very clear self-defense scenarios. You can't shoot someone just because they look shifty. You also cannot legally carry them in many places. None of this applies to a flashlight. You can legally and inconspicuously carry it anywhere. You can use it without provocation without legal or moral issue. It is also highly effective. It is incredibly difficult to hit or stab someone who is shining a 1000 lumen strobe light in your face. It can be almost impossible to properly see where that person is, and it will be painful to even look at them. As a bonus, flashlights are just super handy tools to have in day-to-day life.
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#2
If you ever find yourself homeless in a big city but want to keep clean because of job/hygiene standards/whatever, look into gyms in the area. Many of them have very low-cost memberships or even free trials for a certain amount of time. Head on in, get your shower, brush your teeth, and get yourself all cleaned up. Hope it helps anyone who needs it as much as it helped me.
#3
If you're uncomfortable with your surroundings, leave. Your unconscious is often more aware of your surroundings than you'd think. If something you can't figure out is telling you to go, listen to it.
We managed to get in touch with the creator of this thread, lofisky, who was kind enough to have a little chat with us. The user told Bored Panda they often post random questions on Ask Reddit to simply discover new things. This time, they were curious to learn about different tips that could potentially help in a tough situation.
Well, it’s better to be safe than sorry, isn’t it? That’s why so many people seem eager to discover as many helpful tidbits of information as they possibly can. Like being confident and pretending to always be aware of where you're going. Or making sure you know where the exit is at all times. And let’s not forget about confirming the license plate before getting on your ride.
#5
If you are feeling unsafe, find the biggest friendliest person and act like you know them, chances are they will understand, help you out and you'll end up making a friend. Had a group of young men once nod in a targeting manner towards me in a dangerous subway station in SF, the big dude I sat next to, and acted like I knew, was understanding when I explained why I was sitting next to him, we ended up chatting during the subway ride too. Very cool guy.
#6
A red traffic light is just a "traffic suggestion" to some people. Always keep an eye out at intersections for idiots running a red light.
As of today, the thread has amassed more than 59.6K upvotes and 28.6K comments. Plenty of Redditors with "street smarts" shared their precious insights on how to survive in the urban jungle. "I didn’t expect that much attention at all! I’m very glad that so many people took the time to answer my question," the user said.
"I learned that it’s important to be knowledgeable and always be ready for any unexpected situations that may occur at any given time. It was interesting to see what advice different people have to give."
#7
If someone asks you for help. Like 'my car won't start' or, really anything. Don't help them but offer to call someone for them. I learned this ~10 years ago. I had to do a thing in the bad side of town once a week early in the morning. I would get there ~5:00 a.m., they opened at 6:00 but I wanted to get in and out and leave. There were a few other regulars at that time for the same reason. One I befriended was a lady named Kim. We were both there one morning. A couple of guys pulled up in their car ~100' from us. They got out, lifted the hood made some noise, called us over to help them. They were having car troubles. Kim told me to stay where I was, I shrugged and said 'OK'. She walks over, they talk a few minutes, they drive off and she comes back. Kim says "They didn't have car trouble, they were going to rob us". I say "Seriously? No s**t. Why did they drive off then"? Kim says "I showed them the gun in my hand". Then she showed me the gun in her hand. I said "Oh. OK"
#9
Ladies, never leave your drink unattended and don't accept drinks from strangers when you didn't see the drink being made.
This thread serves as proof that some people have minds full of knowledge on how to survive and stay safe while living an urban life. So if you’re living in a quiet and calm neighborhood or come from a distant suburb, there are certain things you need to learn to avoid getting scammed (or worse!) out there in the real world.
According to lofisky, everyone should have a fraction of such knowledge. "I believe having at least a decent amount of 'street smarts' is essential, so you are prepared for any unexpected events that happen in life, and know how to handle potentially dangerous situations."
#10
If someone approaching you says “hey man, I ain’t gonna rob you” - they’re probably gonna try to rob you.
#12
If someone starts to loudly state that they’ve lost their wallet or phone, don’t obviously or immediately go to check on yours in your bag or pocket. It’s a common pickpocket technique to get people to show the pickpockets where their stuff is.
When asked why so many people are always ready to give safety advice, the user believes that most have answered the question through their own backgrounds. They seem to know when to avoid potentially negative situations that even with a favorable outcome might have alarming consequences.
A streetwise person can read between the lines, they know who you can trust, are skilled in the art of self-defense, and have a perfectly working inner [nonsense] radar. "Perhaps they have been through tough times in life and have enough life experience to share their advice with everyone else," lofisky added.
#16
If someone is asking you for help, but you need to follow them around the corner to help them... don't. Politely say you're late to a meeting and keep walking.
The creator of this thread would like to advise you to stay curious. "It’s important to listen to everyone, whoever they are, good or bad. You can always learn from them. Even if it’s just social media like Reddit, never stop learning something new," they concluded.
#18
Men don't ask women for help with moving or fixing things, they ask other men. If a man asks a woman for help moving something, he's probably a creep & you should get out of there as quickly as possible.
#19
If you're in the hood and you see kids playing outside, you're probably safe. If there are a lot of people outside but no kids, be super cautious and walk with a purpose. If it's empty or only teenagers/young adults, get out asap.
#20
If you ever get pulled over at night, immediately turn on all your lights inside your car. In my experience, it tends to relieve whatever tension the officer may have since they can see you a little bit more clearly. Plus it's better than having a flashlight shined in your face.
#21
Always put something between yourself and the ground, even if it's just a piece of cardboard. Especially on asphalt, it absorbs heat and it will feel like it's sucking the life out of you
#22
If you see the car for too long and it’s bothering you? Do something. Spin that block. Drive illogically. If you spin that block, it will have to follow you in an illogical path. It takes a minute to do this and determine a tail. Don’t ever stop, just drive a longer and more illogical route to determine if you’re being followed. If you’re being followed? Don’t go home. Drive to a hospital ER entrance. There’s always security there. They’re used to crazy. And immediate medical attention if something is bad. And cameras. Lots of them. And all cops can get there without looking it up.
#26
Well, If you're traveling, never randomly stop on the sidewalk to consult a map, or appear visibly lost. Duck into a coffee shop or something to orient yourself.
#27
If you see something potentially illegal going on don't look directly at them. Especially if you know that you're not going to be reporting it to the police.
#28
If an attractive woman asks for directions, look for her partner behind you or going into your car to take what they can grab. Typical vacation area scam.
#29
Always get the money upfront. People who want to pay later probably won't and then things can get messy.
#30
Exercise your legs. Although in a bad situation they'll probably feel like wet noodles, if needed you'll be able to run. It will also show in everyday life that you are capable of moving effortlessly. Most people are sluggish and it's not hard to notice.
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