Consider it as clear a warning as you well ever read.
This was brought into focus today by a man of Hispanic descent (fuck PC, a border jumping beaner) who took it upon himself to give me a hard stink eye. Fifty or so, he was about 5'8", and a solid 200 lbs. What provoked him I don't know or care. Most likely he hates all gringos and makes himself feel powerful by intimidating them. The look he got back from me was, "Come get some". He kept walking.
So here we have a 70-year old overweight whiter than white Irishman playing macho shit in a Habitat for Humanity parking lot. "Oh, WSF, why couldn't you be the bigger man"?
"Because I'm not, and I don't let high sounding words excuse a lack of guts".
Intimidators, in my experience, are bullies. The only sure way of stopping a bully is convincing them their behavior will result in personal pain. Occasionally, they need the full meal deal. Always, they need to be called on their shit.
In the car business, I dealt with a lot of immigrants from the Middle East, the Balkans and Iran as customers, co-workers and competitors.Almost all were intimidators, liars and unscrupulous.
"Oh, WSF, you are stereotyping".
"Damn right I am".
I've been around a lot of cattle and sheep. Not every Angus bull or Suffolk ram charged me but enough did to make me always aware of where they were.
There is a technique used by good salespeople called visualization anchoring. You play scenarios in your mind over and over then create a physical "anchor". I see myself approaching a customer. I am exuding confidence and friendliness. My head is up, my shoulder back, my stride confident and my visage open. Then I do some physical "anchor" like snapping my finger. I do this over and over, days, weeks, and years. I see a customer. I snap my fingers. Instantly, regardless of what has been happening, I am at full throttle ready to roll.
Using the same technique, I play situational awareness scenarios in my head. I'm in a convenience store. Two or more individuals enter but separate. In my head, where are the exits? What is my move if they approach the cashier from opposite directions with nothing in their hands? Which one is blocking the exit? I do an "anchor" like clenching one fist. Silly, you say? Once I was waiting to pay for my coffee to go when the place was robbed.
More recently I've been doing jihadists attack scenarios in my head. How do I get out of Wally World? Where are exits? Does the Optical Department have an outside door? Where are deliveries made to the fast food concession?
Odds are I will never experience a situation like any of these. I certainly hope so. I also hope I never need to use my fire insurance.
One thing I have decided is, I will not stand by when someone is using intimidation. I will not tolerate it. It is my business, because the more times it works for the asshole, the more they will use it. Something along the lines of "An armed society is a polite society". If we all speak up, if we are all willing to suffer some pain, mental or physical, we can put a stop to this intimidation and all be safer.
As always, YMMV.
6 comments:
Agreed, giving in to the 'intimidation' only breeds more confidence in them. Standing up and NOT cowing will have them thinking...
Exactly.
There's a reason stereotypes are stereotypes. Not every (fill in the blank) is/does (this), but enough of them do to make people associate that particular characteristic/ behavior with a specific group.
That said, go armed and fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.
I like the way you think.
Knowing where the exits are, some would call paranoia. Nowadays it's preparedness.
Paranoids have enemies.
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