I'm very concerned with the way I felt - - -

treeguy64

treeguy64

Hari Om, y'all!
Location
Austin, TX.
- - - yesterday, during a visit to my local Social Security office.

To explain: I arrived at this office an hour before it opened. There were four people already in line. After another ten minutes, this other fellow queued up, next to me. He was a few inches taller than me, slim build, dark skin, Indian or Arabic. Thing was, he had on this large, black backpack. As he stood next to me, he shifted the backpack to hang across his chest. He also started messing about with one of his pants pockets. I could see his company ID tag hanging from the bottom of his shirt, into his pocket, so I told myself that was what he was fumbling with. Important, though: I wasn't sure! I began looking for an escape route that I'd head for as soon as I heard the first, "Allahu," and figured I might be able to get to the far side of this brick pillar before anything exploded. I felt uncomfortable, to say the least. I actually came very close to simply trying another day. Then, I decided I would engage this guy in conversation. I couldn't stand to just let things happen. As it turned out, he was a nice guy, a fine fellow.

So, I'm obviously a product of my environment, and the times we all live in. As I watch this middle school girl pass my house, each weekday, in full, black, Arabic dress, including the slit for just her eyes, I cannot help but wonder where this world is heading.

Are any of you feeling a similar paranoia, these days? I am angry at myself, trust me, for what was going through my head, yesterday morning, but I'm forced to admit that events of the past twenty years, or so, have obviously changed me in ways I don't like.
 

I don't have any specific instances to report, but when I'm in a public place my eyes are constantly roaming, I speed up if I see anyone walking toward me. Fie example, my apt complex is doing roofing & I'm tired of seeing so many strange guys & trucks all the time. I don't feel like I can relax my vigilance for a second, unless I'm with family which isn't often. I only manage to turn it off to sleep at night by doing a certain meditation. I didn't used to be like that. Felt I could handle anything.
 
9/11 changed everything.

We've been told time and again, "If you see something, say something".
As long as we don't let the fears lock us in the house, we're going to be alright.

I like what you did TG. You allayed your nervousness and brightened another person's day.
 

Once again, I agree with Aunt Bea. With all that's going on in the world, I don't think we can help feeling like Treeguy did. I would have had the same feelings, I'm sure. Nowdays it's particularly important to be aware of our surroundings.
 
I also agree with Aunt Bee. For me personally, I'm more afraid of driving nowadays with all the road rage insanity. It's a crazy world out there and we are all better off paying attention to surroundings.
 
I agree with the others Treeguy, you did very well to strike up a conversation with him, ease your mind and find him to be a nice guy. Right after 9/11 I was a little paranoid, especially when having to take a plane flight somewhere, but I think a lot of us felt that way and it was to be expected.

I'm okay now with folks around me no matter where they're from or how they are dressed, I've had no bad experiences and assume they're just regular people like I am, not looking to do anyone harm, just going about their business, none of them have shown me otherwise.

I do agree with Aunt Bea about being aware of your surroundings, I've tried to do that for years in case something funny is going on, it doesn't take me by surprise. Kudos for acting in a measured and reasonable way, you would have felt much worse if you let your concerns get the best of you and left the line to go home. You would have always wondered, 'what if'.

Like C'est Moi, I see a lot of aggressive drivers on the roads and that does concern me these days. I just try to drive defensively, stay aware of other vehicles around me, expect someone to be distracted by their cell phone or something, and hope for the best.
 
We (State Police) have been preaching this for years. The world has become a dangerous place and we all need to be hyper-vigilant. If anyone ever sees anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, never be afraid or hesitant to call your local police. Just two years ago while on duty and just before my retirement, I receive a call that a neighbor called in and reported a truck at a neighbor's house that the neighbor and his wife were supposed to be on vacation. As he walked by, he asked the two men what's up? They told him that they were to pick up their furniture for reupholstering.

After I arrived and checked everything out, it was all OK, but it could have easily went the other way. The neighbor apologized for bothering us. I told him that he did not bother us. He did the right thing and to keep calling when ever he sees something suspicious. His neighbor should have forewarned him that there would be someone stopping by to pick up his furniture for reupholstering.

There was another incident a few years before when a man was sitting in front of a house for an extended period of time, so he calls the cops. Another Trooper and myself arrived at about the same time. The other Trooper radios me to sit while he investigates. Fast forward........The man in the car was casing the house because the family was on vacation. He was waiting on his brother to arrive to help him heist the place. His brother was late due to car trouble. Luck was on our side. We rely on stupidity sometimes to prevent crimes from happening.
 
An incident last year at a gas station in which a young, attractive white female verbally attacked an elderly black lady shook me up to the point that I took a handgun class and got an enhanced concealed carry permit. We're scientifically classified as animals; we atavistically profile those different from us to some degree. But in that case, the girl was my race and did not look at all threatening until her face contorted with rage and she opened her foul mouth.
 
Gary O' said:
Not good, whatever the individual looks like.

Ours has an officer that checks us in

He'd have had to check that bag
Click to expand...

An armed officer watched us all, as we filed in, once the doors opened. I didn't see what happened with that backpack fellow. I was relieved to get in and go my own way.

What got me a little tense was when the guy put the backpack on, backwards, with the pack, itself, across his chest, as he took his place in line, prior to our going inside. Add his fiddling around in his pocket, and my mind was racing.
 
You handled that situation really well. I probably would have come back another day if I had even noticed. I'm usually in my own little world when I'm out shopping or running errands. I need to be more mindful of what is going on around me.

A little off topic, I did have a scare last month. I put an item up on the Market Place on Facebook. The item is stored in our basement. Two men arrived to buy the item. I took them downstairs and while they were looking the item over I noticed how young, tall and very strong they both were. They could have taken me out in a heartbeat. So very stupid of me. I'll not do something like that again.
 
Ruth n Jersey said:
You handled that situation really well. I probably would have come back another day if I had even noticed. I'm usually in my own little world when I'm out shopping or running errands. I need to be more mindful of what is going on around me.

A little off topic, I did have a scare last month. I put an item up on the Market Place on Facebook. The item is stored in our basement. Two men arrived to buy the item. I took them downstairs and while they were looking the item over I noticed how young, tall and very strong they both were. They could have taken me out in a heartbeat. So very stupid of me. I'll not do something like that again.
Click to expand...

Yow! Definitely don't do that, again. I'm glad nothing happened. Any time I sell on Craigslist, I arrange to meet in a public parking lot, in broad daylight, and even then, my buddy is close at hand.
 
I never worry about backpacks or stuff like that, but I do watch for strangers in the neighborhood. I’m pretty much the only one home during the day so I feel an obligation for the neighbors. Only had to call once when a neighbors door remained open for too long. Police came, checked the house, and shut and locked the door.

Seems they just neglected to close it in their hurry to get to work.
 


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