Is there really that much difference

[The Night Rider]

Almost every criminal encounter that I've ever had has occurred in a transitional space.

Almost every encounter that I've had with a beggar has either occurred in a Walmart parking lot or a gas station parking lot.

This example is a little different, because I don't know if it was location dependent or or because I was wearing a Security Uniform. I've had people see me in a gas station in uniform either gassing up or getting a gas receipt and go absolutely ballistic on me because I was a Security Guard. Would they have done that if I were standing behind the fence at a utilities site?

There were two times in my "career" that I was assigned to work in a parking garage which is definitely a transitional space. I don't remember anybody going ballistic on me there just because I was wearing a security guard uniform.

So, bottom line, most of the bad experiences with homeless people or people that I think were setting me up to mug me or steal my gun occurred in either a gas station parking lot or Walmart parking lot. Third place goes to the parking lot of the apartments I used to live in.

So when I have to go to any of those places I'm a little bit more on edge I'm actively looking around my surroundings and I try to get in and out as fast as I can and I do things that tend to have worked in the past. I get gas at the outside Island at the pump closest to the edge of the parking lot because it has the best view of my surroundings.

I try really hard not to go to busy gas stations. Unfortunately the one on the way out of town is busier than most.

Anyway I do those things because I have seen them lessen my exposure risk over time.

You do you.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Almost every criminal encounter that I've ever had has occurred in a transitional space.

I don't know if it was location dependent or or because I was wearing a Security Uniform.

Both , seriously .

There were two times in my "career" that I was assigned to work in a parking garage which is definitely a transitional space. I don't remember anybody going ballistic on me there just because I was wearing a security guard uniform.

Different dynamic.

While a parking facility inherently has characteristics of a Transition Zone , * You * weren't transitioning. You were there for a shift / patrol .

Uniformed presence , will have two opposing effects . Small percentage, buy greater than zero , attract the wrath of malfafactors with overriding irrational issues with authority figures .

Most of the time , somewhat rational BG s , would move on to Plan B target area without a visible uniformed presence .