First Off…

It is a damn shame that any human being has to take the time to seriously write an article with the above title, but the world does not conform to decency and honor at all times, so here we are. The chosen environments for the majority of suicide bombings (crowded venues) and the added aspect of the scum not caring at all about being able to leave the scene of the crime alive make specific measures and predictions extremely tough to implement.

There are a few general guidelines to keep in mind. We will divide these into three tiers: 80/20 Scanning, Alarmed But Uncertain, Full-On.

80/20 Scanning

If you are in any crowded venue, whether it be at a sporting event, concert, farmer’s market, airport, mall… hell, anywhere where good people congregate to go about their business living and having fun, we’ve got to admit that there is always the possibility that bad things could potentially happen.

This is not me advocating for the shunning of all events that draw crowds or telling you to live scared, it is quite the contrary. I am urging everyone to use a bit of Pareto’s 80/20 Principle. What I mean by this is that you should place 80% of your attention on the fun at hand and allow 20% of your attention/time be devoted to vigilantly scanning your surroundings. In other words, pay attention, to everything.

Approach the event like a springbok might would a watering hole on the Serengeti– a place to slake thirst, mingle with other springbok, maybe get the cute one’s number, but always keep in mind that there may be a lion in the bushes or a crocodile in the shallows. Drink the water, mingle, have fun, but stay awake.

General Scanning Rules

Look for backpacks and large bags. Many venues ban these, some do not. Your job/my job/our job is to look for any backpacks or large bags in the venue, and if we see them, report them if they prohibited at the event. If they are permitted, allow yourself to do a bit of profiling of the backpack wearer or bag-holder. Look for intention signaling.

What those signals might be, we’ve discussed in many other articles in the past, so I’m sure you are already aware of intention signals at this point. We add to our luck by staying awake and aware. With remaining awake and aware in mind–PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY! It is impossible to be in the here and now when a tiny screen has captured your undivided attention. Being glued to your phone means that you not only miss your snowball’s chance in hell of spotting trouble, but you are less than fully present at the event you presumably freely chose (and paid) to attend. Putting the phone away is a win-win.

Alarmed But Uncertain

Obviously, if we see something, we say something, but this is where we get a little dark and perhaps even a little Machiavellian. Let’s presume we see something a little odd, but not quite odd enough to set off any alarms. We’ve seen something that gets our gut going but we’ve got no real actionable “tell” that we can point to. We want to pay a bit closer attention while at the same time playing it safe rather than sorry.

I’m going to say something mighty obvious and a bit self-preserving here. The further you are from a bomb-blast, the greater your odds of survival are and the lower your chances of being severely injured are. No-brainer, right? Even darker– The more people between you and the suicide bomber, the greater your survival odds are.

With these uncertain tells in mind, I am advocating that you to remove yourself from the immediate area of possible-concern. By all means, keep your eye on whatever has you concerned and if the tells escalate, give alarm NOW. If your tell-signal diminishes, well, nobody but you, and those in your charge know that you were silently using the crowd as shields.

Full-On.

We’re in full-on hell here. If we have failed to spot the threat and are close to the epicenter of the blast, well, fortune will do what it does. If there is a split-second between “Oh, shit this is going down” and the actual triggering of the device, here is your snowball’s chance in hell protocol: Hit the deck IMMEDIATELY.

These devices are meant to fragment and/or send projectile material through human flesh. Whether this material be nuts, bolts, ball-bearings, etc., dispersal physics say that the vast majority of this material will go up, down, and outward. Your job is to create the smallest profile in this dispersal cloud.

So, with that in mind…

1. Hit the deck!
2. Point the soles of your feet toward the scumbag bomber. You create the smallest profile possible and have the best chance of protecting your vitals in this position.
3. Cross your legs to ensure an even smaller profile and decrease the likelihood that the blast will catch a splayed leg and shear it.
4. Go facedown, hands over your head and ears, fingers interlaced, with elbows tucked to sides over ribs. Again, protect your vitals.
5. Close your eyes tight.
6. Open your mouth. This is counter-intuitive, but this tactic is to help equalize the pressure of the bomb blast. Opening your mouth can reduce your chances of suffering ruptured eardrums and lungs.

Drills

“Never do anything for the first time in combat.”

It is not enough for us to merely read an article and nod our head and think to ourselves, “Good idea.” We must put it into practice. We can and should be drilling awareness/alertness every single day of our lives.

When it comes to the Full-On Survival Posture I recommend hitting it right now. Hit the deck and assume the position. If you’re really serious, over the course of the next week, give a tennis ball to your family members and ask them to do you a favor. Over the next seven days, a couple of times per day at least, tell them to toss the ball onto the floor of the room you’re in, in the front yard while your trimming the hedges, anywhere and anytime that you aren’t really thinking about it.

Tell them to catch you unaware. Treat where the ball lands as the bomber’s position and hit the deck and assume the position. If we’re lucky, two things will happen with the Drill Week:

1. Your friends and family members have a laugh making your lunge for the ground for seven days.
2. You never, ever need such dire advice.

Peace, love, and harmony to the good and kind!
Death to villains!

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