Thread: My Awareness Experience

Last night I went out of town, to a local city to visit a friend. That friend lives in a busy part of a nearby city ad with it being Saturday, a lot of people were out at bars and clubs.

Anyway, my friend, who happens to be female and her friend wanted to go for a walk. This is where it gets interesting.

The streets were pretty crowded and I felt a little uncomfortable. I wasn't being paranoid, It just didn't feel right, especially because people would often end up leaving a bar, and walking directly behind us for a distance. Anyway, I kept an eye out, looking into doorways and alleys and behind parked cars, as well as surveying anyone within range.

The first ''threat'' I seen was on the opposite side of the street. He appeared to be a homeless person. The first thing I noticed was that he had stopped walking and bent down. I looked to see why and notice he is picking up a screwdriver. I'm a little worried now. Then this guys looks at us, staring us down. I wasn't sure what he was doing, but it appeared he was talking to himself. As we continued walking, he screamed something and stabbed the screwdriver into a nearby tree while still eying us down. I thought for sure he was going to cross the street but luckily he continued walking.

We walked for a bit and one of the women said that she had to pee. We stopped a fast food restaurant. She went in while myself and the other woman waited outside. Ad we waited by the corner of the building (bad choice I know), a drunken man staggers around the corner and growls at us.

In my experience, the best way to deal with a drunk is to engage them in conversation and to try to agree with what they say and keep them happy.

I said hello and the man growled again. Then he spoke, asking me for a cigarette. Since I don't smoke, I told him politely that I didn't have one and agreed with him that it sucked I didn't. He continued making growling noises, then asking if I had a woman for him while looking at me female friend. I laughed, trying to keep him happy while stating that I didn't. He continued growling, then sitting on the ground, roughly two feet in front of us. Shortly after, my other friend left the restaurant and we headed home.

So I ask, what would you have done in my two situations and what did I do wrong?

It is always hard to say what one would do in a particular circumstance. Personally, If I were in a bad mood, I might have ended up clocking the drunk.

Then again, what you did satisfied the goal. You avoided confrontation.. Kudos..