BE AWARE! AVOID DANGER ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
by Bill Kliewer
Bill Kliewer explains how situational awareness and a personal contingency plan can enhance your chance of avoiding or surviving a terrorist attack.
On July 26, 2005, New York City police began conducting random searches of subway passengers’ bags amid security concerns raised by the July 7 London bombings. Officials from the Washington, D.C., transit system went to New York on July 28 to evaluate the new measures for possible use in the capital’s metro.
Considering the difficulties in securing public transportation (the New York City subway carries an estimated 4.5 million riders a day; Washington’s carries about 700,000) the government can provide an overall level of security, while local law enforcement agencies can enhance security with increased vigilance. Ultimately, however, you need to take some responsibility for your own personal security.
The best way is to maintain a heightened level of situational awareness. Being observant of surroundings and people in your vicinity is essential to identifying potential threats and dangerous situations. Although daily commuters will find it tempting to immerse themselves in a book or newspaper to pass the time, it’s a good idea at least to pause long enough to evaluate people as they board at each stop.
While maintaining good situational awareness, you also need to trust your own instincts. On a primal level, people are aware of potential dangers in their environment, although they’re often inhibited from acting on their instincts. Victims of crime or terrorism often state after the fact that they sensed that something was wrong before the attack, but didn’t act on their instincts. They often say that they noticed unusual behavior in the person who attacked them, but didn’t associate it with an immediate danger. The bottom line: Instincts usually prove right — if something feels wrong, it probably is.
When it comes to personal safety in the hustle and bustle of the mass transit system, learn to trust your own radar.
Part of recognizing danger is to know what to look for. The Israeli government has issued a set of guidelines for its security forces to help identify potential suicide bombers that includes:
- People wearing unseasonable warm clothing, such as trench coats.
- People with protruding bulges under their clothing.
- People who are sweating, mumbling, or fidgeting.
- People who are trying to avoid security personnel.
- Young people who appear to be out of place in a certain venue.
In addition, according to some reports, suicide bombers often exhibit an intense stare as they approach the final stages of their mission. They seem to have tunnel vision, being able to see only their intended target.
If you suspect that someone is a suicide bomber, remain calm, take note of the individual, and then contact transit authorities or police as soon as possible and provide a description. Confronting the person — if he or she is a bomber — could result in a premature detonation.
Although the terrorist attacks in London were shocking because they were concentrated on one day and in a few locations, the number of fatalities was minimal. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 67 people died in traffic fatalities in the District of Columbia in 2003 (the last year for which the statistics are available), compared with the 54 commuters killed in the London Underground and bus bombings.
Overall, the U.S. commuter transportation system is safe to use — but situational awareness and a personal contingency plan will enhance your chance of avoiding or surviving a terrorist attack.
Bill Kliewer is a principal with BKCW Insurance Agency, Killeen, TX. You can reach him at (254) 699-7100, e-mail [email protected], or visit http://www.bkcw.com.