Only one thing makes the difference between those who survive and those who fall victims of a terrorist attack and that’s the situational awareness. Playing dumb about the potential threat is just that – being unbelievable dumb.
Can it happen? Sure. Will it happen? Nobody can tell with 100% certainty. But the fact that it may happen already calls for the adjustment of your responses if you’re planning to spend the New Year’s Eve among the crowd.
The following can be observed as the survival crash course in case of a sudden terrorist attack in the center of the large urban area.
Outdoor mass gatherings
These are the preferred targets because those power-thirsty fucks think their “message” is broadcasted most efficiently if they blow up a couple of dozen innocent civilians out on the open. If they plan something, they’ll focus on western capital’s famous squares. Simple improvised IED can blast away more than 30 people. A bit more complex stuff and body count rise exponentially.
What to pay attention to?
Nervous individuals wearing backpacks are probably things of the past since they draw too much attention. Winter time allows thick and long clothes and under those clothes, it’s easy to fix the explosive west.
But one other overlooked modus operandi should be taken into account and that’s the presence of the nervous individuals trying to drive a bike (bicycle) into the crowd. Now, a bike can be stuffed with a couple of pounds of military explosive and wired to the biker’s hands. He/she can let go of the handles or simply press the break and that’s it.
But how do you notice something like that?
If you walk around with your nose ripping through the clouds or dragging over the sidewalk, you’ll see shit. But if you keep your head straight and mind focused on the stuff that doesn’t normally “fits” into the environment, you’ll see the fucker long before the shit hits the fan.
It’s called situational awareness and it saves lives on daily bases.
You already know how the normal situation looks like. Everything that sticks out demands your immediate attention and quick analyses. It doesn’t mean that you’ll start yelling Bomb! Bomb! immediately because it may easily be someone in a hurry. When frightened, people tend to over exaggerate. Stay cool and calm and your reaction will be outstanding. Allow panic to influence your decision-making process and you’ll either drop dead or make the fool out of yourself.
So how do you “move” to spot the danger in time?
Every square has at least 3 streets (alleys) that act as the main vessels. Your job is to find the spot from which you have a clear view of each. In the case of Times Square, for instance, this is impossible to do. So your most promising option is to stay on the edge of the mass because perp will try to penetrate as deeper as possible before he activates his final measure (IED).
Understand that this is not some kind of the rule because you never know if they perhaps decided to encircle the group and fire automatic weapon. But even in this scenario, you have far better survival chances if you are at the edge because you can retreat indoors through the glass window or doors.
- When in group, scan. Scan 360° as the midnight approaches because that’s the most likely “timing” of the terrorist attack.
- Secure your flanks if you’re at the edge of the mass!
- If you’re somewhere inside the mass and someone starts spraying death all around you, get down on the ground and cover yourself with the first dead body you see.
- If you’re about to run, stay low and change directions swiftly and constantly. Moving in that fashion prevents becoming a sitting duck.
Indoor events
As you could see from the Paris example, indoors terrorist attack can make the most damage because people can’t get away that fast.
Who survived? Those who were closest to the secondary (auxiliary) exits.
And that’s your preferred spot. Find the farthest exit point from the entrance and make it yours. You’re looking around anyway, trying to assess every single woman in there so just add the usual suspect on your list of researches and you’ll be fine.
It works pretty simple. First you check that lovely piece of ass and after imagining how it would feel to stick your head between those legs, lift your head and take a look around the edges of the room with the particular focus on the entrance!
This is how you survive. You notice the shit before it starts to smell and move away. Because the best method to avoid punch is to not be there! Remember that and you’ll save yours and couple of more lives in a process.
