Walmart and safety personal experience

djgarcia wrote:

horton333 wrote:
Is a panhandler dangerous, or just broke?
If this is the worst that has happened Walmart camping then it seems pretty safe to me.

Just curious, how would you determine the difference????

I have seen the difference several times. Most "panhandlers" (folks asking for spare change, money, food) aren't dangerous. I live in a "bad neighborhood". I have had panhandlers approach my house - they look for folks who are outside or whose doors are open. They tend to be polite. They very much tend to stay out of your "personal space zone" - they stay back from the door and/or you until you give them the go ahead to move in closer for the handout. They can show up at any time day or night, but won't be knocking on doors of darkened houses, they'll be looking for folks who are up at that time of night.

I have had "dangerous" people approach my house - they look for houses that appear empty, no neighbors outside, they tend to walk right up to the door and knock loudly, they ask for things that are likely to get them inside the house (used to be "can I use your phone") or that will give them insight as to what you might have of value in the house (questions that will have you walk to your purse, computer, etc.). They are far more likely to get just outside your "personal space zone" right at the start. They do tend to back off quickly if they see another person or a large dog come over to the door with you. They tend to come around during the daytime because they are less likely to be seen as a threat then. If they do come around at night, they tend to look for darkened houses.


One extra note: I have heard suggested many times that you should have a large dog bowl, mens shoes, etc. just outside your door (and the always popular "recording of a dog barking") so the "bad guy" will think you have a big mean dog and/or a big strong husband at your side. Those DO NOT work. It is really easy to tell within 2 seconds of knocking on the door whether there is a big dog or big man there. Seriously. It is worth the knock - if a big man speaks out or a dog starts barking (and YES, you CAN tell the difference between real and recorded), the bad guy just leaves; if not, it can actually do more harm because it makes you appear scared and weak to have to resort to such tricks. You're better off learning how to talk in a confident and competent manner and learning self defense, having an established "what to do in case of an emergency" escape plan, etc.