We look around, but what about UP?

[Lewis128]

Also, there's a reason hunters spend so much on camo even when using a tree stand. A grown man in a tree is going to stand out like a sore thumb in all but the lowest of low light conditions.
Plus, You have a very limited area of attack perched in a tree. The added danger to the attacker, limited area of attack, high exposure to detection and avoidance, do not add up to a good opportunity.

It might be viable if the perp has an intended victim with a very predictable routine and the jogging path happens to afford the best chance of isolating the individual. But that wouldn't be a crime of opportunity. That would require a good deal of work effort and skill. Plus premeditation.

A jogging path attack would be more likely from a fellow "jogger" than ninjas jumping out of trees.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ArkhmAsylm]

We used to have raccoon for a pet and three apple trees. My father used to have us throw all of the fallen apples into the field before mowing the lawn so they wouldn't hurt the lawn mower.

The darned raccoon would very sneakily climb the apple tree you were working under and throw apples down on your head OR jump on you himself if he thought you were close enough...

Both of our adopted cats have been guilty of kamikaze behavior since they've been with us.

I started watching the skies well before I started carrying!

[MattInFla]

It's a serious problem down under:

[Phoenixx6]

Both of our adopted cats have been guilty of kamikaze behavior since they've been with us.

I started watching the skies well before I started carrying!

My last day working at a zoo, walking out the back gate to the parking lot a bird swooped down and struck me in the head. I didn't even know what had happened for a minute until another worker said it was common enough occurance for people walking past that tree.

Come to Iraq and do a few convoys! You will look high and low, 5 and 25 and 100, and all sorts of different directions. It's not terribly hard to add the extra degrees into the head-on-a-swivel part. When driving do you look at the overpass? You should, sometimes cops sit up there. They sit up there specifically because people usually aren't paying attention to what's going on up there. Soldiers are looking for kids with Russian made shape charge hand grenades. Everyone wants neither cops nor handgrenades on their overpasses.
Like others have said, hyper-vigillance = anti-bueno but alert to whats going on above eye level isn't bad.

I think the ones most likely to come from above are usually the good guys, SWAT and the like, when going after the bad guys; top floor down being easier than bottom floor up usually. To me, a parking garage makes the most sense for a BG to try and use quickly moving from a higher level to a lower to surprise a victim and then after robbing, etc continue quickly moving down the levels to make an escape. Coming from a tree sounds a bit too Robin Hood-esque to me, and I doubt any modern BG is giving what he takes to poor innocents.

[dukalmighty]

With my luck if I look up at a tree I'm just gonna get squirrel poop on my lip

[deadguy]

wow. This thread has exposed more people that are stressed and paranoid about being stressed out and paranoid over being aware of their surroundings.

[pica]

I tend to agree we're in America folks bad guys are not going to ambush you from a tree. Especially, since hiding behind the tree has the same effect and is easier. Driving is one thing, but I'm not worried about the threat from above in CONUS.

[DaRedneck]

It's a well known fact, ninjas love to attack from trees.

[deadguy]

What would Gecko45 say?

[atctimmy]

What would Gecko45 say?

He would say you are super cool for having brought up a subject so near and dear to his heart.

[deadguy]

He would say you are super cool for having brought up a subject so near and dear to his heart.

Lol. And be mad at the same time because I outed one of his tactics.

[kelcarry]

Thank you Rotorblade for your initial comment and I apologize deadguy for making light of a potential what if. Hey it could be Rambo coming out of the mud and water with his combat knife. Even your reply to Rotorblade is still insisting on this potential what if---it is just the idea that these are thoughts that you actually have and find it necessary to express. I try not to make light of many what ifs and comments but I always have thoughts about the degree to which forum members express their threads and replies. I am sure much of it is just because you can submit it easily on the computer and solicit replies but sometimes I find the comments to have a serious "feel" to them and I actually feel sorry that there are members out there who are almost consumed about SD and firearms that seems to be the guiding force in their lives. I do not fault them and did not find this thread to be in that category, but I sure can feel badly for members who feel that way and live accordingly.

[deadguy]

Thank you Rotorblade for your initial comment and I apologize deadguy for making light of a potential what if. Hey it could be Rambo coming out of the mud and water with his combat knife. Even your reply to Rotorblade is still insisting on this potential what if---it is just the idea that these are thoughts that you actually have and find it necessary to express. I try not to make light of many what ifs and comments but I always have thoughts about the degree to which forum members express their threads and replies. I am sure much of it is just because you can submit it easily on the computer and solicit replies but sometimes I find the comments to have a serious "feel" to them and I actually feel sorry that there are members out there who are almost consumed about SD and firearms that seems to be the guiding force in their lives. I do not fault them and did not find this thread to be in that category, but I sure can feel badly for members who feel that way and live accordingly.

Kel your opinions are fine with me. Yes I posted it because I thought of it and it could lead to some good points in the discussion of a different "what if". My SA doesn't consume my life. Its simply another aspect of it. A glance up at a tree when walking at 4am is as easy as a glance at 9 or 3 o'clock. No stress involved, for me anyway.

BTW Lima, I checked out the trees and some of them are climbable, but the majority aren't. All of them are conducive to raccoon and possum infestation, though. :).

[oakchas]

Well, thanks for the "heads up."

I tend to be of the school of thought that known criminals aren't the sharpest tools in the box. And, I think they're generally lazy.

Let's put it this way:

1. Probably a very dangerous place to work, the local stop and rob convenience store.

Most all of them have drop safes to which the employees do not have access. Likely less than $100.00 in the drawer. An 8 hour a day job at minimum wage would gross $58.00 a day. Stupid criminal must hit one stop and rob every 48 hours to gross as much on average.

And, look up your local crime stats. How often are convenience stores hit in your area? By the same guys? So, ain't no criminals making a living by robbing convenience stores.

2. Let's look at street robbery. How often does this occur in your neck of the woods?

It should be in your newspaper, and unless you live in a big city like Chicago, or St. Louis, etc. It doesn't happen that often either. And certainly not by the same criminal over a period of time. What does the criminal hope to gain in a street robbery? A hundred bux? How often do you carry that much cash? Okay so he get's your cards... one call and they're canceled. He ain't gonna make a living doing that either.

So, ain't nobody making a living doing that, either.

3. Okay, so now let's find the criminal who thinks you are his ATM...

He needs cash in a hurry. Thievery is not his usual mode of getting cash. But for some reason today, he needs to get some quick cash to take his moll on a date. That means it's gotta be convenient, and quick. Quickest way to get money from you is to run up on you from behind and knock you down and take your wallet.

No tree involved.

4. Now, find me an incidence of a criminal jumping out of a tree.

Coming out of the bushes, maybe. From behind a dumpster, possibly. But out of a tree? Nah. They're too lazy to get a minimum wage job that would pay more than their possible scores from convenience stores and street robberies.

Could it happen? In a war zone, sure.

That doesn't stop me from looking around and enjoying the scenery (including upward), wherever I am. But I ain't looking for no thugs in ghillie suits in trees. And if they ain't wearing ghillie suits, they're gonna stick out like the idiots they are.

I did have a personal friend who saw a couple of youngsters on a hiway overpass with a bowling ball once. She drove up the embankment to the bridge, caught the kids and offered them an ultimatum... "Take me to your parents, or I take you to the precinct house." (happened in the 60's before all the cages on the overpasses). They chose the former, and both kids (under 12 years old) got whuppins from their parents before she left each house. True story that, happened on the Dan Ryan in Chitown.

I still carry... nearly every day. But tree apes ain't on my list of concern.

Sorry to be so snide. But, c'mon... leaping thugs?

[claude clay]

Thank you Rotorblade for your initial comment and I apologize deadguy for making light of a potential what if. Hey it could be Rambo coming out of the mud and water with his combat knife. Even your reply to Rotorblade is still insisting on this potential what if---it is just the idea that these are thoughts that you actually have and find it necessary to express. I try not to make light of many what ifs and comments but I always have thoughts about the degree to which forum members express their threads and replies. I am sure much of it is just because you can submit it easily on the computer and solicit replies but sometimes I find the comments to have a serious "feel" to them and I actually feel sorry that there are members out there who are almost consumed about SD and firearms that seems to be the guiding force in their lives. I do not fault them and did not find this thread to be in that category, but I sure can feel badly for members who feel that way and live accordingly.

training and having the skills to be a good driver is no different than
training and having the skills to carry a gun.

if you want to be an average driver--get in an accident ever 5 or so years cause--you didn't even see it coming
or carry a gun cause you think having it will save you even though you do not pay all that much attention all that much of the time...
don't worry, be happy.

those who equate being observant with stress are either missing the point ( way wide) or have some other under lying condition
and those who equate being prepared with being paranoid are similarly missing the point. way wide and otherwise.