Situational Awareness: Anyone have tricks for picking up details?

[Nathan_Bell]

I have several friends who are Hunters, note the capital H, and I am forever amazed at the details they pick up when traveling down rural roads or just being outdoors with them. They really do not seem to be trying at all, they just see these things.
Hunter; while driving down a f#*$ed up Ohio back road at 50+ mph "Dang, that was a big fox back there, you see it?" or "Did you see how much spread that buck's rack had?"

I know how they are in posession of this skill, they grew up with uncles, dads and older brothers who would tell them what to look for and how to spot it. Gave them little tests and tricks to make your mind work at cataloging the critters and the woods.

How does one get to this level of awareness and unconscious skill for keeping tabs on the two legged? I generally have a pretty good idea of what is going on around me, but I know that if I do not tell myself to pay attention. I go into the SA of a zombie.

I am looking for tricks and drills like my Hunter buddies did and do to let the scanning and cataloging of things go on in the background, without them even realizing it or having to consciously decide to look for critters.

[C4IGrant]

I have several friends who are Hunters, note the capital H, and I am forever amazed at the details they pick up when traveling down rural roads or just being outdoors with them. They really do not seem to be trying at all, they just see these things.
Hunter; while driving down a f#*$ed up Ohio back road at 50+ mph "Dang, that was a big fox back there, you see it?" or "Did you see how much spread that buck's rack had?"

I know how they are in posession of this skill, they grew up with uncles, dads and older brothers who would tell them what to look for and how to spot it. Gave them little tests and tricks to make your mind work at cataloging the critters and the woods.

How does one get to this level of awareness and unconscious skill for keeping tabs on the two legged? I generally have a pretty good idea of what is going on around me, but I know that if I do not tell myself to pay attention. I go into the SA of a zombie.

I am looking for tricks and drills like my Hunter buddies did and do to let the scanning and cataloging of things go on in the background, without them even realizing it or having to consciously decide to look for critters.

I personally believe that TRUE SA (whether hunting animals or people) is something that some people are just plain born with. To prove my point, my 4yr old (Ryan) has much better SA than my wife (luv ya honey if you are reading this). Ryan will point out things to my wife all the time, that she just does not see (trains, ambulances, fire trucks, animals, etc). When he is in the car, his head is on a swivel scanning the area for something of interest. I am the same way.

I do believe however, that you can increase your SA with practice. Driving and looking for animals is very good practice and helps keep you alert while behind the wheel.


C4

[Heavy Metal]

Driving and looking for animals is very good practice and helps keep you alert while behind the wheel.

It is also good for keeping your insurance rates down.

[Impact]

my Situational Awareness increased a lot when I started learning Self Defense 10 years ago.

[Robb Jensen]

Don't think, just observe.

[mark5pt56]

Like animals, just know what's "not natural" "what is out of place"

Filter through that to determine what matters and prioritize them.

[gyp_c2]

...mirror scan...
1.5 seconds ahead
1.5 seconds left mirror
1.5 seconds ahead
1.5 seconds right mirror
1.5 seconds ahead

You should start to notice things very quickly in the areas you observe...
After some practice and variance in use, with respect to obstacles and threats on the road, you may find some other uses for it...you'll certainly be a better driver no matter what...

[Heavy Metal]

The first thing is to learn to key in on movement. Then learn to pick up on what is out of the ordinary.

[babaracus]

I still remember the exercises from my driving instructor. To pass, we had to verbalize every observation we made and miss no more than 5-7 in 30 minutes. "rear view mirror check", "scan under parked vehicle left for pets and children", "scan driveway for activity", "move right at crest of hill" etc. Riding a motorcycle or bicycle will definitely heighten your awareness. Constant scanning, lane position, planning escape routes, and improving visibility are necessary for safety.

If there is an orienteering club in your area, that may be a good way to build this skill. Have you asked your buddies to take you out and help you learn what they already know?

As mentioned before, taking time to observe people would be good practice at a mall, park, or parking lot. What looks right and what doesn't. Where are exits, entrances, lighting, vehicles, behaviors, etc. Just don't be the creepy guy on the bench!

[John_Wayne777]

YMMV, but here's my 2 cents:

If you want to build your ability to notice things, start noticing things. Next time you are in traffic, for instance, start deliberately noticing things. What's the license plate on that dark blue Honda? What is the driver wearing? How old is he/she? Are there any distinguishing marks on his/her face? What color cell phone are they using? (of COURSE they are on a f**king cell phone when they are supposed to be driving...)

It takes deliberate effort at first, but you can eventually develop the ability to do this on an almost instinctual level.

This kind of thought process is how police officers often find busts. I've known officers who have known that someone in a car had a bunch of dope simply because of the look they gave the officer as he passed them. He turns around, gets behind them, waits until they break the law, pulls them over....bingo. 20 pounds of dope.

Hunters that are good see signs others don't see. They learn to tell a scrape or a rub from natural phenomena. They learn to see the signs of a bear who has been tearing the bark off of a downed tree to get at termite grubs.

Situational awareness is the same things....learning the signs of something that doesn't belong and what those signs mean.

I've told this story before on another board, but it illustrates the point:

I was at a Sheetz gas station in Danville Virginia one weekend visiting some relatives there. I had just pulled in off the road to fuel up on my way in as is my custom when I drive there. I hop out to fuel up and instantly I notice a white guy in a dirty pair of light blue jeans and a dark jacket who was loitering. For some reason lots of people loiter at that particular station in Danville, but in this guy wasn't hanging around like other folks. He was alone, and was looking all around but wasn't looking AT anything.

My spidey sense started tingling. I had a bad feeling that this guy was up to no good and was trying to decide whether or not he should do something stupid. I immediately started gathering up the family units, who of course didn't understand why I was trying to get them to drop everything and leave right then and there. (That's another conversation for another time. )

Long story short, we left PDQ.

What do I see later on the news? Why that dude pulled out a pistol and robbed that place a little over half an hour after I left.

Situational awareness has a few different components:

1. You are constantly observing your environment. You're aware of what is going on around you....you aren't lip reading with binoculars or anything, but you have a basic understanding of the people and things that are around you.

2. You are constantly looking for the unusual...something that stands out from the normal flow of life. That guy in the hooded sweatshirt is paying an inordinate amount of attention to you...what are his intentions?

3. When you spot the unusual you pay very close attention to attempt to classify what exactly it is you are dealing with. You are looking for cues in body language, unconscious tells, anything that can tell you what the intent of a person who is looking hard at you is. As a for instance, bad guys often fidget with concealed weapons because they don't usually use proper carry equipment. Groups will often try to surround you. They will try to close distance with you. Etc.

4. Take action based on your observation, generally attempting to avoid the situation just like I did in the gas station. Once I came to the conclusion that the guy was a potential threat I immediately sought to extricate myself from the bad situation as quickly as possible.