Talking on a Cell Phone While in Areas of Vulnerability

Is it safer?

Some people believe that talking on cell phones in areas of vulnerability is actually an advantage from a security perspective. Why? The thought is that if a potential threat sees you talking on a cell phone, they will consider you a more risky target for them due to your ability to inform the person that you are talking with of situation.

Now, the question is…”is this REALLY a good idea?” or is it just something that looks and sounds good on paper. That’s ultimately what we need to make our best efforts to determine. When there are varying opinions on what safety and security really are, you need as much information as possible so that you can make your own decisions. Keep in mind that everything that is designed to keep us safe, and it’s real effectiveness, is all theory-based because, what works in one instance is never guaranteed to work in any other instance.

The bottom line is this:

Talking on a cell phone could potentially deter an adversary! There is, however, a significantly important “BUT” that you need to be well aware of. This question cannot be answered generally! The answer will be specific to you and maybe even circumstantially dependent.

A threats #1 criterion for choosing a victim?

It’s important that you understand how threats choose their victims. Why? Because if we know how they choose victims, we can be far more successful in our efforts to avoid victimization, right?

The answer is simple: Someone who is not paying attention!

So, with that in mind:

Think about YOU because that’s who this is all about. When you are walking down the street talking on your cell phone, can you truly pay attention to what is going on around you? And I mean laser-focus? The answer needs to be based in complete honesty with yourself in order to find the answer to this question - for you. For me, the answer is no and my guess is that, if you are truly honest with yourself, it will be for you as well. When you are conversing with someone and you have other things that divide your attention, one of the two suffer a lack of appropriate attention. But, maybe you are different.

Threats rear their ugly heads in the most subtle of ways. Faint noises that you’re not even certain that you heard, or not. The way someone looked at you. A movement out of the corner of your eye. If we don’t catch these, we miss critical, and sometimes the only, opportunities to prevent, escape, or prepare to win and go home.

Are you completely confident that YOU would catch these things while talking on the phone?

Next Question: What could being on the phone when an attack starts accomplish for us?

Think time here! If you are on the phone when an attack starts, how much time, and what opportunity will you have to provide information to the person you are talking with that will allow them to respond quickly enough to stop what is happening to you? The answer is - none!

Could it help in crime solving? Maybe? But that doesnt help you at all “in the moment”.

So, being on the phone, assuming the deterrence aspect has failed, will likely do nothing to help you.

The Risk/Reward Equation

The question is, does the possibility of deterrence outweigh the benefits of paying attention. The advantages of paying attention, seeing the potential problems, and reacting to prevent, escape, or prepare, in my opinion, far outweigh the possibility of deterrence.

So, is it worth being on the phone while in areas of elevated threats?

Again, the answer is on you. Can you talk and truly and truly pay attention.

How about this option:

If you are convinced that being on the phone will successfully deter a threat, but understand the critical advantage of being aware and alert, then how about the benefits of both:

Appear to be on the phone while paying complete attention to what is going on around you!

Just a thought!

This purposeful act could actually ensure that your attention levels are at their highest.