Today I had to meet with two people to do interviews for my “real” job. On the phone call, the first was worried about finding me, the other guy not so much. We met at Starbucks for the interviews. I had no problem picking both of them out in the crowd. How people carry themselves can tell you everything about their intent.
Reading people is a great skill to have. Once you understand what people are there for, it’s easy to tell who is a possible threat to you. Their mannerisms will tell you anything. Looking at Starbucks, think about the normal person that goes there (it’s definitely not me). Most of the people I see at Starbucks are trendy, dressed well, and have spent time fixing their hair before going out.
The look doesn’t always work, but the actions do. When someone walks through the door at Starbucks they are looking to get a drink. They look for the line, the menu, and/or someplace to order. They don’t look around for cameras or who is in the store. People don’t walk around aimlessly, they have a reason for being there. Look at the person’s mannerisms to determine why they are there. When you know why someone is there, it makes it easy to determine if there is a danger to you.
As you practice it will get really easy to determine why someone is there. Practice to see if you are right. Sit in a Starbucks and when someone walks in the door determine if they are there to meet someone, get a drink to go, or will sit by themselves, and what they will do while they are there. Do this for about an hour and you will start being right more than wrong.
After some practice it becomes easy. Now I’m only worried about the people I can’t determine why they are there. If you can’t figure out why someone is there, it may be time to leave. Always be prepared to leave.
Stay Safe,
Ben