Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Special Agent Allan Ponseigo, was “Don't freeze. Doing something, even
the wrong thing, is preferable to freezing — if you make a mistake, make
it going 100 miles an hour.” Generally, this admonition was given to DEA
Special Agent trainees as they stared numbly at a weapon that had just
experienced a malfunction. Rather than executing the universal response
to a failure to fire (tap, rack target, or bang), some trainees froze. That
reaction is probably the only one that is guaranteed to get you killed.
Taking action, even if it is not the best course of action, is better than
doing nothing. Once you begin to move, your mind begins to work as well.
CONCLUSION
The bottom line for purposes of this discussion is for each of you right
now as you read this topic to make up your mind to pay attention to your
surroundings and respect the little warning bell you have in your head.
Everyone is observant under certain situations. Put an upper-middle-class
guy in an inner-city neighborhood and he will become quite observant of
his surroundings. The trick is to do it all the time. Don't get lulled into
condition white under any circumstances. Remember, you are most vul-
nerable when you become comfortable and lulled by the false security of
familiar surroundings. Generally, as you get closer to home, you tend to
become more relaxed. That is the time you may be most at risk. Terror-
ists and bad guys know this and may very well decide to hit you in your
comfort zone. Complacency on your part makes their job easier. Remem-
ber, becoming familiar with your surroundings gives you a huge advan-
tage over a potential attacker. Becoming complacent shifts the advantage
to them. You should use this advantage; your strengths are your attackers'
weaknesses. Your biggest enemy is your daily routine. By becoming as
familiar as possible with your surroundings and by changing your daily
routine, you can easily prevent any attack while it's still in the preplanning
stage. Ilan has had the occasion to interrogate terrorists subsequent to
their capture. The ones who talk, and generally that is most of them,
always mention how scared and uncomfortable they were while they col-
lected intelligence information on the target before the attack. They all
felt that someone was always watching them, and many times it caused
them to choose a different target. Use this fact to your advantage. Stay
alert and pay closer attention to your surroundings. Soon you will be able
to pick out the unusual, including the presence of a terrorist or criminal
