Flash Mob Attacks On The Rise?

Flash Mob Attacks On The Rise?
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You've heard of "flash mobs," when a group of people suddenly get together in some form of public place for a performance of some sort, generally in the name of fun. They are formed when someone posts something on Facebook or Twitter and text messages begin to go viral. All of a sudden, a time and meeting place is confirmed, and the party begins a short time later.

There is an example of a flash mob in a television commercial, when a solo man dancing in Grand Central Station in New York gets the text too late that the flash mob has moved to a later time. Another fun example happend Cape Cod, not far from where I live, around Independence Day, when a number of musicians flash mobbed a supermarket in song. Here, it's awesome!

But an unfortunate twist on flash mobs are ones that are born to be vicious and violent. There seems to be a trend happening in parts of the country that you need to be aware of. An example of a flash mob happened in Boston when a reported 1,000 youths, many involved in gangs, gathered at or near a beach, and many began fighting.

Your personal security begins with situational awareness. Situational awareness is key to avoiding and removing yourself from a dangerous situation. The moment something seems wrong, move to safety.

Always be aware of what is going on 100 feet around the perimeter of your body. When something seems wrong, it is wrong.

The moment your intuition senses danger, run. I'm a big fan of running, just like gazelles are big fans of running from lions.

Robert Siciliano is a personal and home security specialist with Home Security Source.

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