Yes, I think dealing with police/security/authorities is it’s own special subsection of staying safe. Interestingly, the police are often called because, as many have noted above, the general public sees people observing or doing research, and thinks it is strange or dangerous enough to warrant a call to the authorities to investigate. Some of those people will also confront observers/researchers themselves, which can lead to dangerous situations. A previous thread with lots of stories and ideas about what to do that covers some of the same ground as this thread is:
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/am-i-the-only-inatter-that-is-pulled-over-on-a-bike-almost-every-month/22107
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