(Not a swimmer) but
We have trained Shark Spotters on duty in summer.
Fish Hoek beach has a shark net - which is put out during the (swimming) days, and brought in at night. Between the spotters and the net, the sharks are protected and swimmers are okay.
My neighbors have big, scary dogs and Iâve started carrying a pocket of dog treats. I toss a handful in front of the dogs and it distracts them. I have a dog, so I just use her kibble, so itâs cheap and easy.
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Of course! Itâs just that not everyone is as safe and privileged as @inspector_crow , and we all need to be aware of our surroundings and mindful of dangers, human or otherwise.
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And cisgendered men do need to understand that even if they are gentle souls who wouldnât hurt a fly, someone who encounters them doesnât know that.
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This being New England, I am now visualizing some of them as being actual muskets, taken down once a year from the mantlepiece - where they have hung since Ye Olde Family Ancestor fought in the Revolutionary War - and used to bag a Thanksgiving turkeyâŚ
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I agree with this - itâs a privilege to have the option to worry less about yourself/personal safety.
The flip side of this coin is that other people are more likely to consider large guys to be threatening (and even moreso if they have long hair/facial hair/tattoos/etc). In my experience, males that look like this are more likely to have the police called on them. When police/security do respond, theyâre more likely to be aggressive with males with this kind of appearance, which is its own safety issue.
Being in the field in a diverse group has almost always lead to better encounters with the public/authorities in my experience. But it isnât always possible to go out in a diverse group, and I do enjoy being by myself as well. When I am alone and I encounter other people that Iâm not sure about, I try to work from the position of assuming good but being vigilant (kind of like âtrust but verifyâ). Most people do mean well, but even if that is most likely, I try to still be very aware as the cost of a rare bad interaction can be very high.
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Being a big scruffy guy who lugs around a big camera maybe neutralizes some of the potential threat when I run into a lone hiker on a trail. Seems unlikely I could assault someone and protect my expensive camera at the same time. My gray hair probably helps also. But I am aware that I could be viewed as potentially a threat in such situations. Iâve unintentionally alarmed lone hikers on a few occasions in my younger days just by stepping back on a trail from the brush.
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Looking at the posts above, I am lucky to live in a relatively safe place of South Australia.
The main causes of death and serious injury in nature are
- Falls
- Shark attacks
- Falling Eucalyptus branches
Some 2m tall kangaroos can be intimidating, especially when running towards me full speed on a narrow path. They are not known to attack people in the wild.
We have some of the most poisonous snakes in the world but most of them are shy. Make stomping sounds on overgrown dry paths. Do not step into muddy puddles at water crossings, thatâs where the red bellied black snake hides. Donât turn over loose rocks with bare hands.
Red back spiders are common, donât reach into dark spaces with bare hands.
There are blue ring octopuses in the water near rocky seashores.
There are no leaches nor crocodiles. Dropbears are not real, I promise.
The rest is nuisance. Flies, mosquitoes, swooping magpie larks, thorny shrubs.
I donât know of people being robbed, but if leave something valuable behind, it will grow legs.
Overall very safe, with basic precautions.
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