Something just didn't feel right as I was heading to my rental car in the hotel parking lot. I had my long gun case with me and walked by two gang banger types who were loitering and blaring loud music from their car.
Alert #1- guy asks me if I had guns in my case
Alert #2- he says he's seen a lot of other folks with cases
Seeing as I still needed to go back to my room and check out, I wasn't very comfortable leaving $6K worth of gear in the car. Since the guy saw me loading my car, I actually drove it a few hundred feet to a different part of the garage.
I called security to check it out. When I returned in 10 mins the guys were gone.
The dudes could have just been hanging out, but I didn't want to be a victim and have my gear stolen. No sense in taking the risk.
A lot of thieves work in small groups, with one guy who tags the "mark" and then texts the mark's info to his buddies to put the theft in motion.
Situational awareness is an important everyday state of mind.
Since not everyone owns guns, here's another good tip: avoid having your face in your phone when walking in public. It tells thieves that you're distracted and are a potentially good target.
Live in the real world, not in a digital one.