Technology is changing the way we live, unfortunately it’s also making it easier and faster for criminals to communicate, plan, and execute their crimes. With the advent of texting and social media, it’s never been easier for large groups of criminals to come together and wreak havoc in a matter of minutes. This makes it incredibly difficult for the average person to protect themselves from being caught up in a bad situation.
The latest criminal threat is something that’s been dubbed “Flash Mobs”.
Flash Mobs actually started as a pretty innocent online trend where people would use social media to spontaneously gather large groups of people in a set location. I suspect that a lot of these early flash mobs were driven by marketing companies as a way to promote their clients products and services.
Fast forward a couple of years, and this once innocent online trend has grown into something more insidious. Over the last couple of years these Flash Mobs have morphed into something that can quickly grow out of control and become a serious danger to the public
Criminal Flash Mobs
The Flash Mob trend is now being used by gangs of criminals to quickly overrun a business in order to steal, loot, and even intimidate business owners into complying with the gang’s demands.
But it’s not just business owners who are in danger. In fact, these same tactics are now being used to assault innocent people on the streets, rob victims inside these stores, and even steal people’s cars at major intersections throughout the country. These Flash Mobs are becoming increasingly unpredictable, more violent, and in some areas of the country are becoming an everyday occurrence.
How Quickly the Mobs can Turn Violent
In the video below, taken by a shopper at a Jacksonville, Florida Walmart, somewhere around 300 out-of-control teens stormed the store after a party. The Mob rushed through the store knocking people over, stealing large amounts of merchandise, and vandalizing everything in sight.
So What can you do to Protect Yourself from Flash Mobs?
Stay aware of your surroundings at all times. Flash Mobs can literally overtake an area in a matter of seconds. If you get the slightest premonition that something may be wrong, you need to listen to your instincts.
Keep an eye on the crowd. If you notice an abnormal increase in the number of people in your area, this could be the first sign that something isn’t right. Immediately scan the area and try to get a feel for the types of people who are walking around. By in large, most of these Flash Mob crimes are conducted by teenagers. If you’re in a store that suddenly fills up with teenagers, it’s probably a good time to make your exit.
Beat them at their own game. The last thing I want to mention is using the same technology that these criminals use to your advantage. Although these Flash Mobs can often seem to spring up out of nowhere, they are often heavily promoted or talked about on sites like Twitter and Facebook. If you plan on going to a mall, or somewhere that may be targeted by these groups, jump on Twitter and type in the name of your destination. It only takes a couple of seconds of your time, but those couple of seconds can warn you to any impending dangers.
So what happens if you find yourself in the middle of a full-blown riot?
The first thing you want to do is quickly assess the situation. Whenever I go into a building, the first thing I do is quickly scan the area. I make sure that I have a pretty good sense of where the exits are, or where I would go if all hell breaks loose. If you failed to look for the buildings exits upon arrival, quickly scan the area to see if you can make a quick getaway. If you’re near an exit get out as fast as possible.
You don’t see an Exit, now what? If you were not able to make a quick exit, the next thing you want to do is try to blend in. If that means momentarily blending into the crowd by pretending to cheer for the idiots make sure you do whatever it takes to seem like your one of them. If everyone is shouting about something, then you should be doing the same thing. By blending into the chaos and not drawing attention to yourself, you will be less likely to become a target. But remember your number one job is to keep looking for the quickest possible escape route. As soon as you find it, get the hell out.
Go with the flow – This is something that I recommended in last year’s article, “surviving a riot.” Think of the mob as a large raging river. The best way to get out of a river is to swim with the current and slowly make your way to the edge. The same thing applies in this situation. The last thing you want to do is to yell, scream, cut through the crowd, or draw any unwanted attention onto yourself. Stay Calm, go with the flow, and work your way to the edge. Then quietly slip away to safety.
Definitely keeping the exits in mind no matter where you are is a good plan and paying attention to your surroundings is key. After all, what else can you really do?
You can’t blend in if you are not dark skinned. If you are caucasion, what do you do?
Linda, carry a concealed weapon. It is the last resort to defend your life. I recommend something that holds 15 rounds.
That’s fair advice Mr.Jones, but don’t ever assume someone is a threat based on the color of their skin, as they’re liable to shoot back.
Yall are messed up! It is mostly black teenagers whom are flash mob activists ina real world of facts? Pictures do not lie, three flash mobs, all were black kids, enough said!
Well said, 15 years principal. This was before social media. 90% of the fights, mobs that occured at my school were not only black majority, but some were 100% black.
Why don’t more people carry pepper spray and a defense in flash mob situations. I think some really good ones are available. Chances are, it’s not the mobs objective to kill you, and some potent pepper spray may disrupt the mobs momentum enough to get away. If pepper spray, reach an exit, and then are pursued, then you are being targeted, are at risk, and could shoot.
Now I agree that if someone tried to hold you up, and they potentially have a gun, you probably should not try as first defense anything but deadly force, but it just my current opinion that pepper spray could be effective in allowing you time to escape a mob environment. Am I wrong?
Linda was simply asking a fair question which doesn’t have to be considered ‘racist’ except by those too sensitive or scared to answer it in kind. I’ve lived through enough ‘mob riots’ to know often times it’s very possible to be of a different race targeted. You idiots attacking her either know nothing of the threats around you or the reality of getting caught in a racially prone mob.
Let’s remove the racial component by saying “What if everyone in the flash mob is dressed in red, and I’m wearing blue?”
Let’s not remove component. Let’s observe reality instead of trying our best to prevent hurting people’s feelings.
I grew up in Belgium. We have millions of unregistered north African and middle eastern refugees. They live completely outside the law as the government does not have them on record. Most murder cases in Belgium don’t go unsolved they go unnoticed. Try taking your ignorant optimism to the streets of Brussels and see how long you last before you feel hands in your pockets, the freezing cobblestones on your back and a moment later notice that the cold, sticky fluid all over your chest is not sweat but blood flow coming from the 3 euro corner store knife sticking out of your centre abdomen.
I think RM has a point though. These mobs are able to maintain cohesiveness because they are obviously different and easily identifiable as “team mob”.
Also, how many middle-eastern and north African refugees dress, act, and look like Native Belgian citizens? I’m willing to bet that none of them do.
That’s how they unite so easily; because you can quickly and easily spot and identify them.
Re: Brussels – I had a rude wake-up call to this when I spent a night near one of the main Brussels train stations. Previously, I had always stayed at my parents ‘ home in a middle class neighborhood at Waterloo and had not been exposed to the areas around the train stations. it came as a shock to me when a man(North African) offered to escort me to my hotel and told me to stay inside the hotel and to leave by taxi the next morning.He told me he had been assaulted by local gangs and that no one was safe in this milieu.Yet the hotel was on booking.com. Later on i learned that yes in fact this whole quartier was considered a hotbed of crime it was so strange near the trainstaion I was the only non-Morrocan there ordering a coffee and i felt so bizarre at being in Belgium , close to where i had grown up, and being treated as an unwelcome outsider.Suh a bizarre feeling.
But Justin I get what you mean too. The paralyzing irony here is that these violent offenders ARE in fact easy to identify, yet we choose to pretend that we aren’t getting beaten in the face.
We’re suffocating from our own political correctness. There is a very real racial component here that must be acknowledged.
Let’s all be politically-correct, like the media and the government, and pretend flash mobs don’t exist.
shoot em dead
carry a gun, with the violence every day I now never leave home without mine and an extra clip. In Florida we have the “stand your ground law”.
As an ex police officer I am always aware of my surroundings and if threatened I will defend myself. And get one that holds at least 12 or more rounds.
What do you mean you can not blend in if you are not dark skinned. that’s one of the most most up comments Ive read on this website.
Iowa13F, you’re not paying attention are you? This is not a problem in any community other than your own. I know the truth hurts but there it s.
Normally at Walmart you can’t blend unless you have some major plumbers butt hanging out of your leotard.
I would love to see someone develops a weapon you could spray out of a can that would deploy a sticky net or spiderweb like substance that would completely tangle or wrap up a person or a group of people.
Maybe decent able bodied men shoppers should start forming into shopping coalitions like rapid response units to repeal, (beat the shit out of) these mobs when they form. Walmart could also have trained employees who advance on the mob with big snakes to throw at the mobsters. This demographic doesn’t like snakes. That’s why I have signs on my windows that say, “large snakes roam free in this house”
Wow Linda, that was flat out racist.
JohnDoe1999 Uhm, its time your community embrace the truth. I know calling people racist is your own little weapon, and that you bludgeon people with your race like the edge of an axe, but no one believes it. We know who the real racists are.
My “community” is not racially identified, you already assume we all see the world in reference to race. And you assume I’m not white? Being prejudiced against all whites is certainly racist. Pretending that the only criminals in existence are non-white is racist. I don’t even consider you an American, go speak you “truth” at a Klan meeting.
JohnDoe1999 take a look at the videos. You see any whites? Where are these violent flash mobs happening?
Closest thing to a flash mob I ever experienced was the wrong white neighborhood in the middle of a desert tweaker slum. Very nearly got shot, and very nearly discharged my truck gun, so perhaps I’m a bit biased towards neutrality.
People, after you see enough of these scenes you can say with complete objectivity that those in the mob are 99.9% black, 100% of the time. To say so is not racist; to say otherwise would be inaccurate.
You must also consider that the Media wants you to think the the flash mobs are mostly black. It fits their agenda. Why no news from say Boston, or other mostly white cities. They have them too. Do a little internet research before making such a wide judgmental statement.
How was that racist? It was a very good ?. In chicago there have been many mobs that are all black who are going after whites. So no it was not racist nor a stupied ?.
Ok, would it be better to say: How can you blend in if the color of your skin is different than the perps? What about: How can I blend in if I am in a wheelchair? Maybe: How can I blend in if I am a woman and the perps are all men? Perhaps you’d prefer: How can I blend in if I am black?
Fact: people have different skin colors. Fact: black people discriminate against white people. In fact, that happens by and to every race. Fact: color has hues, shades, and saturation. Fact: colors can contrast or blend. Fact: black/dark brown contrast with white/peach colors b/c they are opposites respectively. Therefore, if someone’s skin color happens to contrast with the skin color of the thugs, it is harder to blend in.
You cannot argue with facts. Now, I don’t believe Linda’s comment said “every black person is a thug.” She did not even say “only black people participate in violent flash mobs.” Those are generalizations and are racist in nature. Linda was basically saying: What should someone do if they can’t blend in with the mob? Mexican, Asian, Indian, and some black (mocha) people are lighter in color and thus it’s easier for some races to blend in with each other. However, some black people are very dark. Much darker than all the other races.
P.C. aside, I have personally been victimized by minorities simply b/c I am white. So, until we have a White History Month, scholarships offered only to Caucasians, bumper stickers that say “Buy White”, and jobs that require a white person be hired even if someone of another race is more qualified – SHUT THE HELL UP. Equal means equal.
That being said, let’s return to the original question and offer up suggestions to Linda and each other on what one should do if our skin color contrasts with the thug’s color.
Right on man, So tired of the race card being played by ignorance.
the sooner we can get over this P.C. bull s+@t, the sooner we can just get on living our lives.
so lets see, you call linda a racist for pointing out the truth. what the hell is wrong with you?
if it was large crowds of Asians, whites, or any other race, would you be ok with her statement?
it really does not matter what color the mob is, however if the mobs that stomp people for no reason, and happen to be black, which is nearly 100 percent the cases. why is her statement racist? tell you what, the next time you see on twitter, were a flash mob will be in your area, drive on down and stand in the middle of it!
in fact, be a hero, and yell” i will take the beating. that way you save a poor bastard from a huge hospital bill.
why is it when the truth is spoken, the “race card” comes out.
Because blacks can’t stand it when the rest of the population singles them out. Even if 100% of the time it is the blacks causing these flash mobs/hitting people in the face. This is NOT racist but rather a FACT. No wonder the rest of the population does not want blacks in their neighborhoods, work places or anywhere else. TROUBLE comes to mind.
Linda is just stating the obvious. The vast majority of flash mobs are instigated by minorities even if it’s not “politically correct” to say so.
True story. Not politically correct. But it is statistically correct.
What you say is true, and although people berate “political correctness” as “barney” or “sesame street” I recommend using caution in categorizing based on skin color, as plenty of these “minorities” shoot back.
This violence is happening ALL over America. I first wrote about this almost one year ago. These are BLACK mobs usually beating up white, asian, hispanic, in other words anyone that’s not black. The media has largely ignored this, and the ones that DO report it don’t mention that the “youth” are black… You figure it out when you see the video or the mug shots.
It is a product of entitlement thinking. It goes back to the first use of affirmative action. Someone convinced the rest of the country that white society owed black culture some endowment, some reparation for slavery. Each generation in black culture perpetuates the thinking, that society owes them something. So, the flash mob is not stealing, they are acquiring what is owed them. And when a store owner takes a gun a blows them away, Al Sharpton will cry racism and that they were victims…furthering the entitlement thinking.
Wouldn’t be surpirsed if Al Sharpton don’t come after all of us for writing this.
You are 100% right!! When there is more than one or two of them, They turn into animals.
Hey Jim, they are animals to begin with.
aint that the truth squiggy
your all Obama haters man its always blame the blacks!!!
Stupid is stupid, I do not care what color it wears. This is what happens when God is taken out of the picture. The most important thing to do if caught in a flash mob is pray!
deereverywhere, I’ll be quietly trying to escape whilst I pray to be pointed in the right direction!!
Well said!
Or pray you hit what you are firing at…
Don’t pray, Gryphon. Practice. Then you _know_ you will hit what you shot at.
As for John Doe1999, the reverse racist, I don’t care what color they are – if they offer me violence, or I see them attacking a woman or child or elderly person, I will shoot until they are no longer capable of continuing their attack.
Only a coward will be worried about them shooting back. Shot the ones in front driving the violence, and I guarantee the rest will run off.
RegT: Reverse racism? By reverse, do you mean the opposite of? The opposite of racism would be tolerance. So, there is no such thing as “reverse racism”. Racism is racism and applies equally to all races.
So your a nippicker. We all knew what he meant.
That point being made, I do agree with everything you said after those particular words.
What I meant by shooting back, was that prejudging somebody as a threat based on the color of their skin is a dangerous proposition, I’m mixed, in fact I’m perceived as “White” 99% of the time, bc I am 50% German, and 25% Spaniard. If some nervous armed person identified the other 25% and assumed that I was a threat not based on my actions, but based on me randomly having the same race as the criminals? That would be a dangerous mistake for that person.
As a man that carries concealed 99.9% of the time (Legally) I would say anyone in this situation that does have a firearm should also have the smarts to use it properly. Identify the targets by ACTIONS, assess the entire situation, identify innocents caught in the raucus. Back away from the main group as much as possible, attempt to flee and get others trying to flee away with you and then, only then IF there is an imminent threat to your safety or to the safety of others that could possibly lead to an act of violence that has the potential to result in a life threatening injury you may be legally authorized to draw and fire your weapon at the person commiting the life threating action. Once that person has been subdued by whatever means you have at your disposal make sure you are still in danger before holstering your weapon, if you are still in danger continue to make your way out of the situation and again use of your firearm should ALWAYS be your LAST RESORT no matter what.
Sometimes the mob will leave you alone once you draw your sidearm, other times you may have to actually fire a round before they back away, people (of all races) act out of character for themselves when the Mob Mentality takes over. All decisions must be based on actions of the group and of each individual, you wouldn’t want to shoot the guy at the back of the group pretending to blend in while trying to make it to you to escape would you? No, you wouldn’t.
i don’t care if your purple.
john doe, you are like all the little minds out in cyber land that fill there day with hopes and dreams. the only time people like you see the light, is when it happens to you.
i judge people by there actions.
period end of story.
if you have a knife and coming toward me with intent.
either i win or you do, i don’t run, i don’t beg, i fight for my life.
retired, veteran.
no one answered the question.
just smile and act like what is happening is awesome, as you make your way to an exit.
We all know it’s the damned Amish behind these robberies!
I’m offended by that statement JacksonT, you should be more careful with your words.
You obviously don’t get sarcasm, eh, Xerxan?
I’ve been assaulted for: being an American during Viet Nam, being in a police uniform, and for being caucasian in a black environment. At no time did I instigate a personal attack on myself – I was ‘just there at that time’. @ Linda, keep your head down, don’t make eye contact, and take the most open public route to safety acting like you have a purpose to get somewhere. Always remember, sometimes no matter what we do we end up sepping in crap. It’s good your thinking ahead of possibilities.
Read this article, then search google for black on white crime but dont be surprised at the amount of links that appear. http://www.wnd.com/2012/05/wave-of-black-mobs-brutalizing-whites/
It’s not racist to be honest about facts and statistics. However Linda asked the question as if the color were a guarantee instead of a probability which it is not. That’s what got people all riled up. A little tact goes a long way.
I am quessing it was a example she was giving. So every one knew what she was talking about. I wish every one would talk doing the race card when someone says the word black. O jesus I said Now I bet I am one now.
Racist, JK
I have friends of many colors, I’ve served with men and women of all colors, and the funny thing is that some of them are racist against their own skin color. I knew a guy in HighSchool, he was black, and he hated the black criminals in our area that gave him a bad name, he refered to them as the N word as a way to distinguish black people from black criminals. I also served with a hispanic woman that seperated herself from other hispanics by calling them Sp**s, so racism does not only take place between people of different colors, it takes place between people of the same colors as well. I am white, I refer to the scum of the white population as honkeys, or trash. If your too lazy to get a job and instead resort to violence and crimes as your way of life you are no better than the stuff I flush down the toilet or toss into the can on the curb.
Everyone needs to grow up and stop being so sensitive to things that don’t matter, be for concerned with being offended by what your government is doing to harm you and what it’s not doing to protect you.
It’s time to start shooting these Jungle Bunnies!
Apparently they didn’t drop enough Agent Orange on your platoon, “soldier.”
High capacity magazines, and Flash Spray as many of the cockroaches as you can. Only way or thing these animals understand. It will no longer be tolerated. That’s what WROL, SHTF is gonna look like. Just saying. Get ready, not if but when. Like the Korean store owners did, during the LA Riots.
With all the hype about diversity being touted we should be ARMPIT deep in UTOPIA by now, but empty promises from elitists about multiculturalism have left our schools, cities, and society in ruins.
The media has created an illusion that African Americans are the ones who will return your lost dog, hand you your wallet when you drop it, and are so cool compared to nerdy White people. It is on about every commercial now in case you have not noticed.
As important as not playing with fire or looking both ways to cross the street; parents should be teaching their children to ALWAYS stay away from African Americans.
Keeping your kids alive is far more important than being told you’re a racist, bigot or not Christian for avoiding multicultural enrichment.
Innocent, unsuspecting, and hopelessly naive Whites are mugged, raped and murdered each day. The African Americans are becoming much more violent each year. Law Enforcement seems to insure the criminals’ rights are upheld far more than arresting obvious criminals. Think about your loved ones; Death is a high price to pay for an incorrect assessment of Black Crime.
In conclusion; the tsunami of violent crime, bankruptcy, and squalor in our cities, schools, and society gives tremendous credibility to those who first opposed integration.
HA!
Wait, this is satire, right?
Most malls in America are required by fire codes to have a back door out through their store room area. Instead of running for the malls doors, duck into the nearest store and if necessary ram your way through to the back exits..the clerks may try to store you (you might stop long enough to suggest they put thier doors down!) but EXIT the mall…your odds are way better outside! Make sure you kids know this and are prepared to get out and find each other later. Good plan to have for ANY emergency!
These kids should have been aborted. I can’t wait to have this happen near me, there will be a shitload of 400th trimester abortions, in self defense.
After reading these comments, I would just like to say BRAVO to the destroyers of America: the media, the government, the false preachers and community leaders who have destroyed us from within. They have managed to divide us among every line their is, but most of all the race issue. Always an issue, something to dance around now because heaven forbid the observable truth might offend someone. Let’s all just die for our silence rather than offend.
Even worse our country is falling around us, they are poisoning our air, water, food, medicine….meanwhile back on Internet America, the people they are arguing about how to correctly ask what the heck do I do if I find myself in a flash mob, sticking out like a sore thumb, and the next probable target.
In which case I would say pray, keep your head, look for an exit, and go for it without making noise or running.(in that order) That’s really all you can do if you aren’t armed (and trained) and even if you are, having to kill someone should be the last thing you want to have to do. But if you have to, do it!!
At this point, ‘prepare yourselves’ is about all I can say, as Americans can’t quit fighting amongst themselves to save their country. I think of the soldiers who died for this and I am ashamed for us. We have unequivocally failed.
I myself am a minority, especially in the eyes of others. I am an individual of mixed race my mother being white and arab and my fater being african american and native american….I kinda touch them all. However I do notice alot of flash mob individuals being young black males. That being said, these problems are the fault of all, racist or not. All people of all decents are stereotyped and therefore boxed in and therefore prone to becoming what society already prelabels and prejudegs them to be….not all but most are this way. THAT being said I am also married to a White male and worry very much so for our family seeing that we have a son who is a combination of both. I growing up mixed was racialy aggregated my entire life by people of all decents that i am also being mixed… I wish it werent so but society just cant seem to get away from the racial debate instead of just focusing on people; people that are good and people that are bad. Now i must worry for my white husband and our mixed son as well. you think mixed race families would be the answer, instead we are just the people that everyone is even more afraid of. I hope that WTSHTF people dont come after us because everyone is simply afraid of what they dont understand….
Well said.
I took the time to reference the FBI website on crime statistics. They do not list crimes by Mobs. I had to check a number of different states to get some idea of offender race. The states do not list assault by mobs by race. I then searched the internet for individual stories. The number of these events is scary. Many thousands of these events have occurred. I could not find any events where the offenders were any other race but black in the last 20 years. I did not do this research to support or attack any point of view. I just wanted the facts and found poor public records in that pursuit.
This is insane. While everyone is arguing what color their attacker is, they’re going to be getting blindsided by these motherfuckers. Who cares? I’ve met plenty of people of all colors and ages that I wouldn’t trust for a second. Susan was the only person who said anything useful at all about the mall scenario. That is actual advice. There really are vibes that your gut picks up on, almost like a bad scent in the air. Beware of any unruly seeming types. The volatility of these attackers seems more openingly menacing right off the bat. Take note. But also note that some attackers, ones who have really planned, can be frighteningly calm and calculated. Don’t be arrogantly trusting of a group because they all match your color. Always Aware.
I have never seen white flash mobs or heard them reported. Check out Colin Flaherty, who receives videos of mob violence and crime not reported by media. Pghmd or his podcast.
I don’t care what color a flash mob is. They should not engage in this illegal, dangerous behavior, and if they do not stop they should be wiped from the face of the Earth.