Was this situation dangerous?

[StephenCampbell]

So the other night, I was walking down a pretty deserted residential street at night, and I was coming to an intersection, and from the opposite side of the cross street this large group of guys all dressed in black with hoods on, are walking up towards me. They were walking next to each other in a horizontal line, filling up the street, and they were all dressed completely in black. I needed to get to that street and turn right because I was heading back to this little restaurant down on the right side of that street. So I quickened my pace, and didn't look at them. As I was approaching the cross street (and they were too) one of them called out to me, something like "hey man!" I just kept walking. I didn't turn my head or anything. My hands were in my pockets. Another one called out something like "dude, what's up?" or "dude, what's your problem?" I was kind of freaked out so I don't remember what they said word for word too much, but I know that at least a few of them exchanged yelling such things towards me. I didn't give them any incentive to pursue me, and I just kept walking ahead with my hands in my pockets (by this point I had gotten onto the cross street and was heading toward the restaurant. After a little while I looked back and they had continued up the street they had been walking up. They didn't turn onto the street with the restaurant. Was this dangerous? Could I have gotten hurt if I responded to them or behaved like I was afraid? Do you think it was a gang?

[r.j.s]

It could have been dangerous, you never know.

The best thing is do what you did, avoid the situation.

[alFR]

You were approached by a group of ninjas at night and you wonder if it was dangerous? Are you kidding me?

Seriously though, the best thing to do in any situation like that is to not react and get out ASAP. That's what you read in most "How not to get mugged" articles anyway.

[eawmp1]

Best case scenario - they were pulling a prank to see how people would react
Worst case scenario - they were out for blood

Correct response - avoidance

[Abstract]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

I tend to believe in the goodness and kindness of others, and wearing all black doesn't mean anything to me. They were probably just being over-friendly. Paranoia really does ruin friendliness, especially in big cities, where you're brainwashed to trust no one.

I would have just said, 'Have a good night, guys' and left it at that. It's not much different from what you did, I suppose, except that tiny bit of mistrust wasn't there.

[iBlue]

I think they knew they had an imposing appearance and they may have liked the idea of you being freaked out by it. Who knows what could have happened but I think ignoring them and continuing on was probably the best idea.

When I'm walking alone and notice someone walking past, I usually look them dead in the eye. I feel it's a more confident approach (as opposed to looking away, which strikes me as submissive) which may mean I'm less likely to be an easy victim. At least this is how I think of it.

[pachyderm]

You definitely did the right thing.

[samiwas]

Originally Posted by Abstract

[SIZE=1]I tend to believe in the goodness and kindness of others, and wearing all black doesn't mean anything to me. They were probably just being over-friendly. Paranoia really does ruin friendliness, especially in big cities, where you're brainwashed to trust no one.

It's not necessarily that you're brainwashed. For me, it's that I've learned not to trust anyone who looks suspect. In Atlanta, I can guarantee you that if any person approaches you and says something to you, your response will engage you in a story about how they need money or want a cigarette. Even if they say in the beginning, "I'm not going to ask you for anything," they end up saying, "So if you could just help me out." My wife gets mad at me because I still respond to these people, thinking that one day I will find the one who is genuinely just saying "good morning." Nope. Every time I respond, they hit me up for money.

Just two nights ago in Nashville, we get out of our car at the hotel and some guy runs up to us...I, being the trusting guy, think he is trying to get directions. Nope. He wanted to sell us an Elvis belt that "he's had a lot of fun with," and proceeded to follow us into the hotel until the front desk stopped him.

Guy came up to my dad's car one day in Memphis, saying that his car had run out of gas on the interstate and he just needed a few dollars to get some gas. We were 3 miles from the interstate, and it was pouring rain. There were about five gas stations right at the interstate. Yet this guy, by his story, had walked three miles to my grandmothers apartment building to ask for money? Riiiight. Maybe we should have trusted him.

So more and more, I have started just ignoring people like that. I'm not brainwashed. I'm trained.

[andalusia]

Originally Posted by iBlue

When I'm walking alone and notice someone walking past, I usually look them dead in the eye. I feel it's a more confident approach (as opposed to looking away, which strikes me as submissive) which may mean I'm less likely to be an easy victim. At least this is how I think of it.

Bang on. The amount of chavs walking round in groups of three or four, thinking they're all that, that go past me and glance away when they realise I'm looking directly at them - just proves that generally, the 'hard man' look is just a show.

However in the situation the OP posted, I would have also ignored them and kept going. You never know, I have a friend who's older brother (who is around 20) got jumped on by a gang of random lads and beaten, for absolutely no reason. This gives me reason to be suspicious of large gangs at night, however I guess that could just be the area which I live in.

[Dagless]

Originally Posted by tristangage

You never know, I have a friend who's older brother (who is around 20) got jumped on by a gang of random lads and beaten, for absolutely no reason. This gives me reason to be suspicious of large gangs at night, however I guess that could just be the area which I live in.

I was too, just by saying hello to someone I knew their group. This wasn't in a city where I'm brainwashed either, was in an apparently nice neighbourhood in a nice village.

[allmIne]

Originally Posted by Abstract

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

I tend to believe in the goodness and kindness of others, and wearing all black doesn't mean anything to me. They were probably just being over-friendly. Paranoia really does ruin friendliness, especially in big cities, where you're brainwashed to trust no one.

I would have just said, 'Have a good night, guys' and left it at that. It's not much different from what you did, I suppose, except that tiny bit of mistrust wasn't there.

You've replaced it with naivety if anything mate - I'd rather be alive and mistrusting than dead but kind towards hooded strangers shouting at me.

Another one called out something like "dude, what's up?" or "dude, what's your problem?" I was kind of freaked out so I don't remember what they said word for word too much, ut I know that at least a few of them exchanged yelling such things towards me.

That's not friendly, and it can't really be mistaken for friendly. I'm not particularly paranoid in big cities, but I sure as hell don't leave myself open to abuse. Taking up a sidewalk in that way, wearing clothes that obscure the face and shouting anything at strangers isn't a friendly way to act.

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by iBlue

I think they knew they had an imposing appearance and they may have liked the idea of you being freaked out by it. Who knows what could have happened but I think ignoring them and continuing on was probably the best idea.

Agreed, I think you did the right thing OP.

[StephenCampbell]

I looked up some crime history in that area, and it turns out there was a gang related shooting one block south of there on January 9th of this year, and that whole area is known to be extremely shady.

I'm glad to be alive.

[andalusia]

Originally Posted by raggedjimmi

I was too, just by saying hello to someone I knew their group. This wasn't in a city where I'm brainwashed either, was in an apparently nice neighbourhood in a nice village.

Which I guess then means there's no point me blaming the area since it could happen anywhere. Which means I should be scared no matter where I go...

[Eraserhead]

Originally Posted by StephenCampbell

I looked up some crime history in that area, and it turns out there was a gang related shooting one block south of there on January 9th of this year, and that whole area is known to be extremely shady.

I'm glad to be alive.

To be honest they would be far more likely to rob you than beat you up for no reason in general. That said you probably did the right thing.

Originally Posted by raggedjimmi

I was too, just by saying hello to someone I knew their group. This wasn't in a city where I'm brainwashed either, was in an apparently nice neighbourhood in a nice village.

That's pretty bad.

Originally Posted by samiwas

It's not necessarily that you're brainwashed. For me, it's that I've learned not to trust anyone who looks suspect.

It depends on the city and area really (otherwise you have to close off from the world all the time - which even for a day or so is really rubbish). If you're in the centre of Delhi I wouldn't trust a soul, if you were in the centre of Oxford I'd trust pretty much anyone.

[No1451]

Originally Posted by iBlue

I think they knew they had an imposing appearance and they may have liked the idea of you being freaked out by it. Who knows what could have happened but I think ignoring them and continuing on was probably the best idea.

When I'm walking alone and notice someone walking past, I usually look them dead in the eye. I feel it's a more confident approach (as opposed to looking away, which strikes me as submissive) which may mean I'm less likely to be an easy victim. At least this is how I think of it.

This is what I like to do, not sure how well it works since I'm not really a very intimidating sort of guy.

@OP: You made the right

[63dot]

I would see this type of thing in London or LA and the best thing is what the OP did.

Now if it was a bunch of identically dressed people, let's say the Pussycat Dolls, then the response could be different, you know.