Thursday 27/11/14
In my younger days, after I'd finished school and entered the workforce, several of the older men I worked with had an expression I didn't have the wisdom or experience to fully appreciate. After we'd said our goodbyes on a Friday afternoon, the last thing they said to me was "Nothing good happens after midnight".
I wasn't a wild party animal, but I always adhered to this rule. I was always home before midnight. As the years passed I began to realise that midnight was the "line in the sand" for normal folk to be home in bed. Anyone still out after this time was either looking for trouble, or likely to become a victim.
After midnight, you are more likely to become a victim of crime for several reasons;
- You have had a few drinks, impairing your motor skills and reducing your situational awareness (I keep returning to this basic concept). Both of these mark you as an easy target.
- Predators are either; bored, angry or desperate for fun. If they see you in your current condition, you'll definitely attract their attention.
- It's night, so the visibility of potential witnesses is drastically reduced in both distance and clarity.
- Taxis are already busy taking other people home; leaving you to sit and wait for who knows how long.
- There are very few people around to help you if you do get into trouble, and most of them aren't going to be able to help you because they're intoxicated too.
Over the years I've heard plenty of unpleasant stories of bad choices and unfortunate results from friends, family, colleagues and training partners. The common factor of many (not all) of these stories is they were still on the street after midnight. That's not to say you won't become a victim of violent crime (or your own bad choices) before midnight, but at least you'll reduce your chances of an unpleasant incident.
My older work colleagues have long since passed away, but their advice is just as relevant today as it was in my youth.
Nothing good happens after midnight.