The recent Waco biker shooting shows that the veneer of civil society can break down quickly and without warning. This is especially true when two rival motorcycle gangs decide they can’t settle their disagreements peacefully. The result is innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire of a violent situation they weren’t expecting.

While you can hope and pray this situation never happens to you, it does happen. The bad news is that regular people won’t know when a violent melee is going to break out. The good news is you can take some steps to mitigate the risks through observation and preparation. The best decision you can make though is to avoid stupid people doing stupid things, which will reduce your exposure to risk. Don’t forget the Ten Things about Murderers that I linked in a post a while back either…

The Waco biker shooting also shows that no neighborhood is safe from violence. Breasturaunts like Twin Peaks, Hooters, Tilted Kilt, and the like aren’t located in ghettos or run-down industrial areas. Like other chains, they are in suburban and “safe” urban areas where they can extract money from a largely upper Middle-Class clientele. Biker gangs by definition are mobile though, they can be anywhere and show up without any warning. Even small towns like Laughlin, NV aren’t immune to the problems that motorcycle gangs bring with them.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that violence is Somebody Else’s Problem, be awake and be prepared so that you don’t become a victim of a crime spree.