Crowd Control

Leading by example.

Ahoy, shipmates. Sorry for neglecting you all, my fellow Yankee-Jockers. I’m painfully aware that I haven’t posted in a while. It’s been a busy old summer.

I took the last 10 weeks off work, (by work, I mean seafaring - still in the office), so that I could be close to home with my wife and kids while they were on summer break from school.

It has been nice. My wife and I spent a weekend in Amsterdam while the grandparents from South Carolina watched the little ones. Then we all went to Antibes in the south of France for a couple of weeks, which happened to be the week of the Olympic Opening Ceremony. You know, that satanic inversion ritual that we all saw, but pretended didn’t signal the end of our civilisation in Europe?

Since then I’ve started building a treehouse in the garden with wood left over from last year’s bathroom renovation, and basically just hanging out.

I did do a week of teaching, and a shoreside survey for a beach pull in of a submarine power cable coming ashore at Redcar & Cleveland, which was lovely.

Thank you for your patience and continued support. I know you all are a pro-family crowd, so I know you’ll understand why I’ve had to prioritise that over blogging of late. Reconnecting with my wife and kids has been important. More so, when you travel regularly.

We haven’t missed much, have we?

Just:

• The Trump Assassination attempt.

• The palace coup in the USA (where Joe Biden is technically still in charge, lol).

• Unprecedented anti-semitism in mainstream politics, as well as on Substack. (Guys, you seriously need to be more specific. Not ALL the Jews can own the banks, the media, etc. These things aren’t held in a trust, and every ethnic jew gets to be a trustee. Your crazy is showing.)

• Riots and protests across the UK in response to increasingly violent unvetted mass migration. Oh, and the exaggeration of the same, with state-sponsored counter-protests.

• The appointment of a probable Chinese asset as Kamala Harris’ VP pick, at the expense of die Juden, Shapiro.

• Kier Starmer letting violent criminals off, so long as they say ‘sorry’, while jailing people who posted ‘inaccurate information’ on Twitter and Facebook for 3 years.

• The arrest of the CEO of Telegram for failing to censor his users. (To be fair, I’ve seen way too many beheadings, and scenes of Ukrainian trench warfare and drone attacks on Telegram recently. Even my free speech absolutism is starting to think, ‘That’s a bit strong’. Not sure I can watch another mother crying while elderly men try to stop her son being kidnapped and sent to the front line in a pointless, unwinnable bankers’ war).

• The sinking of the yacht Bayesian, which stinks so bad the skipper is actually being brought up on criminal charges by Italian authorities now.

Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash

I’ve also re-written 5 STCW training courses for a client this summer. Doing about 2 to 3000 words a day on these has left me utterly spent, so that’s another reason why I haven’t been posting of late.

However, I’m back to sea off Norway next week. back to normal soon, hopefully. And I’m now finishing the final course handbook on ‘Proficiency in Designated Security Duties’. It struck me that the section on Crowd Control may be of interest or benefit to my friends down south. You know, just in case you end up in a riot, or in prison in the near future.

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Here is an extract from the text I’m finishing off today. Please meditate on it, and see if it helps you understand why it is so crucial to remain stoically optimistic in troubled times. Remember, we are what we do.

“Maintaining Order During Abandonment

Pre-Assigned Roles:

·         Assign specific roles to crew members for maintaining order during abandonment, such as designated crowd controllers, lifejacket distributors, and emergency medical personnel.

·         Ship Security Plan (SSP)

·         Muster List

·         Proper familiarisations

·         Drills and training

Physical Barriers and Guidance:

·         Use physical barriers or lines to guide the flow of passengers to lifeboats, preventing chaos and ensuring an orderly process.

·         Use your whole body and arms to point and direct people.

Continuous Reassurance:

·         Continuously reassure passengers of their safety, emphasizing the crew’s control of the situation to prevent panic from spreading.

Using Authoritative Body Language and Non-Verbal Communication to Control Panicking Crowds

Non-verbal communication, including authoritative body language and clear gestures, is crucial in controlling and directing panicking crowds on a passenger ship. In high-stress situations, where verbal communication may falter or be less effective, these non-verbal cues become the primary tools for ensuring order and safety. Understanding why people revert to their native language under stress further highlights the importance of using universally understood non-verbal signals to guide and reassure passengers during emergencies.

Authoritative Body Language

Posture and Presence:

·         Stand Tall

·         Adopt a strong, upright posture with shoulders back and head held high.

·         This conveys confidence and control, signalling to the crowd that you are in charge and capable of handling the situation.

·         Firm Stance

·         Position your feet shoulder-width apart, with a slight bend in the knees.

·         This stance not only conveys stability but also prepares you to respond quickly if needed.

·         It also prevents you from being knocked over by a crowd.

·         Smaller people may choose to elevate themselves on steps or another stable platform.

Facial Expressions:

·         Calm and Composed

·         Maintain a calm, neutral facial expression, avoiding signs of fear, panic, or uncertainty.

·         A composed face reassures the crowd and helps to reduce their anxiety.

·         Eye Contact

·         Make direct eye contact with individuals in the crowd.

·         This shows attentiveness and establishes a personal connection, which can help calm and guide them.

Gestures:

·         Whole-Arm Pointing

·         Use your entire arm to point or direct the crowd, with your palm facing up.

·         This broad, sweeping motion is clear and authoritative, making it easy for people to follow your direction even in a chaotic environment.

·         Open Palms

·         When gesturing, keep your palms open and visible.

·         This non-threatening gesture communicates openness and approachability while still conveying direction and control.

Movement:

·         Controlled Movements

·         Move deliberately and with purpose, avoiding quick or erratic motions that could be misinterpreted as panic.

·         Slow, steady movements demonstrate that you are in control and help to instil confidence in the crowd.

·         Leading by Example

·         Physically lead the crowd by walking in the direction you want them to go, using your body as a guide.

·         This non-verbal cue encourages people to follow you without needing verbal instructions.

The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication in Crowd Control

Why Most Communication is Non-Verbal:

·         Human Perception

·         Studies have shown that a significant portion of communication is non-verbal—some estimates suggest up to 93%.

·         This includes body language, facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice.

·         In high-stress situations, people may be too panicked to process verbal instructions clearly, making non-verbal cues essential for effective communication.

·         Immediate Understanding

·         Non-verbal communication can be processed more quickly than verbal communication.

·         A clear gesture or strong posture can immediately convey safety, authority, or direction without the need for words.

·         Cross-Cultural Applicability

·         Non-verbal cues are often universal or easily understood across different cultures, which is crucial in situations involving diverse groups of people.

Using Non-Verbal Communication in Crowd Control:

·         Visual Signals

·         In noisy or chaotic environments where verbal communication may be difficult, non-verbal cues such as hand signals, gestures, and body positioning become the primary means of directing people.

·         Reassuring Presence

·         Simply standing with an open, relaxed posture can calm a crowd, while assertive gestures like whole-arm pointing can direct them effectively without creating additional stress.

·         Leading Through Action

·         Demonstrating what needs to be done (e.g., putting on a life jacket, moving towards an exit) encourages others to mimic these actions, leading to quicker and more coordinated responses.

Language Reversion Under Stress

Why People Revert to Their Native Language:

·         Psychological Comfort

·         During high-stress situations, the brain often reverts to familiar patterns and behaviours as a coping mechanism.

·         Speaking in one’s native language provides psychological comfort and a sense of control in an otherwise chaotic environment.

·         Cognitive Load

·         Stress can overload cognitive functions, making it difficult to process information in a second language. Reverting to a native language reduces this cognitive load, allowing for quicker, more instinctive communication.

·         Subconscious Response

·         The brain’s natural fight-or-flight response often triggers subconscious behaviours, including the use of a native language.

·         This is an instinctive reaction aimed at simplifying communication and improving survival.

Addressing Language Reversion in Crowd Control:

·         Multilingual Communication

·         Anticipate language barriers and prepare multilingual instructions or visual aids.

·         Use symbols, pictograms, or colour-coded signs that transcend language barriers.

·         Non-Verbal Reinforcement

·         Pair verbal instructions with clear non-verbal cues, such as gestures or pointing, to ensure that the message is understood even if the spoken language isn’t.

·         Use of Translators

·         If possible, have multilingual crew members or translators available to communicate with passengers who may revert to their native language under stress.”

Remember, everyone panics in their native language. If you find yourself in an emergency, follow the one who speaks your language, and isn’t losing their mind. And for SSP, insert a bug-out bag, prepping, or whatever you all have up your sleeves.

Peace out homies.

Hopefully, speak soon.

Scott.