This rule comes from “Geezer,” someone I never had the opportunity to meet but he had an amazing ability to come up with useful advice. He said that you can stay relatively safe if you avoid Stupid people doing Stupid things in Stupid places. That is about as clear and logical as advice can be.

Stupid people, stupid things, stupid places.

Would it be difficult to avoid these? Why would you want to be involved with any of the three anyway? Think of all the irritating (and potentially dangerous) moments you’d avoid by just following this rule. “But I had to go.” Or, “I didn’t mean to…” There are always excuses after someone ends up in the middle of a bad situation, yet it is never mentioned that the person may have put himself or herself in the situation. There is free will and you can do whatever you want, remember?

Perhaps your friend drags you along and you end up in the stupid people and stupid places group. First, your friend is not your friend. Second, you could have refused to go or left once you got there and assessed the situation. If something doesn’t seem right, it is not right. Your instincts will tell you that you’ve arrived in the world of stupid times three, and that means it is time to go. If you’ve not yet begun to trust your instincts, there are usually plenty of clues that stupid is attempting to surround you. I’ll run through a few that I look for. Some are, of course, blatantly obvious but a few tend to be rather subtle – yet still valid.

Stupid people. Drunk, loud, insulting, blatantly staring at you, using drugs? Look for the quiet people, too, as in abnormally quiet and constantly glancing around. That may mean nothing, but put it with some of the other things mentioned and it might be someone looking for an altercation. And use profiling, too. If the group is all dressed like gang members, you can draw your own conclusion. It can be argued that you do have the right to be wherever you want and you can always just shoot anyone who threatens you. While true, it becomes tactically problematic if the entire herd of stupid people decides to bother you.

Stupid things. Are the stupid people doing anything that you would not normally do? Waving weapons around, tearing up the furnishings, pushing each other, making explosives or drugs, committing any kind of criminal act and the list could continue endlessly. If their actions could get you damaged, then they are doing a stupid thing.

Stupid places. This can be any place that you would not go yourself or where you don’t feel at ease. This will vary by the individual to some degree, though most people would likely be comfortable in an upscale restaurant. I am fine in some taverns and at some motorcycle clubs, those may not be good places for others.  But, standing around outside a bar drinking a beer after closing time while other patrons are drag racing in the parking lot wouldn’t be a very prudent place to be.

All of these require a decision on your part whether or not it fits “stupid” and then whether you choose to remove yourself from the situation. The three S rule. It is worth remembering.