Appearances: Interesting experience at the mall...

I was glad to weight I didn't have to carry it wasn't edc it was a bunch of school books so I was happy to.

I de-tacticalized my EDC bag for these very reasons. I didn't like the attention I drew.

Wow. I would have asked to have my picture made with them.

Can't say I've ever seen security tail anyone who doesn't already look suspicious.

I get weird looks with my Voodoo Tactical Pack but it's black and all jazzed up with blue felt and i always have a teddy bear attached to it when i'm in airports (travelling teddy) so I haven't had any grief about it yet- i am going to the US in two days though If I get tackled it's EDCF fault

Yea, I try, but I like my "tacticool" stuff too much. I rarely carry a bag, its usually in the car. Its a TAD Litespeed, which actually in and of itself isn't bad (black), its the admin pouch and patches I have on it that gives it away , but like I said, its not like I carry it in public. My everyday jackets, in the winter, are 2 TAD Ranger hoodies, black and tan, patched. American flag on one side and Infidel in Arabic on the other. I've gotten a few comments on the Infidel patch, mostly from people I did IT work for. Luckily I'll be going in the military this year, hopefully Special Operations, either way, I'll be getting paid to be "tacticool" haha.

ETA: Almost forgot, I wear a pair of Belleville Kiowa boots, but they're covered by jeans so they just look like regular boots.

Funny you say that. I went into a shop today, and was told to leave my bag at the help desk. I told them if they wanted to look after £6k worth of tools that belong to my employer, they are more than welcome too, just I would need the telephone number of the manager, a letter from the manager saying that they are going to be legally reponsible for my bag etc etc.

Guess what they did next

Your point is well taken, Grayman. Given the times, it would behoove most of us to be a little more "gray" I suppose. The alternative is to avoid places, like the mall, where one sticks out like a sore thumb for one reason or another.

I've been "spotted" for my apparently "unnaturally" alert state.

The flip side of the discussion might be ... if you look like a sheep, the wolves are more likely to attack. An anecdote to illustrate ....

I was walking the Magnificent Mile in Chicago with some friends. As we walked, I pointed out a rather sketchy looking character who appeared to be selling gold chains attached to a piece of cardboard. The man selling the chains approached virtually everyone he met and plied his wares. As we drew closer, the man pitched his chains to two of my friends (females). He began to speak with them until I caught his eye and gave him a subtle shake of my head. That was all it took. The panhandler broke off his contact with my friends, almost in mid-sentence, and moved on to another group of people without ever giving me a second look.

My point is this, I wasn't dressed like some tacticool commando. I fit in with the rest of the tourists and shoppers pretty well. Nonetheless, this experienced judge of character knew that the grass was greener elsewhere. A good security guard or LEO should have the same ability to spot someone who stands out in the crowd ... one way or another. I'm not sure that it's a binary choice: look like a sheep or look like a person of interest, but it's tricky to find a balance.

It was Tyrion Lannister!

Agree with you completely. Blending in is always best. Standing out like an army of sore thumbs is a good way to get plenty of unnecessary and unwanted attention. Not worth it at all.

I stick out in a crowd, but more like an (unsore) pinkie, I would hope.

I agree blending in is generally best, but if you're going to stand out anyway it helps to do so with aplomb. The dwarf would be noticed regardless of his clothing choices - "grayman" isn't so much an option for him as it is everyone else of normal stature. Similarly, when I go places it isn't uncommon for every head to turn, and then diligently attempt to avoid staring, which I actually find quite amusing. Pretending to blend in when I truly don't simply doesn't work very well, I've noticed, in fact it tends to increase others' discomfort. Instead, I've learned to take the initiative of throwing out an icebreaker to diffuse the tension amongst strangers, which often leads to interesting interactions.

There are times where it'd be a lot more convenient if I blended in, but standing out can have a few perks of its own, too...

I've been EDC'ing a CB HAWG in foliage for the past few months and taking public transport and going to university, and I haven't ever been picked out of a crowd by security or anything. I've had policeman and transit officers ask for my ticket and treat me like everyone else despite my 'tactical' pack sitting right next to me.
I also recently started EDC'ing my Trizip that I'm testing out, and I get kids looking at me more than anything (probably think it looks cool).

I think the US general populace are significantly more fearful than the people around here (Sydney), but given recent (and past) events, that's expected.
I also think you guys might be worrying too much .

The only places in my town that have security are the library and a small number of bars/pubs/clubs in the evenings. Feels good.

I am completely surprised that it took this long for someone to make a "Game of Thrones" reference...