The man in the hoodie never reaches for his phone

He moves along the pavement as though he has all the time in the world, his eyes sweeping across the crowd as if he is searching for something he has not quite defined yet. People spill out of the Underground, shoulders knocking, bags bumping against coats. Some walk on with their heads high and their pace even. Others hesitate by the exit, glance down at a screen, turn on the spot for a split second, and then set off with that slight, uncertain wobble. If you watch long enough, a pattern appears: the person hunting for an opportunity rarely keeps looking at the people who seem certain of their destination. Instead, attention drifts towards those who look absorbed in their own private distractions.

Criminals do not simply see passers-by. They notice posture, speed and hesitation. Then, in silence, they sort people into two groups: “easy target” or “not worth the effort”.

Why the way you walk quietly signals “easy target” or “don’t try”

Street criminals are not acting at random. They read bodies in the way other people read headlines, and they do it quickly. In a matter of seconds, they can tell who seems alert, who looks nervous and who appears unlikely to remember a face.

A person who walks with intention - head raised, shoulders loose, steps even - sends out a quiet but clear message: “I see what is going on around me. I am paying attention.” For someone searching for low-effort trouble, that is often enough to make them look elsewhere.

By contrast, the person staring at sat-nav directions, music pumping through headphones, bag hanging open and attention split in every direction gives off a different signal entirely: “I am occupied. You will probably get the better of me before I notice.” To anyone hoping to steal a phone, grab a bag or do worse, that is an open invitation.

In New York, a well-known study from the 1980s asked convicted offenders to watch footage of people walking along a street and judge how “muggable” they seemed. The findings were striking. Even when they worked independently, the offenders repeatedly chose the same people after only a few seconds of video.

The people they singled out did not belong to one age group, sex or body type. Some were young, some were older; some were tall, others short. What they shared was a loose, scattered quality to the way they moved. Their steps were uneven. Their eyes darted about. Their arms stayed tucked in, as if they were bracing for something they could not quite identify.

Those judged to be low risk moved differently. Their stride was smoother and more regular. Their expression was settled rather than confrontational. They did not look like people itching for a fight; they looked like people who would notice details, speak clearly to police, or create complications. For a criminal, that is often reason enough to move on and wait for someone else who looks easier.

The logic is not mysterious. It is practical. If you are planning to offend in public, you want someone who looks distracted, slow to react and unlikely to remember exactly what happened. Posture and walking pace act as a preview of all of that. When you move as though you are apologising for existing in the space, a predator is likely to read that as lower confidence and lower risk.

Walk with purpose and your silhouette changes. Your balance feels more grounded. Your arms swing naturally. When you look around, it appears deliberate rather than anxious. All of that suggests you will be harder to catch off guard. And criminals, like everyone else, usually choose the path that offers the least resistance.

Street criminals and how to walk with purpose without looking tense

Walking with purpose is not the same as putting on an act of toughness. It is about looking present. One simple adjustment makes a surprising difference: imagine your body being gently drawn forwards from the chest, rather than dragged along by the feet or folded over a screen.

Next time you step outside, try this: put your phone away for the first two minutes. Lift your head so your gaze reaches eye level ahead of you rather than dropping to the ground. Let your shoulders settle instead of tightening them. Then decide on a point in your mind - “the café on the corner”, “the bus stop”, “the red car at the end of the road” - and walk straight towards it.

There is no need to march. Just keep a steady, natural pace, as if you are a little late for something that matters to you, but not running. That small change alone makes you look less disorientated and less like you are drifting along on autopilot.

Most people think about safety only in rough areas or after dark. In reality, it is more complicated than that. Visible distraction in broad daylight, even in a supposedly safe part of town, can be just as important. On a busy shopping street, the person zig-zagging slowly and stopping every few metres to check directions stands out more than they realise.

We have all seen - and been - the person moving right along the edge of the pavement, phone held at chest height, fingers tapping away, bag slung low on one shoulder, earbuds shutting out the sounds of the street. That combination does more than reduce awareness. It tells anyone watching that your attention can be pulled away and that your reactions may be delayed by those crucial few seconds.

Let us be honest: nobody spends every day walking perfectly, without a phone, fully switched on. Life is messy, and sometimes you really do need to answer a message or open a map. The aim is not perfection. It is to pick a few moments each day when the risk is a little higher and move through them with a bit more deliberate awareness.

One of the strongest signals you can send is not dramatic at all. It is calm, brief eye contact. Not a stare-down, just a steady glance that lands and then passes on. That tiny moment says: “I noticed you. I could describe you.” For many offenders, that alone makes you a less attractive option.

“Predators look for anonymity and surprise. The moment you show that you are aware of your surroundings, you disrupt both,” says a former street officer I once spoke to. “They do not want a scene. They want a fast, clean opening.”

Think of the way you move through the street as a small, invisible layer of protection that you can put on without anyone noticing.

• Head up: keep your eyes at eye level rather than fixed on the pavement.
• Hands free: put your phone away and keep your bag shut and close to your body.
• Steady rhythm: walk in a straight line at a consistent pace.
• Quick scan: glance gently left and right at corners, side streets and doorways.
• Brief eye contact: if someone feels off, notice them and keep moving.

None of this turns you into a superhero. It simply shifts the odds in small, practical ways that build up over months and years.

The quiet advantage of walking as though you belong there

It is strangely reassuring to remember that criminals are risk assessors, not film villains. They observe, compare, discard and choose. And much of that choice depends on details most people barely notice in their own bodies.

When you walk as though you belong somewhere - even if you have just got off a plane and do not speak the language - people respond differently. Shop staff tend to leave you alone more quickly. Strangers ask you for directions more often. And those looking for trouble are more likely to label you as unsuitable and let you blend into the crowd.

We have all felt that moment when we stepped off a train in an unfamiliar city, suitcase in one hand and phone in the other, and realised halfway down the street how exposed we felt. That sense of vulnerability is not only about the location. It is also in the way our shoulders rise, our neck bends and our steps slow the second we feel lost.

The point is not to beat yourself up for that. It is simply to recognise that body language is not neutral. It communicates, whether you mean it to or not. And with a few quiet habits - head up, a clear route, shorter looks at the map and a more grounded stride - you can change what it is saying without turning daily life into a tactical exercise.

A useful extra habit is to use reflections. Shop windows, bus-stop glass and glossy doors can give you a quick sense of what is happening behind and beside you without making a show of checking over your shoulder. Another good practice is to plan your route before you leave busy transport hubs, so you spend less time standing still at the point where distraction is most obvious.

The way you move through a street is a silent statement about yourself. It is not a guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen, but it does say: “I am here, I am aware, and making trouble with me is probably not worth it.” In many cases, that is enough for someone scanning the crowd to keep looking past you and let you carry on with your day.

Key point	Detail	Why it matters for the reader
Posture and pace	Head up, steady speed, relaxed shoulders, clear direction	Lowers the chance of being read as an “easy target”
Level of attention	Less screen use while walking, brief scans of the surroundings	Helps you spot suspicious behaviour and exits earlier
Social signal	Short eye contact, an “I belong here” attitude	Makes you less anonymous, and therefore less appealing to an attacker

FAQ

Does walking with confidence really make me safer?
It is not a magic shield, but offenders consistently say they avoid people who look alert, purposeful and harder to catch off guard.

What if I am naturally shy or anxious?
You do not need to act outgoing; simply practise a slightly straighter posture, a clearer route and keeping your phone away in higher-risk spots.

Is it bad to wear headphones while walking?
Not automatically, though loud music and noise-cancelling headphones isolate you; many safety trainers suggest using just one earbud or turning the volume down outdoors.

Should I make strong eye contact with suspicious people?
Aim for brief, calm eye contact rather than a stare. The goal is to show awareness, not to provoke a confrontation.

Can these habits help beyond crime prevention?
Yes. They often improve self-confidence, support better posture and change how other people respond to you in everyday situations.