What Every BODY Is Saying : An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed Reading People

GETTING A LEG UP ON BODY LANGUAGE 77

someone we don’t know approaches us on the street, we usually turn our
attention to them from the hips up, but keep our feet pointed in the di-
rection of travel. The message we are sending is that socially I will be
attentive briefly; personally I am prepared to continue or flee.
Over the years, I have conducted training for customs inspectors in the
United States and abroad. I have learned an incredible amount from them,
and I hope they have picked up a few pointers from me. One thing I have
taught them is to look for passengers who point their feet toward the exit
while turning to the officer to make their customs declaration (see figure
26). While they could simply be in a hurry to catch a flight, this behavior
should make the inspector suspicious. In studies, we found that people who

BOX 17: CRIME SHOPPERS

Criminals don’t always realize just how much information they give away.

When I worked in New York City, my fellow agents and I often watched

street predators as they tried to blend into the crowd. One of the ways in

which they were unsuccessful in doing so, however, was that they fre-

quently walked on the inside of the sidewalk, habitually changing their

walking speed as they aimlessly window shopped. Most people have a

place to go and a task to accomplish, so they walk with purpose. Preda-

tors (muggers, drug dealers, thieves, con men) lurk about waiting for their

next victim; therefore their postures and pace are different. There is no

purposeful direction to their travel until they are about to strike. When a

predator vectors toward you, whether a beggar or a mugger, the discom-

fort you sense is due to the calculations your limbic brain is performing to

try to prevent you from becoming the next target. So, next time you’re in a

big city, keep an eye out for predators. If you see a person walking around

with no purpose who suddenly makes a beeline for you, look out! Better

yet, get out—as quickly as possible. Even if you just sense this is happen-

ing, listen to your inner voice (de Becker, 1997, 133).