FYI, the term "gray man" is used to mean sharks, particularly great white sharks, by kayakers and surfers in the California area. I believe the term may also be used in come communities to generally refer to whatever or whoever poses the biggest threat, for example, IRS.

We have a well-respected ETS member whose screen name is
Am Fear Liath Mor. Put his name into a search engine to learn another take on the grey man.

[quote=dwesteused in come communities to generally refer to whatever or whoever poses the biggest threat [/quote]

I also hadn't heard the term used this way before, but it makes sense to me- it's why the guys going grey stick out to me. They try to blend in, but something is off about them. It's like looking for unmarked police cars- look for the same basic model they use for patrol or a low-mid cost sedan or light SUV in a neutral color, with extra antennas and junk on the dashboard.

Thats interesting, can you elaborate on what you think is "off" about them.

In my AO, the everyday person wearing everyday clothes and carrying non-camo/military style gear (backpacks) blend in the best.

If I see a person walking down the street wearing blue jeans or khakis and carrying a regular backpack I usually don't give them more then a passing look.

Hoot Mon,Am Ferly Mor!In The Highlands of Scotland I beleive It refers to their Yeti/Boggy Creek Big Foot! I've heard stories,When I was a young Lad,About him & Nessie,them swimming,aside of each other,suracing in Loch Ness,then Surfacing in Loch Lomond,the next day!Good stuff for kid's when camping near dark bodies of water! I think the Surfers refer to The Gray Dude!:)

Like I said, we don't move like most people. It's a vibe, I can describe it anecdotaly, but I can't really put it into a clear definition.

Maybe some of the law enforcement members might be able to describe it better than I have, but it has to do with head up, eyes open, always moving, always scanning body language.

Mammalian behaviors are pretty well known; some trigger fight-or-flight responses and some do not. All mammals can read these signs from a long way off.

A loose, moderate pace, feet hitting the ground softly, head moving slowly about, looking with no particular focus, shoulders relaxed and down, and, if talking, a quiet, unhurried, soft-toned voice, signal "I am not fleeing or hunting, or a threat to you."

A tighter, quicker pace, feet hitting the ground hard, head on a constant quicker swivel, looking with laser-like intense focus, shoulders tensed and up, and, if talking, an intense. clipped, harsh-toned voice, signal "I am fleeing or hunting, and may be a threat if you catch my attention."

Of course, being the devious beings we are, knowing these things we can fake one or the other!

The science of body language is about these "vibes."

More "vibes" stuff:

Because these are common mammal behaviors, we can "read" other species' behavior to some extent even without knowing much about them otherwise. The angry bear, moose, or squirrel is usually pretty obvious to even a first-time human observer.

The two contrasting behavior sets above are, of course, only two of many clusters of behaviors. Most of us could describe victim-come-prey-on-me and puzzled-intrigued-what-the-heck-is-this behaviors, for example.

There are other typical behavior clues for each set, such as how the individual treats any object tht catches their attention. Because we do the same, we pretty much know what it means about an individual's attitude at the moment when they play with a small stick for a while, or stomp-break-destroy it, or just mildly kick it once in passing without further attention, for example.

More on point for this thread, we can identify in others and mimic to others various human behaviors: angery-don't-mess-with-me, crazy-let's-talk-about-weird-stuff-forever, busy-no-time-for-you, bored-lazy-darn-more-work, and so on. Think: acting!

So we have a Swiss army knife set of behaviors we can use to project different messages to help us fit into and essentially disappear from notice in various urban scenarios, or to stand out as someone to avoid rather than victimize. Pretty hard to do while sleeping though!

John Astin, the actor who played "Gomez" in "The Addams Family" TV show during the 1960's once described how, as a young starving actor he survived living in one of New York city's worst crime ridden neighborhoods without ever getting bothered.

He said that when he was on the street, he would try (and apparently managed) to look crazier than anyone else on the street.

The right body language will protect you.

Years ago I had to drive around through several states for a job. I had a small truck (Chevy S10) with a cap on the back and all my tools and gear there. I kept a few empty boxes of phone and network cable with one side cut out and would slip them over top of my suitcase or any other personal gear then put the boxes that had cable in them on top.
I hang on to old clothes, use those for work around the house, be it painting or changing oil or whatever and if we ever did bug in for an extended time I'd wear those to look rough and dirty and blend in.