Why folks are nervous around people in hoodies....

[Paladin885]

After the Columbine shootings people said the same thing about trench coats but here's the thing; it's just an article of clothing. It holds no power or significance.

yes it does. Humans judge on outward appearance. We humans cast judgement within 0.5sec based on what a person is wearing that we make eye contact on. We associate patterns based on what we've seen previously or have experienced. Take for example a couple driving into an inner city neighborhood. They lock the doors. Why? because they assume that it's a rough neighborhood, but is it? thats up to the city to know the answer.

I've walked through downtown baltimore alone at 1am because I needed to get back to my friend's uncle's place since I had no money. The area looked "safe" to walk around in but later I learned that it was not a very wise choice at the time once I got a hold of some data of the city. Statistically, I was lucky.

[Togarox]

I think it is a generational thing that people will eventually get used to.

[Austilias]

So every time you've seen someone wearing a hoodie, they've been burglarizing your home and/or harassing you? I find that extremely hard to believe.

No, but I behave with a degree of caution; the store (Tescos) where I live for example doesn't permit you to enter if you wear a hoody as they've had many instances of pick-pocketing and thievery occur by (more than any other manner of culprit) the aforementioned young hooligans wearing hoodies; the instances that I cited regarding the burglary of my home are also not that uncommon. It might be a fashionable thing in some places, but here in Ireland at least they tend to be worn and indeed, tend to be indicative of people with less than noble intentions.

[Zamfix]

Because if you can't see someone's face it's very hard to read them. You can glean a lot about someone's intentions from their face.

[jahasafrat]

The people I don't trust are the ones running around in black and white striped shirts carrying bags with dollars signs on them. Nine times out of ten, they're up to no good.

[Kampret]

People whose life are spent within their brainwashing community where they grew up have to come up with a stereotype to justify that they are the 'good' people and the stereotyped is 'bad' people

[Deleted]

Well, in the UK, hooligans and youths that plague the streets almost always have a hoodie on. They have a reputation/stigma/stereotype for causing trouble and making other people miserable or intimidated.

Other countries maybe different but hoodies are generally worn by anti-social youths or just young people in general. Very unlikely to find someone over 30 who wears a hoodie here.

I wear hoodies in winter and when it's raining but I don't use them to hide identity like many young kids on the street do.

[Jodah]

I get weird looks when I wear my hoodie up. I usually do it because I'm too damned lazy to brush my hair. Meh, not my problem if people decide to stereotype me.

[Pull My Finger]

I only wear my hoodie together with my trenchcoat. It earns me a lot of respect in the vicinity of schools and retirement homes.

[Anakso]

I don't understand it either, during the winter here I wear a hoodie, but I only put the hood up if it's raining. I think it's more when people have their hoods up and it's a clear day that people get a bit suspicious. In NZ where I grew up most people in my age group wear hoodies though.

I remember several years ago now, when I visited my family in the UK I had a hoodie on like normal, and it was really cold. But my aunt told me I had to take it off to enter the mall because they didn't allow hoodies inside.

[Duridi]

If its a perfectly clear day out you have no reason to have your hood up, in less pleasant weather you can more than get away with it. I can understand if maybe you have some hideous scarring or something on your face you want to hide, but you cant get angry at people for seeing the obvious: you're projecting a suspicious vibe by hiding your face. Most people don't like the unknown usually, and hiding your face in public sends off alarms in peoples heads. It can be intimidating, why do you think so many robbers where ski-masks and whatnot? Obviously to hide their identities, but the point is when you cant see someone's face they automatically become a little more intimidating because unknowns are threatening to us humans.

Automatically assuming they're up to no good just because they do this is questionable, but there is a very good reason for the stereotype. It has nothing to do with just hoodies, any clothing that hides your face would have a similar effect.

Reminds me of the niqab discussion we had here in Norway not long ago. People want to see niqab forbidden because for this very reason. We can't see who is inside, and our society is much built up on reading peoples body language which a niqab will prevent.

Not interested in starting a niqab discussion, just mentioning the similarity due to the content of this very quote. Niqab is a extreme case though.

[Cruor]

Pretty easy question to answer... number of times I've seen the guy on the news caught for mugging/rape/vandalism/robbery wearing a business suit: 0. Number of times Ive seen them wearing a hoodie: many.

Number of times I've had altercations with people dressed in a "thugy" way: several. Number of times I have had problems on the street with well dressed people: 0.

Same reason police "pick on" certain looking people... because more often then not, someone looking like that/of that race DID do it.

[Chaochamp]

Well it depends what kind of jacket it is. If it's a cloth jacket, then it's obvious the individual doesn't want to be seen for some reason. Rain-proof jackets are different. I only see bad in people that wear cloth hoodies.

[AdriWar]

Because Hoodies are cute and people are intimidated by cuteness.

[Deleted]

After the Columbine shootings people said the same thing about trench coats but here's the thing; it's just an article of clothing. It holds no power or significance.

Of course it does. It becomes(often wrongfully, but none the less) a symbol of a certain behavior or agenda. Same as a police uniform of the KKK robe. The item in itself holds now power, but the message it conveys certainly does.

[Foosha]

After the Columbine shootings people said the same thing about trench coats but here's the thing; it's just an article of clothing. It holds no power or significance.

To a certain extent. If I see a guy in a ski mask nowhere near a cold climate, let alone a mountain, I have good reason to be suspicious.

[Deleted]

Well I know not all the people in hoodies are Chavs but almost all of the chavs wear hoodies. I know most Chavs are fine but they are pretty annoying and it is known that they do sometimes carry knifes.

[Auguine]

I wear hoodies sometimes in the fall/spring I do not wear it to commit crimes, I wear them to keep out of the cold lol.

[Deleted]

Yeah there's lots of social theory behind it but it's actually really, really annoying.

I go to the gym in the evening and usually wear a hoodie to and from, if I see one more old lady clutch her bag tighter as I pass I'm going to mug her>_>

But on a serious note, the fear of crime has risen to extremes in the past 20-30 years, whilst the rate of crime has decreased. It's almost entirely the fault of the media, the time allotted to the news has gotten longer and longer over the years. As a boy the news was three times a day, for a total of around 90 minutes or less. They told you the news, that was it.

Now with 24/7 news channels and all this crap they have to constantly repeat themselves and report even minor crimes, e.g. hoodie related petty theft, just to fill up air time.

[Deleted]

I wear hoodies because i dont like the freezing cold winds punching me in the face. I dont know many people that get intimidated by hoodies but out of courtesy if i see an elderly person walking toward me in the distance i'll put the hood down, that's just more a sign of respect though. The elderly are bombarded with stuff in news about kids beating them up/robbing them and it's completely understandable for them to feel insecure around people with hoods especially if it's not raining, a minute or two of me going cold is better than some poor old lady scared and wondering if i'm about to mug her or not