This Is Not A Drill: It’s Life And Sometimes Living Can Be Dangerous
At Advise, Train, Guide (ATG LLC) ™ every lesson plan we create—whether focused on life skills or active parenting—includes a built-in layer of situational awareness. We do this intentionally, because our goal is to help our customers experience those critical “light-bulb moments” when real-world situations demand quick thinking, confidence, and the ability to protect themselves and their loved ones. These moments often arise during stressful events or while navigating new and unfamiliar environments.
But those moments of clarity only happen when people have options—mental, emotional, and physical. When faced with decisions that could influence their safety and well-being, individuals must have practical tools to draw from. That is why we integrate situational awareness principles into everything we produce. We want you and your family to feel empowered, prepared, and capable of practicing personal safety every day.
Like you, we are deeply aware of the tragic stories involving women and men who vanish during or after what began as a fun night out—only to be found later in remote, forgotten places, robbed of the chance to enjoy life again. These incidents remind us why situational awareness isn’t optional; it’s essential.
To help you build this mindset into your daily routines, we’ve developed a simple, yet powerful exercise we call “Mariska’s Final Choice,” designed to expand your situational awareness toolkit. This exercise will help you add new options, insights, and tactics to your personal safety plan—ensuring you’re better prepared for the unexpected.
Mariska’s Final Choice
In this scenario, you will imagine that your significant other, child, teen, or another member of your circle of trust is the person named Mariska (a soon to be 18-year-old). Feel free to change the name or gender to fit your personal situation.
Scenario
Mariska has spent an entire year saving money to attend a concert with six of her closest friends. The event is being held at a large, well-known arena just a few miles from her home. Coincidently, she’ll turn eighteen the day of the concert. Mariska still lives with her mother and siblings, and, like many teens, often uses multiple social media platforms—including some questionable dating sites where she talks to people, she has never met in person.
When the big day arrives, the group carpools to the arena with Bonnie, also eighteen, serving as the designated and trusted driver. All the parents are confident that Bonnie will get everyone safely to and from the event.
Bonnie arrives on time, finds parking, and the entire group enters the arena with plenty of time to spare before the show begins. Everything seems to be going perfectly.
During the concert, Mariska steps away to freshen up. But a mix of unexpected events, poor event security, and badly designed pedestrian circulation controls leads her through a door that locks behind her. Suddenly, she is stuck outside the arena with no way to get back in.
She makes her way through the darkness toward the well-lit main entrance, only to find those doors locked as well. No staff in safety vests. No ushers. No security personnel in sight anywhere.
From where she’s standing, she can see Bonnie’s SUV—but instead of heading straight to it, she makes a different choice, her final choice.
Mariska texts her friends to say she accidentally exited the arena and cannot get back inside. She adds that she knows someone from a dating app who lives nearby that will come pick her up. She tells them not to worry because “she’s got this.”
Her friends respond with heart emojis, laughing faces, and a casual message: “That’s our Mariska, see you later, girl!” Mariska is never seen again.
Reflection Questions
Use these questions to evaluate the scenario, identify warning signs, and build better situational awareness habits for yourself and your loved ones.
- What do you think happened to Mariska after she left the arena?
- What decisions or behaviors in this scenario increased her vulnerability?
- What steps could have been taken before the event to keep her safe?
- How would you prevent a similar situation from happening to your child, teen, or trusted loved one?
- What role—if any—did Bonnie, the designated driver, play in the outcome of this scenario?
- What communication plan or safety plan should have been established among the friends and their parents before the concert?
- If you were part of this group, what would you have done differently once Mariska sent her text?
- What situational awareness “red flags” stand out to you the most?
Note: Watch our “First Date Advice For Sons and Daughters: But You Can Use It Too,” video in the Videos section of our website and determine whether or not the GOTWA planning tool is something Bonnie, Mariska, and her friends should have used to prevent confusion and loss of life. https://warriors2mentors.com/videos/
Hopefully, this training scenario inspires you to discuss the benefits of adding situational awareness techniques to your toolbox of personal safety and security tactics.
Warm regards,
Advise, Train, Guide (ATG LLC) ™