Asklemmy

Im suspicious of nobody unless they give me a reason to be.

Someone could put on a suit to murder you my guy. Don’t lump everyone under one umbrella.

I remember as a kid I locked the door to the car whenever someone would walk by. Most people don't really notice or care but once a black guy walked by and I didn't know about the racist connotation, so I just did what I always did and was devastated when I could see that I really hurt the guy's feelings. I stopped doing it after that, now I just give a little friendly wave or smile. I'm still as overly cautious, but I'd rather get stabbed to death than make someone feel like that ever again.

I think you can be aware or possibly even "wary" if you see that, but I think it is a little absurd to let that become actual worry or suspicion.

Just be aware of your surroundings. Clock the person in a hoodie, make a mental note of it, and continue on your way. I feel like this is "how to live in a modern city 101." If you get this thrown by seeing someone in a hoodie, then maybe you're too anxious to be around that many people

I don't feel guilty. It's fair to be suspicious of someone who covers their face without context like cold weather or a medical mask (could be sick or concerned about getting sick). The trick or test is to ask yourself "Do I/would I become equally concerned if this person was in a different racial category?" If the answer is "No", de-escalate yourself. If the answer is "No", look for the other markers that are actually setting off alarms for you. It's not just covering the face. As others have pointed out there can be a variety of harmless reasons why people might do that. But look for how a person carries themself: where they keep their hands how they move their eyes. Or maybe you are just paranoid about hoodies in general, in which case you should try to develop a more holistic way of sizing people up.

As a pale skinned ginger who will get second degree burns if I'm not careful outside I'm often covered up despite temperatures approaching 100F.

More recently, I'm immediately suspicious of someone who is very obviously not immunocompromised; wearing a Covid mask with the hoodie up. Especially if they have sunglasses on. That person is either bipping cars or about to steal something. Best to just steer clear. I only ever really encounter these types in SF. They aren't worried about Covid, they just don't want their face to be seen.