I've noticed that I tend to go out of my way to present myself in the most non-threatening manner possible when I'm out in public. I'm really not sure why I do this...it's not like I have a menacing look or any other reason to people to instantly distrust me. I'm average build, have short-cut hair and wear glasses, but I constantly seem to think that people think I'm up to no good. I just assume they do.
Whenever I walk down the street or when I'm in a store, I keep my hands in my pockets and try to position myself in such a way that I can be seen, so as not to portray an image of sneekiness. The few times I've been pulled over by the police for something minor like speeding, I always make sure my hands are at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions on the steering wheel, so they can see my hands. I don't keep the car's registration papers in the glovebox, I prefer to keep them attached to the driver's-side sun visor, so my hands can be seen retrieving them. (Don't want them to think I'm going for a weapon in the glovebox...maybe I've seen too many cop shows on TV where that's the case.) Whenever I'm at the park with my kids, I either make sure I have a newspaper to read or I pay explicit attention to my own kids, so as not to seem like someone there just to check out the kids. If I'm walking down the sidewalk and see a woman/child/elderly person approaching, if there's time to react I'll cross the street and walk on the opposite side, just to alleviate perceived uneasiness on their part. If it's another man, it's almost not an issue. And if I'm in a crowd, I just make sure I don't make eye contact with anyone, since that might be taken as a sign of aggression by some.
I don't know if this is something that other people do naturally and I'm just more aware of it, or if I'm tweaking on it a bit more...but it's just exhausting to constantly be 'on stage', so to speak. It's not that I'm seeking trust, it's more like I'm specifically trying to avoid DIStrust. So what do you think...is this a normal thing that's just slightly amplified with me? Is this an AS-ish trait or something else?