People Mover & safety at night?

[Stosh]

Glad to know that's what you think of me. Rest assured I'll keep it in mind whenever I interact with you from now on.

Hard to figure out your intent on this statement. Must be that attitude thing....

Duly scolded. Thanks.

Not that you need to know this, but of course I carried a visible canister of mace when I lived in Midtown and worked at CT. It was on my keychain. I never needed to use it, though. But hey, maybe we should all be packing so that if we receive a suspicious look, we can eliminate any and all threats. If I'd pulled out my gun the second he started to size me up, yeah, that would've showed him!

I just love how you can start with a fairly reasonable sentence, then veer off into left field in the next sentence. I never explicitly implied that you should play Dirty Harriet on the streets of Detroit, but perhaps it's worth a look see into as well.

[mam2009]

Simple. Because I never have been before, and I'm not exactly a spring chicken. I have two younger sisters who are still in their 20s, who go out at night with friends to far more risky places than I ever would, and neither of them have experienced any personal crime, either.

Even more crazy, none of my cousins have experienced any, either. In fact, no one in my generation has had a car stolen, smash and grab, assault, raped, groped, pickpocket, been robbed, shot, stabbed, or injured at all on the streets of Detroit. We have FRIENDS who have, and some of our older RELATIVES have, but nothing ever happened to US. And most of our friends and relatives never had anything happen to them.

In my experience from my earliest memories in the early 80s until now, crime happened to two groups of people in the city: 1) those interacting with criminals and involved in that lifestyle, and 2) easy "marks" like people who leave ANYTHING on their car seats, people who don't have eyes in the back of their heads, or people who scurry around the CBD looking nervous and scared.

Since I didn't fall into group #1 or group #2, why on earth would I expect to be a victim? And indeed, the point of this thread was that last night, I wasn't... but I am shaken up. Anyone would be unless they're superhuman.

English, I can sort of understand where you're coming from. Bad news is so prevalent about Detroit regarding crime that some folks think that every Detroiter has a close and intimate knowledge of crime. Yes, I've had my car broken into, but I thank God often that I've never had my person threatened in any way. I like to think that I'm aware of my surroundings and don't take unnecessary risks and you should continue to live your life the same. You sound like you'll be fine. I agree with another poster, this was just your time -- and it really turned out not to be. So lets hope that your "time" has come and gone forever.

[Retroit]

http://www.crimemapping.com

http://spotcrime.com

I would suggest you continue to carry your purse, minus all valuable articles. Keep credit cards, drivers license, large bills, etc. somewhere else on your person. This way if your purse is stolen, you have not lost much. [[Also a good way to get rid of purses you don't want anymore! ...)

[English]

^ Thanks mam2009. There are so many good things about the city, and when I think about choosing another place within commuting distance to WSU, I'm just not that enthused. I just need to spend some time over the next few months getting reacclimated, that's all.

I've always been able to gauge Detroit on a block by block basis... you know, there are some places you go and are fine, and others you avoid, and those places definitely shift over time. My judgment was off last night. I'll definitely make adjustments so that it won't happen again.

[English]

http://www.crimemapping.com

http://spotcrime.com

I would suggest you continue to carry your purse, minus all valuable articles. Keep credit cards, drivers license, large bills, etc. somewhere else on your person. This way if your purse is stolen, you have not lost much. [[Also a good way to get rid of purses you don't want anymore! ...)

Good idea, Retroit. I've also got a cheap backpack that I can cart my school stuff and laptop around in. The drawback is that it's starting to hurt my back. [[Darn 30s!) I also have a rolling briefcase, but it's not that portable on stairs. I start at WSU in May, so I need to be prepared fairly soon.

Despite my snarking at Stosh, one thing is for sure -- I need to put my mace back on my keychain. That thing is a good third of the size of a police baton. I took it off when I got in trouble up here at UMich and with the Ann Arbor cops a few times for having it -- "it's illegal". My whole argument that "I don't want to be raped!" was lost on them. They kept confiscating it, and my grandma kept buying it. LOL! I'm going to also practice using it.

This is definitely TMI, but as I write this, I remember that I also used to carry a switchblade from the time I was a teenager until I moved up to Ann Arbor. My mom got it for me back when I was a Girl Scout, and my dad taught us what to do. Again, I think that I lost it during some security thing a few years ago. And yes, I have thought about getting my CCW permit, and started talking about it back in 2004, although my mother's totally against it. She thinks it's more likely that as a woman, I could be physically overpowered and shot by any would-be assailant.

Finally, I think I need to start dating again. Haven't done so seriously since I started writing the dissertation and have avoided a few opportunities b/c the timing and the person weren't the greatest. But the right guy can definitely be a deterrent... and this way, I would be by myself at night a lot less frequently.

Thanks for letting me vent, everyone. I need to stop secondguessing myself. I'm sure I'll be all right.

[Ravine]

That's just Daily Reality in Detroit, English. You've known that the entire time; it just feels more real, now, because something almost happened [[which, in this case, sort of means that something did happen: you were threatened or, at the least, felt threatened.)

So, shake it off [[give yourself a few days,) and don't even think about making any Big Decisions while you are still traumatized. Proceed as planned, with a mind aimed toward raising your caution level. Onward & upward, goddamit.

I am a firm believer in the theory which holds that if your number is up, it's up, and if it ain't, it ain't. Yours wasn't. Good shit, as they say.

And, speaking of numbers and up-ness, who knows? Maybe that low-life will live to be 97 years old, or maybe he absent-mindedly stepped in front of a bus not ten minutes after dashing off of the People Mover.

There is no "Bottom Line," here. Something scary happened, you came through with your self & your stuff intact, and now you've relieved some stress by writing about it.

Now get some sleep, fer chrissakes.

[cman710]

Hi English,

First, I am sorry to hear that you were the victim of an attempted crime. I am glad that you were with friends, and that your friend was able to thwart the attempt.

As far as what to do going forward with where you live, I think you are taking the right approach by trying to gather more information. Besides that, however, I think you should also consider the mental side of things, and weigh that against all the positive things that would come with living in or near the CBD.

By mental side of things, I mean your own mindset. Having been a victim of an attempted crime, will you now be overly nervous walking around by yourself even when it is not very late at night? Are you willing to go forward having to put in the effort to be aware of your surroundings, or would it make you much happier to live in a very safe area in which you can be more laid back? Are these downsides worth the price of living in Detroit and trying to contribute to something positive? I think the answers to these questions will help guide you one way or another, and I would not blame you for answering any of them yes or no.

[Stosh]

Despite my snarking at Stosh, one thing is for sure -- I need to put my mace back on my keychain

Which brings up a more curious question... Why is English snarking at Stosh at all?

[Hermod]

I risked the snark and the bullying from this forum because I'm trying to process things, and as always, I know how to sort the BS from the helpful advice one gets here.

I don't know how many internet fora you frequent. In my opinion, this is one of the most civil and considerate. If you want to get into a real internet food fight, go over to Democratic Underground. The ranters over there are particularly brutal.

[English]

Ravine & cman710: Thanks! It's really appreciated.

I don't know how many internet fora you frequent. In my opinion, this is one of the most civil and considerate. If you want to get into a real internet food fight, go over to Democratic Underground. The ranters over there are particularly brutal.

Not very many these days, to be honest. Although in the early days of the Internet, I thought the anonymity was fun and was all over the place, I don't really care for online spaces where posters do not use their real names. Facebook, once I joined 4 years ago, put that distinction into sharp relief for me.

I find that the anonymity of the Internet leads to a sort of "online disinhibition effect":
http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psyc...isinhibit.html

If I didn't know some of the folks on DYes in real life, and have a good idea of who some of the others are, I'm sure I wouldn't participate here. As it was, I never had as many posts on the old forum as a lot of people, and I still don't post a whole lot now. I do far more lurking and reading than posting.

[EastSider]

In my little corner of the city, in one of the "stable" neighborhoods on the east side, in a two-mile radius, there were 52 crimes reported in 5 days lat week. That's 10 crimes every day within two miles of my home. How many weren't reported? I know I've never bothered calling the cops any of the 4 times my garage was broken into in the last 3 years.

Didn't see your update. That's fair. I have heard there's more property crime occurring. One of my older cousins is nearly retired from the DPD and his car was stolen from his driveway last December. He says he's fed up, will leave the force in January, and is moving to Arizona.

Unfortunately, not all of those crimes were just property crimes. There were home invasions in the middle of the night, all on the same night within 4 hours of each other, one and two blocks over from me. There's also assaults on there. You know what they say, Detroit rises!

[Jimaz]

... I would suggest you continue to carry your purse, minus all valuable articles. Keep credit cards, drivers license, large bills, etc. somewhere else on your person. This way if your purse is stolen, you have not lost much.

I was about to suggest the same thing only boobytrap the purse with a dye pack and a stink bomb.

[downtownguy]

English, as many others have already said, just put this experience in perspective. The incident could have happened to you anytime, anywhere.

Ironically, back in the 70s, I was at a hockey game at Yost Arena parked in the lot not far from the entrance. Came out to find my radiator was stolen. Thieves are stupid and often brazen. Nothing has changed. Be aware of your surroundings, just as you should do anywhere.

When I get on the freeway these days, I tense up far more than I do when walking around downtown. I've often wondered what the odds are that I might be hurt in an auto accident and how that would compare to the odds of being harmed on my walks. Regardless of what the statistics may bear out, I know I feel more comfortable walking the downtown streets.

[pffft]

I have to say, about the friend's car stolen on Lafayette that summer night [[during Jazzfest), a few things.

One, I know not to park on the street, I always, always pop for the $5 or whatever it is, for the parking deck. During Jazzfest, the Compuware parking deck is nice and close. No probs ever for me.

The other thing, friend was driving a '90s Mercury, a big grandpa car that's popular in the neighborhoods...it was stolen for parts.
And very easy to get into.

So while I think car theft is pretty strong downtown, it has been for years. I've been fortunate, worst that's happened to me is a broken car window, nothing taken. You just have to take precautions; street parking in the evenings is dodgy.

[bragaboutme]

English, I have lived in detroit for a long time. Grew up on the eastside. With that being said, I understand what young people go through living in the city. Reading this thread, I really see that you are not alone in the way you feel about how there are people that just want to live. I, as well as my family think that detroit is not dangerous, there are just dangerous people in this area that don't have any other means but to rob and steal. I just really like the fact that this thread exist to make people aware of the real dangers that are out there. Not only in detroit, but chicago, l.a., and elseware. Young and old need to understand that anyone of us can be a victim. Just be ready, and prepared.

[English]

Downtownguy & bragaboutme -- thanks. Just got off the phone with Chicago friend, who's still a little shaken up. She did talk about how her South Side neighborhood went down after the projects were torn down, and grows worse, so she's sympathetic.

pffft -- I've had hubcaps stolen twice, so I guess I have experienced property crime as an adult.. But to be quite honest, it didn't even register as a crime back then. It was always more of a "sh*t, they got me, bastards!" reaction. I didn't replace 'em either time, and they only got what was curbside [[passenger side).

I've experienced petty theft in Ann Arbor, too. The most expensive was a pair of new shoes at the Meri Lou Murray Rec Center... left them on a bench in the women's locker room, and never saw them again. I'd started cross training in early 2009 and lifting weights, and I'm an irregular size, so I paid dearly for them. Oh well. I guess I never really dwelled on stuff like that, because I figured it was the nature of the beast and every time I'd experienced it, I was stupid and careless and deserved it. But I've never had my person threatened.

Stuff happens everywhere in this region. Thanks for helping me put this into perspective, guys. I'm really appreciating DYes today.

[DetroitScooter]

Stuff happens everywhere in this region. Thanks for helping me put this into perspective, guys. I'm really appreciating DYes today.

And I think that we've learned a lesson about dealing with Detroit from you. It's going to take more of that positive-despite-some-problems attitude to help the petty thieves get the message - We aren't going to take it any more.

[English]

Exactly, DetroitScooter. I'll be back. I'm just seriously considering another secured highrise, though, despite the inconveniences of not having an upstairs/downstairs or the convenience of your car in close proximity to your domicile.

[Gistok]

Which brings up a more curious question... Why is English snarking at Stosh at all?

Stosh... that's an easy one... I'll answer...

Have you ever watched "Everybody Loves Raymond"? Sometimes you come off with comments which to you sound completely innocent.... reminiscent of Marie [[Barone) when she gives a critical [[but she thinks helpful) answer to her daughter-in-law Debra... [[such as "Cookie dough in a log? Well that's almost baking.") but with a smile... only you use the smiley.... ... which is useless when the message sounds critical... but you then think people are overly sensitive to your comments... just like Marie.... you think you're giving good helpful comments... but others don't take it that way...

Comprendez-vous? ....

[FlyingJ]

English, they call it the "Mugger Mover" for a reason. Don't blame yourself, it's the town that's gone bad-not you. But to satify the "everywhere else sucks too" meme on DetroitYes, My brother grabbed a pickpocket trying 2 snake my Dad in New Orleans, guy was so intent on his crime he never thought the 6'08" dude was related 2 the old white guy. You're luckier than a brilliant 6'04" criminoplogy student on Atlanta's PeopleMover equivalent;
http://wsbradio.com/localnews/2010/0...ta-murder.html

[English]

FlyingJ, that's terrible. I feel sad for that young man's family. It's so senseless.

We did notice that the young man looked suspicious right away. If he had pulled a gun and demanded the bag, I would have given it to him and just figured out the rest later. Our parents drummed that into our heads. There's nothing worth giving up your life for, and I wouldn't want to have to face my friend's family in Chicago... it makes no sense to escape one 'hood, be in GRAD school, and end up a victim in another.

We think he may have just decided not to risk an altercation. The thing that left the aftertaste in our mouths was that he seemed not just threatening, but desperate and nervous. A theft can turn deadly if people are either scary or coldblooded, as we saw in the case of that ATM shooting AFTER the man gave that couple his money.

We have got to figure out what we're going to do with the youth and young adults all over this country who are completely unplugged from mainstream American society. We can't lock 'em all up, but then I think about young men like my sister's fiance. He's 24 and he hasn't had a job in almost a year. My sister's supporting both of them, but without a college education, these young men of ALL races are going to soon be a permanent underclass. They've got to eat and have a roof over their heads and a sense of manhood and respect so that they can feel safe... however they can come by it.

Along with fixing the schools, we have GOT to figure out some sort of 21st century blue collar economy. In FDR's America, this young black man wouldn't have to snatch purses in order to feel some sense of control, he would have been in the Civilian Conservation Corps. That's where my fatherless grandfather learned a lot of skills that served him later in life. My dad suffered the horrors of 'Nam in the late 60s, but it was the military who taught him how to parent.

The more and more I think about this, the more determined I am to do more. Obviously, teaching and mentoring isn't enough. We need a comprehensive program. NOTHING in any of Duncan's plans on the national level, or Bobb's plans locally, really do very much for adolescents or especially adults. We can build a world class school system and have all the light rail in the world, but if these youngsters don't have a sense of purpose and direction, if they are amoral, we might as well write Detroit's epitaph now.

[Stosh]

Stosh... that's an easy one... I'll answer...

Have you ever watched "Everybody Loves Raymond"? Sometimes you come off with comments which to you sound completely innocent.... reminiscent of Marie [[Barone) when she gives a critical [[but she thinks helpful) answer to her daughter-in-law Debra... [[such as "Cookie dough in a log? Well that's almost baking.") but with a smile... only you use the smiley.... ... which is useless when the message sounds critical... but you then think people are overly sensitive to your comments... just like Marie.... you think you're giving good helpful comments... but others don't take it that way...

Comprendez-vous? ....

Boy... talk about a heaping helping of nothing. You might have chosen to speak English. [[Ironic, I know!) And also, please take your own advice. If you have a hard time figuring out where I am coming from, perhaps you should re-read some of your condescending phrasing in your postings.

And for your information, I did not use the smiley. I used this: , which also accurately describes my reaction to the jargon riddled, obscurely referenced diatribe you've decided to post.

[REL]

1) English, I'm sorry you had a scary moment on the People User.

2) I tend to leave my purse and carry my wallet, keys & phone on my person somewhere [[NOT that I'm blaming you for what happened, most women carry purses, of course. Just a tip)

3) Last time I was on the People Mover, a group of guys sitting across from me were leering, cat-calling, and drinking beer. I was alone. No cops anywhere to be seen to enforce open container laws, or even to give them dirty looks. The whole thing made me feel very uncomfortable. This was way back at JazzFest, and I haven't been on since

4) I'm extra-sorry this happened to you on the People Mover because it feels even scarier when you're a prisoner in a moving vehicle [[that, granted, goes nowhere).

[English]

REL: Thanks so much for the tips and the empathy. About #3, I can relate, we did two rides. I almost lost my bag on the second. On the first ride, there was a group of six or seven boys and one sent a weed-laden leer in my direction. I gave him my best "quit before I turn you over my knee, little boy" look, but I was glad that they didn't get off at Greektown with us.

Of course, your story and my story doesn't indicate a trend, but I don't remember a bunch of folks from the ghettohoods chillin' on the DPM in 2005 or before. A lot of my friends from the 'hood didn't like riding it or were always nervous about the lurching, etc. When did the kids start riding the DPM at night like that?

You're so right about the purse. I thought I was being more efficient and eco-friendly by having a bag that could contain my lady things, valuables, and purchases. Ann Arbor has obviously eliminated any kind of street sense I had... and I think that it did, because my first year up there, EVERYONE was telling me to lighten up and chill out. Whatever.

I didn't take a purse when I did a food run to Ypsi this evening, and I went before dark. Haven't been out all day; stayed home and cleaned house. Usually I like go out on Saturday nights, especially once the weather gets nice, but my roommate wasn't home and I didn't want to come back to a dark house. A couple of my friends texted me, but I chose to stay in... which is why I've been on DYes so much.

Sigh. Was going to meet my best friend for brunch down there tomorrow. I think I'll wait until I get my head back together... also want to be near a TV to see how the healthcare thing shakes out, so maybe I'll head down that way on Tuesday when I run my errands.

[English]

BTW, I've been thinking about the story of Julio Diaz, who was robbed at knifepoint by a teenager. Instead of getting scared, he decided to help him:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=89164759