Outdoor Crime Season

anonymous · April 2005

In addition to Outdoor Loudness Season, I'm afraid it's also now Outdoor Crime Season. Last night a woman was apparently held up at gunpoint on my block (St Marks betw Carlton & Vanderbilt) at around 10:30 pm, a time I usually consider relatively safe to walk home alone. She screamed and he ran away; I admire her bravery but it's probably not what I would have done.

Anyone like to share experience, advice, or strategies for avoiding being a target, or what to do if you are one?

dailyheights · April 2005

I was told once by someone "in the know" that you should always carry your cash in a back pocket or other easily accessible place - that way, you can just whip out the money quickly, and hopefully they won't ask for your wallet (and you won't have to go through the hassle of replacing your ID and credit cards).

This was before iPods and cell phones became ubiquitous, so maybe gunpoint bandits are more sophisticated and thorough now.

When I DID get robbed at gunpoint, my money was in my wallet. I pulled out the wallet, opened it, and handed the kid the cash. He didn't even look at the wallet.

anonymous · April 2005

I sometimes consider it safer to take the train home at night than a cab, because once you get out of a cab, you're alone, whereas when you come out of the subway station, lots of other people, or at least SOME other people, are pouring out at the same time and possibly walking in roughly the same direction.

Does our precinct have anything to say about this?

anonymous · April 2005

When you take a cab, just ask the driver to watch you go in your door, if there's a problem, they've got a radio.

anonymous · April 2005

Subject: words of wisdom

Most cappies in nyc are going wate for you to get into your home. THese imigrant workers are threatened and robbed on a daily basis. Do you really think that thay are going to stick around when you are getting robbed. Chance are they are going to be the next target. Even with radios it will take the cops a few minutes to come to your aid. Just be carefull and NO NOT get out of the cab untill you feel SAFE. As for taking the subway at night, not a good idea. You have much more to worry about other than exiting the train.
Prospect Heights is not the best neighborhood in the city, you gotta be carefull of you surroundings. Dont think you are invincible. It didnt work for the coulpe in the village last month

stacey · April 2005

Another suggestion is to call the person you live with (hubby/roommate or neighbor) and tell them you are on the way home. That way they can look out the window/stand outside for you.

If you think someone is following you - stop in a store - ring someone's bell.

anonymous · April 2005

Subject: in case of sexual assault

if you are being sexually assaulted, ladies, one of the best things to do is pretend you are going to throw up on your attacker. if you can actually manage to get something up and at 'em, even better. for some reason vomit will turn off their sexual predatory switch. this is often taught in women's self-defense classes. please tell all your female friends. it works.

anonymous · April 2005

another good technique is to walk in the middle of the street at night, not on the sidewalks. but do avoid being hit by cars please.

keys are a very good weapon. keep them in your hand and use them to jab at the eyes of your attacker.

my kung fu sifu taught me a trick once. if someone is wearing a baseball cap, you can pull the cap down over the face of the attacker using the bill and then punch them in the face through the cap, then go for a groin kick. then they are blinded and pretty much diabled. of course run like hell afterwards!

cigarettes can be useful if you can flick it in the attacker's face.

i've lived in too many cities. can you tell?

captain m · April 2005

Sorry but the last two responses sound like advice from a sixth grader.

For the ladies, the bottom line is if you have not taken a self defense course by now you should and if you did some time ago then take a refresher where those move only work when they come instinctually from practice and repitition.

I did several years of kung fu.... grab a persons hat? Do you think the muggers are dumb as Abbot and Costello? Walking in the middle of the street is idiotic, especially if you've seen some of the accidents that have occurred on vanderbuilt. At least stay on the side with resataurants and no hidden spaces and heavy awnings where someone can hide.

Lastly, all the above is called "street smarts" we'd like to think we all have it but rarely do we. Be safe and call someone to meet you at the subway if you alone and dont flaunt valuables.

anonymous · April 2005

Makes sense. Can anybody recommend a good self-defense class?

captain m · April 2005

I just googled this

http://www.prepareinc.com/

Also I recommend some kickboxing or if you do tae-bo or some other stuff like that you are almost halfway there. A side benefit is that such activites are a great way to stay in awesome shape.

But, listen, those kind of exercises are more to give you inner confidence and control yourself if a panic panic state and less likely to make a mistake when moments matter and give you a better chance of avoiding a situation all together. These things do work but dont think you'll do an afternoon self-d class and be able to beat up 3 thugs on the corner of washinton and st marks.

anonymous · April 2005

If you are asked to give up your wallet or money, take it out and throw it away from you... when the attacker goes to get it (and they will) you run like hell!

anonymous · April 2005

Yes, walking in the middle of the street at night has definite dangers, but Captain Marvelous, I can tell you from experience that it works to deter shady characters from messing with you. It's an old safety adage my uncle (a lifetime NYCer) has always advocated, and I've actually used it twice. In both instances, the dudes were scared off by the attention I had attracted-- headlights, car horns, explicitives, etc. Had I stayed on the sidewalk, I'm positive I would have had problems.

isa · April 2005

If I think someone is going to mess with me I walk right towards them like I am going to mug them. I don't know if this works.

candicissima · April 2005

Isa wrote: If I think someone is going to mess with me I walk right towards them like I am going to mug them. I don't know if this works.

I don't think that's the best idea. One day you're going to run into someone who'll challenge that.

I advise my roommate to walk around with purpose, instead of mouse-like. People are more likely to fuck with you if they perceive you as weak. Besides that, just be aware of your surroundings and try to avoid badly lit/creepy areas.

isa · April 2005

Oh, it's definitely not a good idea but that doesn't stop me. In other news, I've lived in Brooklyn all my life and never been mugged.

anonymous · April 2005

Captain Marvelous wrote: Sorry but the last two responses sound like advice from a sixth grader.

For the ladies, the bottom line is if you have not taken a self defense course by now you should and if you did some time ago then take a refresher where those move only work when they come instinctually from practice and repitition.

I did several years of kung fu.... grab a persons hat? Do you think the muggers are dumb as Abbot and Costello? Walking in the middle of the street is idiotic, especially if you've seen some of the accidents that have occurred on vanderbuilt. At least stay on the side with resataurants and no hidden spaces and heavy awnings where someone can hide.

Lastly, all the above is called "street smarts" we'd like to think we all have it but rarely do we. Be safe and call someone to meet you at the subway if you alone and dont flaunt valuables.

I am not a sixth grader, I am 31-year-old woman who has witnessed some serious shit in her lifetime. All of what I have stated has been of use to me, in real life-or-death situations. I did not panic. I survived.

Perhaps, Captain "Marvelous", you just need to experience firsthand the usefulness of vomiting on a rapist with a gun to your head to know that it works. But you know Kung Fu, and are a man (I assume), so you don't need to know these things now do you?

captain m · April 2005

sine wrote: [quote=Captain Marvelous]Sorry but the last two responses sound like advice from a sixth grader.

For the ladies, the bottom line is if you have not taken a self defense course by now you should and if you did some time ago then take a refresher where those move only work when they come instinctually from practice and repitition.

I did several years of kung fu.... grab a persons hat? Do you think the muggers are dumb as Abbot and Costello? Walking in the middle of the street is idiotic, especially if you've seen some of the accidents that have occurred on vanderbuilt. At least stay on the side with resataurants and no hidden spaces and heavy awnings where someone can hide.

Lastly, all the above is called "street smarts" we'd like to think we all have it but rarely do we. Be safe and call someone to meet you at the subway if you alone and dont flaunt valuables.

I am not a sixth grader, I am 31-year-old woman who has witnessed some serious shit in her lifetime. All of what I have stated has been of use to me, in real life-or-death situations. I did not panic. I survived.

Perhaps, Captain "Marvelous", you just need to experience firsthand the usefulness of vomiting on a rapist with a gun to your head to know that it works. But you know Kung Fu, and are a man (I assume), so you don't need to know these things now do you?

I have seen people on the sidewalk get runover and pinned against a storefront on dragstrip vanderbuilt let alone from walking in the middle of the street which is why I said that, but one other person said that worked so maybe I'm wrong so I'll consider it, but definately not on vanderbuilt considering some of the wrecks I've seen.

Even if the pulling the hat down thing works, you'd have to have practiced it to get it right, and also know extactly which situations to do it in, using it in the wrong situation may make things worse. Dont lure people into a false sense of security that some kung-fu "trick" will get them out of some crappy/deadly sitiuation, thats bad advice. If you take the time to actually read what I wrote you'll see that my "bottom line" advice is to take a self-d class and keep taking them, even then you have to develop street smarts to do all you can to prevent these situations.

I'm a 31 year male that has lived in brooklyn all my life so I've witnessed some shit too, like people getting shot, run over by trains, and pulling knives/guns on me, and taken more than one serious group beating, thats where my advice comes from. Knock on wood, its been over six years since since I've been mugged or had to fight, not becasue someone did'nt try but becasue now I see the shit a mile away.

Outdoor Crime Season

Comments

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories