Unpleasant Thoughts

[ladysprite]

Part of the reason that my sweetie and I are having a difficult time househunting is the fact that we really don't want to leave our neighborhood. Part of it is the location - we're right near both bus stops and T stations, and we're within walking distance of the library, post office, bank, town hall, pizzeria, video store, and several other not-quite-necessities - but there's also significant community appeal. The neighborhood is just friendly beyond imagining. We know our neighbors, and chat with them when we're out walking on sunny days. We have block parties once or twice every year. The guy who runs the fish market on the next block has known my husband and me since we were both in college, the crossing-guard on the trafficky street near town square recognizes us, we know the Porch Man around the corner and the guy who brings his puppy to the ice cream parlor on warm summer nights.

And now it seems that there's a sexual predator who has decided to set up shop around here. Two incidents in the past week, both nearby and one within blocks of our house. And all I can think, ridiculous as it sounds, is that this is supposed to be a *NICE* neighborhood. We're supposed to be friendly and open and community-minded, and that sort of thing isn't supposed to happen around here.

I know that's a naive and narrow-minded thought, but I can't stop myself from thinking it. For four years I walked between this house and the college campus about half a mile away by myself every Friday night around 3am, without a worry in my head, and now my husband is telling me that I really shouldn't be out by myself after dark, and maybe I should carry pepper spray, and avoid the back path by the river at all times.

I'm sure that this will blow over - hopefully they'll catch the bad guy, and things will feel, and hopefully be, a little safer again. But it'll never be the same as it was, and more than I'm scared for myself, I'm furious at this creep for stealing my happy, comfy, safe neighborhood from me.

Comments

[tafkad.livejournal.com]

1. I hope they catch the guy quickly, too.

2. Believe it or not, we have an incredible capacity to heal, once the danger has passed. All those nice people you knew will still be the same nice people, and while it will take a little time before the jumpiness goes, the villain will be gone. Heck, I live in the epicenter of where the sniper attacks were, about five years ago. Kids play in the streets again, just fine.

3. Until they catch him, maybe you shouldn't be out by yourself after dark, and maybe you should carry pepper spray, and maybe you should avoid the back path by the river. Once they do, though, it will be a lot safer again, not just a little. The bad guy will be gone.

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there's been one of those around here recently too. And I totally relate to the anger and indignation on top of the nervousness. (And, we were focusing on one neighborhood for our house-hunt too; you'll find something, it just takes a while.)

[rickvs.livejournal.com]

Not to throw gasoline on the fire, but you might think about looking up local registered sex offenders, and seeing if any of their faces look familiar:

http://www.mapsexoffenders.com/

You'll probably find more than one or two within shouting distance, and those are just the registered ones :/

[catalana.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. There have been armed robberies on campus lately, and it makes me a bit more nervous walking around outside, even knowing that a) I'm not drunk (and thus not an easy target) and b) I'm rarely out quite as late as these occurred. But it still makes me nervous!

[corwyn-ap.livejournal.com]

I hate to say it, but the way to feel safer is to do something yourself. You not walking the river, will just make the river that much less safe for everyone else. Get together with those nice neighbors and discuss things. Watch out for each other. Be out after dark (in groups). Neighborliness is not a passive system.

Relying on 'they' to catch the perp will make it less likely to happen, and slower. And more important you will not feel safe as a result. If you are involved, you will feel that not only did you take care of this problem, but the next one won't scare you as much.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

I was thinking something similar -- that this is a time for the people in the neighborhood to band together and make it unsafe and unfriendly for the predator. That's part of the reason small towns are perceived as "safer" than large cities, because everyone knows everyone else, and suspicious behavior gets noticed.

[trg.livejournal.com]

deguspice pointed me at this entry. I live right around the corner from you and much newer to the neighborhood.
This has me rather concerned. Walking home at night now seems like a risk and is something I've always just done in the past.

The police have called a community meeting for Wednesday. See the main city website for a link or my journal. (posting the link would expose where you live and I want to leave that choice to you. I'm going to post it shortly and friend-lock it. )

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

I've been wanting to introduce the two of you (outside of Arisia), since you're neighbors and you share an interest in tea.

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for this information - I'm not working too late that night, so I'm hoping to be able to make it to the meeting.

(Also, always happy to meet someone else local!)

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

And all I can think, ridiculous as it sounds, is that this is supposed to be a *NICE* neighborhood. We're supposed to be friendly and open and community-minded, and that sort of thing isn't supposed to happen around here.

I agree that it sounds ridiculous, because we both know that people are people, in nice neighborhoods and in bad ones, but I also would feel the exact same way... that this person has committed an additional crime, stealing away the sense of safety, friendliness, and freedom for so many.

I hope they catch him soon... in the meantime, remember that it's one person, and try not to let that person have the power to make you change your outlook on life.

[evcelt.livejournal.com]

Please act so as to keep yourself safe...

::hugs::

I know from experience that it's a bad sort of thing to go through, but it passes. When the sniper attacks were going on here, when one of the murders happened at the Home Depot we used, it got pretty weird.

But it's better now.

::hugs::

[siderea]

They caught him.