[kama'aina mama]

Thursday night a bit before midnight one of my housemates was almost mugged three doors down from our house. He was walking up the street and he passed a guy on the sidewalk who then passed him and turned and demanded money. He appeared to have his finger poked in his jacket pocket to imitate a gun. My housemate said NO! and ran away.<br><br>
Friday night two people I know, a man and a woman were walking up our street at about 11pm and they encountered three teenage boys.<br>
"What time is it?"<br>
"I don't know, I don't wear a watch" my male friend responded.<br>
"Give us your wallet."<br><br>
He didn't respond and tried to walk past them... between them. They knocked him down and started kicking and beating him. They stopped and ran off when the young woman whose house they were in front of came out hollering and waving a kitchen knife around. They didn't take his wallet or anything else. His eye was more swollen and bruised than I have ever seen. He couldn't open it at all. The swelling was about the size of a tangerine.<br><br>
Saturday night at about 9:30 my next door neighbor was walking home and was almost on our block. He was a little drunk. He stopped to pet a friendly cat. A man stepped up to him and asked him for money. He thought the guy was panhandling him and started to hand him a few dollars. The man knocked his wallet out of his hand then picked it up, took out all the money and handed him back his wallet. Leaned on the fence next to him and in a friendly tone told him "You shouldn't be out here like this."<br><br>
So... I'm a little freaked out right about now. I coached my daughter yesterday on what to do if people with bad intentions come up to us on the street. (Basically run home as fast as you can.)

 

[diamond lil]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug">

 

[MiaPia]

Oh how scary. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug"><br>
I hope you, your daughter, and all your family and friends are safe from here on out.

 

[2 in August]

Oh man that's scary.

 

[Sage_SS]

That's really scary! I hope you and your family stay safe. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug"><br><br>
I assume that the police already know about this? Do you guys have a community police network that you can notify? Maybe they could increase their patrols through the area.<br><br>
If you have to go out a night, take something with you that could either protect yourself with, or dissuade attackers with - like mase or something.<br><br>
Stay safe!

 

[PajamaMama]

When we lived in a really crappy neighborhood 15 years ago or so, my dh used to keep a nylon wallet with a couple of dollars in his back pocket, and his REAL wallet in his sock. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"> He gave up his 'wallet' 3 times in that year.<br><br>
I'm sorry that your neighborhood doesn't feel safe to you. That is a really crummy feeling.<br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="hug">

 

[kama'aina mama]

There's no way I'm going to carry any kind of weapon... including mace. That's just arming someone stronger than I am. I ran into the guy who got beat up Friday at dinner on Saturday. He proudly showed me his new "throw away" wallet. Has a few dollars in it, an expired Metro card and a couple of used up gift cards. He seems very pleased. I didn't have the heart to point out to him that they beat him up and didn't take his wallet so I'm not sure what good this is in that situation.<br><br>
We do have a community liason police officer and I know that one of the neighbors who is aware of all this knows her and plans to talk to her about this.<br><br>
The worst part, in terms of my nerves, is that it's dark already when I get home from work. My boyfriend has been waiting near the bus stop for DD and I for a while just because... before any of this. I have an idea that he may start making a point of it.<br><br>
I think I just need to review what I already know. Have my keys handy before I get off the bus. Carry my cash seperate from my wallet so maybe I can just give up the greenbacks if I am confronted. Ugh. Hate this. I was mugged once long ago but I was far from hime when it happened. This is different.

 

[swimswamswum]

Ugh. That's so scary. I think the best thing you can do in these situations is organize with neighbors and police. We had a terrible summer in my neighborhood (a serial killer murdered 6 single women and there was a major surge in prostitution solicitation and drug dealing). We met with other neighbors and our neighborhood cop and elected officials. The cops found the killer and started patrolling more when we complained. Neighbors started calling on Johns and dealers. Things have been much better here.<br><br>
I know every area is different, but this worked well. It was also really liberating to share my experiences being harassed by Johns and to know that the same awful thing was happening to every young woman who walked in our neighborhood. We have some pretty dynamic organizers in my neighborhood, I am sure you do too.

 

[jempd]

There's been a recent rash of muggings in my neighborhood too. The thing is I had been up till now quite laissez faire in my attitude about walking home from closeby things after dark (last week I walked home from yoga 9 blocks at about 7:30 pm) but now after reading about 3 muggings occurring within blocks of my home since New Years I'm thinking twice and it's really disturbing to me because by no means would I describe where I live as a "bad" neighborhood. I'm aware that it's like many parts of the city I live in, a nice area close by to not nice areas which makes a sort of target. Not until recently though was I actually nervous to go out alone. On New Years day, at about 2 in the afternoon, a woman was walking with her toddler in what is a posh area and was mugged. Very upsetting. And last Thursday night a woman was mugged on the block friends live on. I and other people in my building have been trying since fall to get the city to fix a broken streetlight in front of our house. Now that I've read this post I'm going to try again, but it makes me mad. We have been walking the last steps to our building in the dark for months now. And I know that lots of people are mugged just as they're digging for their keys or preoccupied with letting themselves into their homes.

 

[kama'aina mama]

Another of my housemates was mugged yesterday in the middle of the afternoon about six blocks from home. He wears his wallet on a chain. Guy ran by and grabbed it, he spun around, the guy punched him once in the face and took his wallet.<br><br>
My friend who lives two blocks away told me her neighbor got mugged in front of her house on Christmas day.<br><br>
Ugh. Hate this.

 

[Genesis]

Wow, that is so scary. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"> Do you live in the City? Be safe, mama!

 

[Mrs.Bufford]

Oh my gosh! Thats so scary! Do you at least know some self defense moves? Enough to get free of an attacker and run?

 

[kama'aina mama]

I live in Staten Island. It's a suberb, really. Single family houses and some SRO's. It's not a great neighborhood but it's a good one.

 

[kama'aina mama]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Mrs.Bufford</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10288491"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Oh my gosh! Thats so scary! Do you at least know some self defense moves? Enough to get free of an attacker and run?</div>
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I'm a lover not a fighter! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love"><br><br>
I took Aikido for a couple years a million years ago. I wouldn't count on it. I don't want to get hurt. I don't particularly want to hurt someone else. I don't want my kid in danger or for her to see me get hurt.<br><br>
Where's that magic wand?

 

[Mrs.Bufford]

Hmmmm... Can you run fast? I don't think weapons are the best option either, but it sounds like running is your best bet.

 

[nyveronica]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>kama'aina mama</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10288622"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;"><br>
Where's that magic wand?</div>
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up here in the sticks <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"> we make them out of tree branches.<br><br>
Crap, kama! It sucks all day long that you don't feel safe in your neighborhood; that you don't feel that your child is safe.<br><br>
Maybe you and the boyfriend need to pool resources and get a place in Park Slope <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/blush.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="blush">

 

[kama'aina mama]

Park Slope... yeah... when I win the lotto!<br><br>
Nah, I like where I live. This will pass. It will get better... right?<br><br><br>
Got the word from my darling boy that the female witness to the beating ID'ed one of the men from a police mug book.