Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd that so many are looking at this _solely_ through the prism of gender -- men attacking women -- when it might have been a racial hate crime (if the "colors" were reversed, that's the way WaPo would frame it), or just an example of the random risks of trying to go about your life in a culture where feral, drugged-out predators are allowed to prowl the streets unmolested.

I agree with this. The homeless in DC (and many other American cities) have been allowed to take over and do whatever they want, set up makeshift encampments on public sidewalks, rant and rave, punch the air, scream expletives with children around, whatever, while the rest of us scurry along and hope they don’t decide to harm us. It is unacceptable that the rights of the drugged out and mentally ill trump all others. When will we learn?

I was walking with my daughter by CVS in Tenleytown and a homeless person was raving curse words and threatening phrases. Alarmed, I flagged down a police officer in a passing cruiser and asked him to intervene. He scolded me for flagging him down, and informed me about freedom of speech. Reluctantly, he called some sort of paddy wagon. Police don't want tot ouch this with a ten foot stick, and IMO it's because they feel hung out to dry. Someone will video them doing a wellness check and complain about infringement of rights, and they don't want to be social workers nor are jails the proper place for these people. Our politicians need to address this. DC currently offers fairly moderate weather, many day shelters, lots of dummies who hand out money on the street will nilly, a Mayor who has offered year round right to shelter, and is the home to the federal government which is a MAGNET for the mentally ill. We also need to lock up and treat chronic homeless or erratically mentally ill or nuisance drug addicted (lying in streets), or send them back whence they came to a community equipped to better deal with them What a tragic waste of life and we will hear peep from our public officials, and lots of shrugging from the hipsters who accuse anyone wanting some remedy of "pear clutching" and telling them it's life in the big city and to move to the suburbs yadda yadda. It's all so repetitive.

Excuse me? Did you just say government is a magnet for mentally ill people? I take offense with that. What line of work are you in?

DC, as home of the federal government, is a magnet for mentally ill persons to orbit around. Especially the paranoid schizoid. Conspiracy theories and hyperfocusing on people in power is their bread and butter. DC is a huge draw for such individuals, who may also have irrational, imuppulsive and violent tendencies

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd that so many are looking at this _solely_ through the prism of gender -- men attacking women -- when it might have been a racial hate crime (if the "colors" were reversed, that's the way WaPo would frame it), or just an example of the random risks of trying to go about your life in a culture where feral, drugged-out predators are allowed to prowl the streets unmolested.

I agree with this. The homeless in DC (and many other American cities) have been allowed to take over and do whatever they want, set up makeshift encampments on public sidewalks, rant and rave, punch the air, scream expletives with children around, whatever, while the rest of us scurry along and hope they don’t decide to harm us. It is unacceptable that the rights of the drugged out and mentally ill trump all others. When will we learn?

I was walking with my daughter by CVS in Tenleytown and a homeless person was raving curse words and threatening phrases. Alarmed, I flagged down a police officer in a passing cruiser and asked him to intervene. He scolded me for flagging him down, and informed me about freedom of speech. Reluctantly, he called some sort of paddy wagon. Police don't want tot ouch this with a ten foot stick, and IMO it's because they feel hung out to dry. Someone will video them doing a wellness check and complain about infringement of rights, and they don't want to be social workers nor are jails the proper place for these people. Our politicians need to address this. DC currently offers fairly moderate weather, many day shelters, lots of dummies who hand out money on the street will nilly, a Mayor who has offered year round right to shelter, and is the home to the federal government which is a MAGNET for the mentally ill. We also need to lock up and treat chronic homeless or erratically mentally ill or nuisance drug addicted (lying in streets), or send them back whence they came to a community equipped to better deal with them What a tragic waste of life and we will hear peep from our public officials, and lots of shrugging from the hipsters who accuse anyone wanting some remedy of "pear clutching" and telling them it's life in the big city and to move to the suburbs yadda yadda. It's all so repetitive.

Excuse me? Did you just say government is a magnet for mentally ill people? I take offense with that. What line of work are you in?

Anonymous wrote:Well, shit. This is terrifying and it sucks.

It's still far more rare than say, deaths by accidents on the Beltway, and just as I am not going to stop driving on the Beltway because of that risk, I'm not planning on changing my lifestyle because deranged murderers exist.

As women, we can only do our best.

Sure, ideally, us women runners could go in groups or only during daylight, but in the real world, we all have schedules that make that easier said than done. I'm a pretty serious runner and have rather intense training, so it's not like I can find just any person that can keep up with me. I also have a busy schedule which often means running very early in the morning. As the days get shorter, most women runners have very few daylight nonworking hours to pick from.

My suggestions for women running alone not "letting the @ssholes win" and changing your whole lifestyle, but protecting yourself from the preventable:

-Bring your phone, but don't wear headphones.
-Carry a small weapon such as a pocketknife
-Vary your routes if possible and know an "escape route" if someone nearby looks suspicious.
-Be sure to let family or neighbors you trust know when & where you are likely to run, so if you don't show up for a few hours, they'll know something is wrong.
-Know your strengths in self-defense. If you have taken a self defense/martial arts course, know where and how you would have the most success in at least catching the assailant off-guard. If not, can you make a sprint getaway? Can you abruptly switch directions so that your assailant cannot predict your next move? Can you yell loudly enough that someone could hear you? The idea is to know your fight-or-flight reflexes to avoid freezing up. Don't assume you will be able to react a certain way if someone attacks you if you've never been in that situation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Odd that so many are looking at this _solely_ through the prism of gender -- men attacking women -- when it might have been a racial hate crime (if the "colors" were reversed, that's the way WaPo would frame it), or just an example of the random risks of trying to go about your life in a culture where feral, drugged-out predators are allowed to prowl the streets unmolested.

I agree with this. The homeless in DC (and many other American cities) have been allowed to take over and do whatever they want, set up makeshift encampments on public sidewalks, rant and rave, punch the air, scream expletives with children around, whatever, while the rest of us scurry along and hope they don’t decide to harm us. It is unacceptable that the rights of the drugged out and mentally ill trump all others. When will we learn?

I was walking with my daughter by CVS in Tenleytown and a homeless person was raving curse words and threatening phrases. Alarmed, I flagged down a police officer in a passing cruiser and asked him to intervene. He scolded me for flagging him down, and informed me about freedom of speech. Reluctantly, he called some sort of paddy wagon. Police don't want tot ouch this with a ten foot stick, and IMO it's because they feel hung out to dry. Someone will video them doing a wellness check and complain about infringement of rights, and they don't want to be social workers nor are jails the proper place for these people. Our politicians need to address this. DC currently offers fairly moderate weather, many day shelters, lots of dummies who hand out money on the street will nilly, a Mayor who has offered year round right to shelter, and is the home to the federal government which is a MAGNET for the mentally ill. We also need to lock up and treat chronic homeless or erratically mentally ill or nuisance drug addicted (lying in streets), or send them back whence they came to a community equipped to better deal with them What a tragic waste of life and we will hear peep from our public officials, and lots of shrugging from the hipsters who accuse anyone wanting some remedy of "pear clutching" and telling them it's life in the big city and to move to the suburbs yadda yadda. It's all so repetitive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has always been dangerous. This is life in the big city. I am always amazed to see women walking alone at night in DC, it's like they arw oblivious to where they are. Talking about you yoga girls and runners

A) It was 7:30pm. Not late. Basically happy hour time.

B) It was and is a very safe area.

C) Big city? This forum needs to make up its mind. Either DC isn't a true city or it is lol.


I'm very sorrow for her loss and I will go to a public memorial should the family have one.

regarding B), I don't know if I would classify this as a 'safe area' anymore.

Then nowhere is safe. Wherever you go, either something bad has already happened, or something bad could potentially happen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC has always been dangerous. This is life in the big city. I am always amazed to see women walking alone at night in DC, it's like they arw oblivious to where they are. Talking about you yoga girls and runners

A) It was 7:30pm. Not late. Basically happy hour time.

B) It was and is a very safe area.

C) Big city? This forum needs to make up its mind. Either DC isn't a true city or it is lol.


I'm very sorrow for her loss and I will go to a public memorial should the family have one.

regarding B), I don't know if I would classify this as a 'safe area' anymore.

Anonymous wrote:http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/suspect-arrested-in-deadly-logan-circle-stabbing-sources-say

Third story on google

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One has to be cautious at all times.
Many of the loitering street people are mentally unstable and can attack without warning.
They are not necessarily bad people they just have mental problems.

+1

Anonymous wrote:One has to be cautious at all times.
Many of the loitering street people are mentally unstable and can attack without warning.
They are not necessarily bad people they just have mental problems.

Anonymous wrote:I took “be safe out there” to mean the PP wishes safety for all women. That could include being careful and aware of your surroundings, but mean that PP is intending to blame women for not being careful. Like wishing someone “safe travels.”