Mugging on St. John's Place
While Fort Greene’s had most of the headline-grabbing crime news in recent weeks, Park Slope got a taste this past weekend in form of an old-fashioned push-in mugging. Gowanus Lounge reports on an email posted on the Park Slope Parents board: A neighbor on my block (St Johns between 7th and 8th Aves) has reported…
While Fort Greene’s had most of the headline-grabbing crime news in recent weeks, Park Slope got a taste this past weekend in form of an old-fashioned push-in mugging. Gowanus Lounge reports on an email posted on the Park Slope Parents board:
The number one thing one can do to minimize the chances of this type of thing happening are to avoid listening to your iPod or talking on your cellphone on the street. On top of that, we’re always shocked at the number of houses that fail to adequately light their stoop areas. There should be a law…
“Serpentor…is that my name? I seem to remember…others.”
A group of 8 or 9 black teenage girls tried to flash me on that block once, at around 7 p.m. As I approached I heard them talking:
“Ask the man.”
“Leave the man alone.”
As I met them, one asked, “Mister, wanna see my breast?” and her hand moved to her chest. I darted my eyes away and kept walking.
The four times I’ve been mugged/almost mugged, three were in Park Slope (the fourth in Canarsie).
All of those folks who moved into the neighborhood downtown and are shcocked, shocked! by the HOD will think more kindly of it if crime does become more of an issue. Having the HOD, with cops, court officers, correction officers around (discretely tho, I may add) 124/7 makes the immediate area far safer then the more residential streets just a few blocks away. No muggings, car break-ins or any of that bad stuff happend back in the 80s.
I have a whole repertoire of near mugging stories, all of which end with me making a spectacle of myself and not getting mugged. The kids who chased me on my bicycle and may or may not have had ill intentions — I squealed to a stop in front of passing couple and said simply “don’t leave me alone.” The woman said “yeah, no problem, we can stay right here.” and then told her friend to “just hush” when he started trying to ask me what was going on. By then the kids had sped past and were well out of site and I rode home uneventfully.
On top of not disappearing into your phone or headphones, you have to also be willing to look foolish.
I haven’t looked at the numbers so I don’t have much to add to the crime stats conversation.
I haz is right on! That is what all New Yorkers (especially Brooklynites) knew prior to the Giuliani years.
Another thing is, if you think you are being followed, do not go into your building. confront the follower and say in a good, tough NY voice, on the street, “wnat do you want?”.
If they want money, give it to them.
Preach it dittoburg.
Thanks, Two Toilets-great advice for any time.
I also would add one thing, just as a suggestion: close up your handbags ladies and sling them across your neck (and not just on your shoulder)! I know these pretty $1,800 Balanciaga handbags are wonderful, but any person can either snag something from it without your knowing, or even worse will just take the whole load, whatever the cost. Everyone knows what high-end looks like and can tell them apart from the knock-offs.
So what are you saying What – that you want it to be that way or that it’s inevitable?
‘a 135 pound Asshat walking down Throop and Gates, playing his I pod and looking like a “victim” and nothing suppose to happen???’
I say we go back to the days of carrying around boomboxes on our shoulders.
what what does not understand is that crime happens where it is permitted to happen. The blase acceptance/this-is-how-it-is/no snitching attitude means your hood will continue to suffer crime if the rest of the residents act the same. Communities who continually make concerted effort by reporting, hassling the cops to come around, attending precinct meetings, increasing lighting etc. etc. drive local crime rates lower.