mimaiwa t1_j6n2z6u wrote on January 31, 2023 at 2:36 PM

There hasn’t been such a dramatic change in anything that should cause you to go from carefree to terrified walking around DC. You should examine where those feelings come from since it’s not grounded in reality.

For what’s it worth, I walk around DC all the time

originalauditor t1_j6n6m1o wrote on January 31, 2023 at 3:02 PM

Murders are up threefold. That’s not dramatic ?

mimaiwa t1_j6n8gf0 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 3:14 PM

If 100 murders a year had someone walking around without a worry, then I don’t think 200 murders a year should have them scared to be in the city at all.

Murder is a huge social problem I agree, but it’s also hyper concentrated.

originalauditor t1_j6njva7 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 4:27 PM

It’s not just murder. It’s every other category of crime: armed robbery (including car jackings), assault and battery, vagrancy, vandalism, public intoxication, etc. It’s piling up.

mimaiwa t1_j6nnrom wrote on January 31, 2023 at 4:51 PM

I’m not denying that there has been more crime over the last 3-5 years.

But to go from carefree naivety to being scared way out of proportion isn’t a rational response to reality. It’s not like DC has gone from Finland to Syria in 5 years.

I’m sure those feelings are real for OP, which is why I suggested examining where they come from.

originalauditor t1_j6o0zys wrote on January 31, 2023 at 6:11 PM

It’s totally rational to assess risk and decide if the dangers outweigh the benefits. There is a demonstrable risk, which seems to be getting worse. Just about everyone seems to know someone else who’s been robbed or beaten and thus it’s not crazy to think “it could happen to me.” Some people have a higher tolerance for the risk, like presumably most of those here down-voting any hint of caution in an environment that can be quite hazardous.

mimaiwa t1_j6o58o8 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 6:37 PM

Once again, I’m not saying that there aren’t risks that should be appropriately assessed. Ofc there are. It’s naive to think otherwise.

But if someone’s risk analysis led them from never feeling unsafe in DC a couple years again to constant fear today, that’s not an assessment grounded in reality. That’s just as naive as throwing caution to the wind.

Fwiw, I don’t know anyone who’s been beaten in DC.