I Thought I Was Fearless
I went to the Thrashers game last night with an old friend. We were supposed to meet and ride down together, but he was running late leaving work, so we agreed to meet at the CNN Center. At first, this seemed pretty reasonable to me; I would drive to Inman Park and then take Marta down to the Georgia Dome station. I had done it plenty of times before, but I had never done it when I knew I would be coming home after dark, by myself. I realized when I was getting ready to leave my car and walk into the station that i was not as comfortable with the thought of returning at 10 pm that night as I thought I was. Turns out I was kind of scared.
This really struck me like a ton of bricks. I consider myself an independent modern woman. I go places by myself and in fact like to be on my own around town. I like to eat alone, I play trivia on Tuesdays and park and go by myself. I like to go to movies by myself. But last night, I realized i was scared and nervous to get back on Marta after the game and come home by myself. Even worse, I knew it wasn’t a baseless or irrational fear. If anything, it was smart.
You see, the night before, neighbors had been mugged at gunpoint, in the middle of a busy street, with joggers and dog walkers and diners out and about, not a tenth of a mile from where I had parked about 20 minutes before. To top that off, a friend of mine in Grant Park came home that very same day to find cops surrounding her house after an attempted break-in. That’s two acquaintances within a couple of miles each other who were the victims of crime or attempted crime on the same day. If two people I know experience crime on the same day, how many hundreds of people in Atlanta are affected by crime day in and day out?
I know people are probably sick of my posts about Atlanta’s crime, but I am downright preoccupied with it recently. I no longer go running by myself in my own neighborhood. I used to, but now it just seems risky to me. A year ago, I wouldn’t have thought twice about taking Marta by myself. Last night, I took Marta down to Phillips, but when it came time to head back, I opted instead for having my friend drop me off at my car.
And you know what? It really sucks being scared and feeling limited in my actions, and feeling helpless to protect myself against the wastes of oxygen who are out there preying on Atlanta. It really pisses me off.
Related posts:
"How many hundreds of people in Atlanta are affected by crime day in and day out?"
And how many millions are not?
That’s not to say your fears are unfounded; it’s to put them in perspective. Hearing about nearby crime shakes your sense of safety. But that doesn’t mean you will be the next victim.
I realize this post isn’t totally about MARTA, but I wanted to say a few things about being afraid to ride the train at night.
Guess what your odds of being killed on a MARTA train are. Zero. Know what they were last year, or the year before, or the year before that? ZERO. Not one-in-a-million, but zero. I bet you can name several close friends that have been in car wrecks or may have even lost their lives behind the wheel, yet we don’t think twice about being scared to drive, even if a bunch of drunk hockey fans are all out driving at the same time.
The fact that you haven’t experienced crime on MARTA, but are intimidated to ride at night strikes me as odd. If the train was full of white faces would you still feel the same way? What then are you really scared of?
I guess I should have mentioned that this was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak. Crime in Atlanta IS out of control, and I hear new incidences pretty much daily, and these just hit home because I was in the same area at the same time (coulda been me) or they were people i knew. Let’s put it this way - I am very much feeling like it is more of a matter when I am a victim than IF i will be a victim. And I know I am not alone in this.
Wow. I *think* you just accused me of being scared of African Americans, which I never said. There are plenty of blacks and whites on MARTA. Yes, I would avoid someone who looked "thug-like," no matter what color they were, just like I would cross to the other side of the street to avoid someone who looked mentally unstable.
Concerning riding the train, I am much more nervous about the stations, and the parking lots than I am actually being on the train itself.
Also, I didn’t say it was being killed i was scared of - I don’t exactly want to be robbed or raped, either. Concerning the white faces vs the black faces - Get over yourself. It’s not a race thing - it’s a socioeconomic thing. I don’t think that black people commit all crimes or that white people don’t commit crime.
But you know what? There haven’t been a lot of reports of young white males mugging people at gunpoint, or jacking cars, or committing smash and grabs in my neighborhood. I’m not saying that young white males don’t do this, but in my area, the people committing the crime are mostly black. I don’t think this is because they are black, i think this is because they are poor and uneducated.
I didn’t make this about race - you did. But the reality is that, where I live, I am more likely to be a victim of a crime perpetrated by a black male. That is a reality of living in an area with the demographics of my area.
Let the flaming begin. And as always, I appreciate your interesting and inflammatory comments. :-)
"Guess what your odds of being killed on a MARTA train are. Zero. " - While I understand the point you are trying to make, this statement is untrue. You have a chance of getting killed on marta every time you ride it. There is no such thing as a zero possibility.
"Know what they were last year, or the year before, or the year before that? ZERO." - This is correct, but only becuase no one was killed on a marta train in the previous three years (and probably longer). Just becuase the incidence is extremely low does not mean that it cannot happen. I had a gun held to my head on a marta train in 1996. Looking back on it now, there is a zero percent chance that I will have been killed that night, but at the time it seemed closer to 100%.
I think the fear of riding marta is the lack of control you have over your safety. People don’t think twice about a car becuase they are isolated or with friends and there is a much lower chance of your friend pulling a gun on you from the passenger seat. Most car deaths are accidents. Most armed robbery deaths or assaults are not.
I live in cabbagetown, and I also have an uncomfortable awareness in the rapid increase in crime in the area. I don’t know what the solution is, but I understand the fear.
@Annie - Not accusing, just questioning.
"I am much more nervous about the stations, and the parking lots than I am actually being on the train itself." Well if you’re nervous about the inman park station, surrounded by it’s multi-million dollar homes, then there is truly no hope for you.
"Get over yourself." I’m not the one that’s posting about how scared I am all the time.
I won’t apologize for bringing up race, in my eyes it’s the biggest impediment to us having a truly world class transit system. People think they’re so progressive and then they come here, get on a train, say they "feel scared" and use that as an excuse to keep driving. Give me a break.
@george - you get the point, and you’re right on about the illusion of safety. I mean, no has ever had a gun pulled on them while sitting at a red light….
BTI - I think you were way out of line bringing race into the picture. I’m female and regardless of what area I’m in I would feel nervous about returning to a train station late at night, by myself and then walking to my car. Crime can happen anywhere and as a woman I take care to be aware of my surroundings and try not to put myself in situations where I might be a victim. Annie has knowledge of crimes committed in her area and her natural instinct was to be precaucious - why is she at fault? It’s a hard line to straddle between wanting to be a strong, independent woman and knowing that our gender puts us at a disadvantage crime-wise.
Annie, I understand and empathize with your post. And again, it’s not fear of riding marta — it’s fear of walking alone through a dark, empty parking lot in an area where there’s been a lot of crime reported in the last six months. It’s a founded fear.
On similar note, the cabbagetown email listserv is STILL buzzing with people whose cars have been broken into and computers, ipods, backpacks, etc. stolen. And I’m sorry to say it but I’m starting to run out of sympathy for someone who has an ipod stolen out of their car overnight, even if it’s "hidden" in the glove box.
That just gives the car thieves reason to break into my car and steal the 34 cents and burned cd or two that’s still in there.
I don’t think it’s irrational to be cautious. Especially if events have been happening around you. You should be cautious even when you "think" you are safe.
That being said, why would you fear someone dressed what you call "thuggish"?
well as the resident public transportation rider here, i’ll weigh in.
first, bti is absolutely correct to question whether race is a factor in people’s opinions about marta. not annie’s for sure, i know here way to well to suggest that, but way to often i have heard people use ’safety’ as a code word for ‘don’t like black people’ when i tell them i am a marta rider. i know this by the tone in their voice and by the way that comment is often followed almost immediately by things like "i don’t want to listen to some guys T.I. song blaring from his headphones."
again, not accusing annie, she is about as far removed from that as anyone i know, but to deny there is a racial component to many white atlantans refusal to consider marta is to deny reality.
bti is right, btw, the safety concern is a canard. the odds are much higher that you will be severely injured in a car accident than the victim of a violent crime either on marta or in the parking lot. by the way, i use the inman park marta station a lot and there is ALWAYS a marta cop patrolling that parking lot, ALWAYS.
of course, george is also right that there is a psychological component of control to it as well. it’s the same reason people are more afraid of flying than of driving to the airport. george, your logical reasoning is correct, but you and i both know that bti was using a rheotrical device to point out that marta is extremely safer than driving based on historical evidence.
finally i will say this - i have riden marta trains at night, walked through marta stations at night, ridden on buses destined for the ‘hood, and frequently been the only white face on the bus. in fact almost every morning i am the only white face on the #9, and odds are tonight on the bus from inman park to the eav i will be the only white face.
NEVER ONCE, not ever, have i felt my safety threatened or any hostility from other riders, whether they are dressed like a rapper or a businessman, whether they are listening to t.i. or reading the bible. not once, not ever.
Wow - Lots of comments to reply to - thanks guys!
George - Thanks for backing me up on the perception that crime is increasing in these "transitional areas." I am not a paranoid person, and a couple years ago, I probably would not have thought twice about riding Marta alone. In fact, I used to use Marta to get to work, so throwing the race card at me (BTI) is kind of ridiculous.
BTI - Truly no hope for me? Come on. If I was a criminal, which stations would I pick to mug people? Inman, Candler, Buckhead. The more affluent the area, the more of a target. Concerning the "get over yourself" - I guess what i meant was get over the race thing. I am assuming you are black (am i wrong?) and that you are preoccupied with race. I admitted to being preoccupied with my safety (and that of my family, friends, and neighbors) and no, i will not just get over it. What I posted was not racially-motivated, it was safety-motivated. I am not saying that there aren’t a ton of people who avoid Marta because of race, but i am not one of them.
Kelly - You are right-on. I would not (have not) hesitated to take Marta as a group, or with a friend, but being a female alone recently has scared me.
Abby - Agreed about leaving stuff in your car. Not smart. BTW, Cabbagetown needs a "Buzz" forum like the one i posted about recently that we have for EAV.
Reco - I know of no one recently who has been mugged, broken into, carjacked, or pistol-whipped by men in suits. It is perception, but if i have a choice between walking on a sidewalk past a man in a suit or past a man with dreads, a baseball cap, and holding his pants up with one hand with his boxers showing, I know which side of the street i am taking. When the descriptions of perps more commonly become old ladies dressed in pink pantsuits and wearing flowered hats, then those will be the people i steer clear of.
James - Glad you chimed in. I agree that there is a problem with people avoiding marta because of race. I am not that person, though. I will ask this. Does your girlfriend take the bus and use Marta at night by herself? Would you be okay with her doing so?
Hear, hear, well said, James. Also, I would suggest to the females here that, while I am male and therefore have no firsthand experience with being female, I do have some experience with being assaulted, and I would submit that it might be healthy to confront the issue head-on rather than avoiding it. Perhaps some sort of personal defense training, or the carrying some kind of weapon (I think conceal & carry permits are relatively easy to obtain) would help you to feel more at ease, might save your life, and could even be enjoyable!
El, I totally agree that it is a great idea to prepare yourself, and in fact, I have nothing against weapons. However, i have two children I am responsible for, who need a mom around. So, if I have the choice between avoiding a conflict or facing it head-on, I will choose avoiding. I am too important in their lives to take chances.
Before kids, I saw things differently, and I definitely agree with you for people without dependents.
yes, she does, and of course i would be. she is a grown woman and perfectly capable of making those decisions for herself.
she would probably not be happy with someone suggesting she not, either.
it’s a personal decision, annie, and i am not suggesting that you aren’t entitled to make it, so no need to get defensive.
i am simply telling you that in my experience there is nothing unsafe about a nighttime marta trip from phillips arena to inman park, and also suggesting that for you or anyone else to call out bti for bringing up race when it so clearly is a component is not fair.
Nope I’m a white male. My comments are based entirely on conversations with other white people. I do understand that it’s a different ballgame with women however, something I cannot truly relate to. My girlfriend is white and blonde and I have no problem with her riding the trains day or night (in fact I encourage her to do so). I tell her to keep her eyes open, her headphones off, her phone out of her ear and if she feels uneasy, then ride in the front car in the space beside the conductor so he/she can see you. If someone is being threating, I tell to not get off the train, tell the conductor about the situation and/or to call police until the matter is settled. But these are good things to do in other situations as well.
Didn’t mean to come across as defensive, james. I really was curious about your GF’s marta habits, and I definitely did NOT mean to imply that you might "let" or "not let" her ride marta. I think that is awesome that she feels comfortable doing it. Like you said, I don’t.
I do see BTI’s point, because race IS part of the MARTA issue, but he did ask me "what, then, are you scared of?" And I thought that my post had been pretty clear (I am scared of the rise in crime.) Nothing in my post was about race, so yes, I did feel that he was calling me out on my thoughts on race. He didn’t say "a lot of people don’t ride marta because of race." He directed it at me personally. Does that make sense?
I mean, I love the idea of having great, viable mass transit in our city, and I certainly don’t want to do things to work against that goal, but I was being honest in my discussion of how i felt last night. I don’t think the answer to fixing Marta, or increasing it’s ridership, is to accuse anyone who has a problem with it of being a racist.
Annie, I am not saying that your fear of possibly being harmed by "a man with dreads, a baseball cap, and holding his pants up with one hand with his boxers showing" is unfounded, or even that you’re racist.
Statistically you might be more likely to be assaulted by a black man in your area. I do think that it is unwise to be out alone, in the dark, in areas where you are unfamiliar or know crimes have taken place.
My reason for asking that question was one of me trying to understand something which isn’t always surface. I grew up in the hip-hop culture so to me thug apparel is as common as GAP and Abercrombie.
There is a study (I’ll have to find it) that tested the heart rates of black and white men when other men entered the room. Interestingly, when white men entered the room, both black and white men’s heart rates remained steady, but when black men entered the room, the heart rates increased from both black and white men. I think it was this way regardless of dress. I really do have to find this study.
Anyway, so I find these kinds of things interesting. So for me I don’t necessarily feel fear when I pass someone dressed this way because it is something I consider common.
Statistically I think it’s far more likely that I as a black man would be assaulted by another black man. Can’t remember the last time I heard of white women being either killed, or raped in the city limits. I know it happens…
I’d personally be far more afraid of these Hilton type guys. The devil is much more seductive in a red dress. Just food for thought.
BTI - Those are some great suggestions! I really do understand your point about Marta ridership. I just felt like you were singling ME out as being like the people in Cobb who don’t want Marta in their backyard.
reco proving once again why he is one of my favorite commenters on this site…
Back on topic…I think Annie’s original point was that she feels like Atlanta is less safe these days. Statistics and anecdotal evidence both bear this out. Her point about crime hitting home (you or a close friend as a victim) rings true with me.
My house in Inman Park was burglarized Thanksgiving Day. A friend in East Atlanta was burglarized in December. Last night, a friend in Reynoldstown had the window of his vehicle smashed in a burglary attempt (there was nothing to steal).
Now, I don’t have that many friends. We were discussing this tonight and someone made the comment that crime control in this city has been set back 8 or 10 years. I agree. Maybe it’s the economy. Maybe it’s fallout from Katrina. Maybe it’s a general lack of competence at the governmental level. But if you don’t think things are getting bad out there, I want some of what you’re smoking.
annie, i think it was totally fair for him to do so and i will explain why…
think about it this way, you make a big point in your comments here about how you would cross the street if you saw someone dressed as a ‘thug’ but not necessarily in a suit, becuse people in suits don’t mug people.
this is what is often referred to as rational discrimination or stereotyping. you are basing an opinion of an individual on the characteristics of a group that he/she belongs to. people do it all the time. i suggest that bti was doing nothing more than this with you.
my experience and i am sure his, is that an overwhelming number of white atlantans who bring up ’safety’ as an issue on marta do so as a euphemism for problems with black people. i wish this wasn’t so, but i can tell you it is. i have heard over and over and over the comments that back it up. and there is NO statistical evidence that a trip on marta is any more unsafe than a similar trip in a car.
so bti was simply applying rational stereotyping to you. as a white atlantan discussing safety concerns on marta, his experience suggests that there is a good chance that race is a factor in your opinion.
just like you don’t know that young, black man walking down the street and use group characteristics to formulate an opinion about his intentions, bti doesn’t know you and is using group characteristics to generate an opinion about your intentions.
you can’t apply rational stereotyping to young, black men in baggy jeans with ball caps on sideways and then complain when someone applies it to you.
is it right and helpful for him to confront this attitude if he sees it? absolutely. but i think i am going to save my comments on that for a post dedicated to the topic which i hope to write today.
John, i am so sorry you have been a victim. It honestly does seem like more people i know have been victims lately than not. I definitely wonder what rock people have been under if they live intown and have not been affected by the uptick in criminal activity. I think it stems from many things (economy, maybe Katrina?, definitely the lack of funding for public safety/cops, and most of all, our inability to keep these guys off the streets. Go look at those being arrested in Atlanta - they are habitual criminals, usually with long rap sheets. Criminals just aren’t scared of the consequences, because there don’t seem to be any consequences.
James, you win. I think that is a great and perfectly valid argument. You are right on. BTW, hell is freezing over, because i don’t say "you’re right" very often. Just ask my husband. :-)
And I can’t wait to see your post.
i’m workin’ on it :-) it’s a sensitive subject so i want to make sure i do it justice…
:-)
It strikes this late-comer to this conversation as something quite natural for anyone to be at least a little bit concerned when a young thuggish black man approaches (on a train or in a parking lot or wherever) since this category of our population (young black males) commit the overwhelming majority of crime (ranging from petty to violent) in our city. I don’t believe the above is in any way a "racist" statement, any more than it was racist for none other than Jesse Jackson to express a similar sentiment. (Years ago, he was famously quoted as saying that he, too, had cause to fear when a black male approached him from across a street in urban Washingon, D.C. He was — kind of — lamenting the high rates of crime among men in this category. For the record, I was mugged at gunpoint in Grant Park a year ago…) We can all agree that (sad) history, cultural racism, family disintegration, crumbling schools, and sociological pathologies are behind a whole host of social ills (including the current crime wave) that beset us all. And we should note that these ills impact predominantly black neighborhoods even more than they make life tough in transitioning neighborhoods like the ones we inhabit. But I think it’s disingenuous to suggest that it’s somehow wrong to have fears that are based on statistical likelihoods. That’s all.
Thanks, Jack. I’m sorry you were a victim, and I think you made some great points, particularly about the reasons for this crime wave and crime in general.
Hey all. I’ve been reading this post since it popped up in my RSS Reader and have been following the responses, and struggled as to whether to comment or not.
I’ve got to say I was quite disappointed with all of the racial comments back&forth which diminishes (IMHO) the many valid points made.
It’s pretty upsetting that crime is on the rise, and it can happen anywhere — ‘thuggish black male’ or not. The person who killed Meredith Emerson (granted this was happened far outside intown Atlanta) was not a thuggish black male. The person who attacked women in the Amsterdam Walk parking lot ( very recent story — http://wsbradio.com/news/013108beaten.html ) wasn’t a thuggish black male. (I think most of Midtown/Morningside has passed the transitional stage).
I’m male, and I wouldn’t be that comfortable coming back to the Inman Park station in the evening myself.
So although the many of the perpetrators may be black males, criminals are criminals, and I think we can have a discussion without as much stereotyping. Thanks y’all
"I’m male, and I wouldn’t be that comfortable coming back to the Inman Park station in the evening myself."
when is the last time you did it? i do it a few times a week - the others i take a bus the whole way - and as i mentioned i have not once felt scared or threatened…
Broderick, I agree. I’m a supporter of the right to bear arms.
Imagine if the perception were that most women out alone were carrying…
How do you think would be assailants would feel about attacking them then?
I think Annie brought up a good point about she has kids (as do I) and how it’s better to avoid a fight altogether (with which I agree).
By any means, I do believe in being proactive. What are some thoughts on how to make these communities safer?
Broderick - Thanks for weighing in. I think you’ll note that in my original post, I didn’t bring race into it. You’re right that we should be able to have this conversation without bringing race into it, but the reality is that in Atlanta, race is almost always an issue.
"So although the many of the perpetrators may be black males, criminals are criminals, and I think we can have a discussion without as much stereotyping."
I disagree - i think we are incapable of having a discussion about crime in Atlanta without it deteriorating into a race discussion. It is sad, but the reality of the city.
Hope you stay in the discussion, as I am finding all of the different points of view fascinating, and I am also really proud of us for keeping it civil.
Reco - I actually think about the self-protection thing a lot. How much might crime decrease if more people carried weapons? It is an interesting thought.
Also, i think the most important thing you’ve brought up is this: How can we improve the situation in our city? What can we do to make Atlanta safer?
Ahh the "Statistical probability of black criminality" argument to justify fear of scary looking black folk. I wonder exactly what the tipping point is - probability wise - that allows people to justify this line of thinking?
I go to the Inman Park / Reynoldstown and Candler Park station each once a week with no problems. I’m a black male too, which means that statistically I am way more likely to be victimized than any of you good white folk.
Here’s a story. One night a few weeks ago, I was walking through Candler Park to a friend’s house. I had a bit of a stomach ache so I was kind of stumbling along with my head down. That night I was wearing a long black coat and a black fedora.
At some point I was about to run into some kind of post so I sidestepped it quickly and looked up just to see that I was face to face with this white guy who I guess had just stepped outside of one of the houses onto the sidewalk for a minute. Dude looked at me with a face full of pure terror. This, in turn, scared the crap out of me because he had something in his hand and I had no idea what he was thinking to do.
After a few seconds of staring, I slowly started walking around him and when it was clear that I wasn’t a threat, he raised his cordless phone to his head and started talking. I kind of laughed and wondered how I would feel if a tall black dude in a long coat and black fedora rolled up on me.
Then I realized I’d probably say: "Dude! You scared the hell out of me man!"
"How can we make Atlanta safer?" Hmmm… How about an appeal to criminals that they stop terrorizing this city and its inhabitants? We could start there. Perhaps we could encourage the parents of these same criminals to teach their children not to steal and that doing so is wrong. That — for me — would be "Step #2." I know this is pipe dream stuff, but in all discussions about crime there seems to be this sad acceptance that "criminals will be criminals," so we — the law-abiding — argue among ourselves (and — in so doing — divide ourselves). I know the origins of crime are deeply-rooted in our nation’s history. But every a-hole who decides to burgle, rape, mug and kill is an individual who is making wrong choices (for himself) and for his community. Immoral choices. You know… 10 Commandments Stuff. Charleston Heston stuff like: "Thou Shall Not Steal" and "Thou Shall Not Kill." Not to sound like Bob Dole here, but "Where’s the Outrage." And anyone who excuses their behavior, I don’t have any business discussing matters with you because we are not on common philosophical ground. (Thanks!) JS
There is something I forgot to mention in my previous posts which ties into this conversation.
Thug dress in and of itself is used as a form of safety. I’ll forever remember a line from the late Pimp C of UGK.
"…N&*^%$ be looking shife [or sheist], so I look shife back…" - One Day
I know harmless guys who can come across as pretty intimidating if you passed them, and I know it’s not only a fashion/style statement, but also a subtle warning to other would be attackers.
Another great line that illustrates this is from Dr. Dre.
"…Keep us trapped in the same place we’re raised in.
Then they wonder why we act so outrageous,
Run around stressed out and pull out gauges.
Cause everytime you let the animal out cages,
It’s dangerous to people who look like strangers." - The Watcher
Anyway, not really sure what my point is, but those lines are cool anyway. LOL!
I do remember I had this argument with my cousins a long time ago. I went off to ye old prep school and came back speaking differently than what they were used to me speaking. I think my cousin went as far as to say that I was soft for speaking this way, and of course it devolved from there.
Nothing had really changed in me… I was still the same old fighter that I’ve always been, but he didn’t see it that way. It was as if "you all" instead of "ya’ll" and Polo instead of Fubu had made me weaker, and by default the opposite making you tougher.
It was interesting. Again, not sure what my point is or even if it adds to this conversation but I’m having fun typing…
Rashid, your story just made me laugh out loud.
Listen, I can’t really defend my stereotyping the "scary thug type." Y’all are right - It shouldn’t be that way, but that is the way i feel sometimes, if I am being really honest, which is what I am trying to do here.
Reco - that is pretty fascinating stuff. Thanks for making me think about this in another light.
Annie, if all else fails, you could start dressing thuggish and maybe decrease your chances of getting attacked!
;-)
Annie, I appreciate your honesty, it’s how we all grow. I was really just appealing to the mathematical side of the argument. There were appeals here to probability, but I wonder exactly what the perceived probability of deviance has to be in a person’s mind to fear others because of their appearance. 1 percent? 10 percent? 25 percent?
And I wonder how close that perceived probability is from the real probability. I suspect that it’s generally a case of Probability neglect.
JS - V. interesting comments and I agree. I am interested to see what others say. I also think that a lot of this has to do with a complete breakdown of values and the family.
Oooh, maybe my next post will be about my thug makeover. Good idea, Reco.
Rashid - All of the Statistics and Probability stuff just went over my head, but i do get your point.
Maybe we should begin to petition Mayor Shirley Franklin about this upsurge of crime. Oh wait, she just left today to India for a week…
Gah!!!! Did she really? Actually, to be fair to Shirley, this crime surge is not just taking place in City of Atlanta, but across the metro area. I live in Dekalb Co., and we have a similar problem.
I almost forgot what Shirley Franklin had looked like. She has been completely MIA during her second term, and with the $70 million dollar City of Atlanta budgetary shortfall announcement (not the result of either malfeasance or corruption, she assures here constituents - my question is, what is excuse #3?) then you can forget hiring more Atlanta police, that’s for sure.
For what it’s worth, she said that the shortfall has to so with foreclosures sapping property taxes and an 8 million dollar error accounting for subsidies given Underground Atlanta.
Not to pick a fight here, especially since I’m more of a lurker than commenter, but I have a few points to make:
– To those who dismiss stereotyping: Gimme a break. Black, white or in between, we all do it and it is useful, even if we are wrong from time to time or it occasionally makes us feel like guilty for prejudging. Any rational person will use previous results as one way of predicting future outcomes. If I know from crime statistics that the majority of violent crime in my neighborhood has been committed by people of one race, then I will be more alert around people of that race. It may not ultimately keep me safe but it certainly makes sense. And kudos to Annie for the "guys in suits" argument. She’s absolutely right. Black or white, they are least likely to mug you. Of course, they are more likely to be serial killers too but those are fairly rare compared to muggers.
To those who think race doesn’t belong in the conversation: Gimme a break. Race absolutely belongs in any conversation about MARTA because it is a large factor in why many whites don’t use it. Of course, I am white and don’t ride MARTA, so maybe I’m a racist too. Yikes.
To Rashid for his defense of Mayor Franklin: Gimme a break. Underground and the expected drop in revenue are smaller parts of the $70 million. The largest chunks are from errors uncovered during the consolidation of the accounting systems of several different departments ($21 million they thought they had but apprently was never there) and underestimations of expenses on fuel, lawsuits, pension funding and other projects ($26 million). It is truly disappointing that our absentee mayor or her questionable choice for CFO didn’t look at the numbers earlier. Hope Shirley enjoys India while the CFO sits on the hot seat with the city council.
Mr. T - Thanks for coming out of lurkdom to weigh in.
BTI, you do realize that someone can have a fear, independant of you and your fabulous facts. perhaps people feel safer in cars even though there are more deaths in car crashes because they feel like they are in control of their own personal situation, something you dont have when you are outside your personal boundary. Annie, good for you for expressing your concern for crime and youre own personal fears. There are plenty of people that are afraid to be alone out in this city and you have every right to be.
this is the most commented post network wide for metroblogging over the last seven days. it’s the first time i have ever seen an atlanta post top that list.
sweet.
Thanks, Kortez for the comments.
james, is it really that commented on? Will have to go check it out. . .
yup….13 more comments than bakra house on the karachi metblog.
well 14 now.
I hear exactly what you’re saying, Annie. I took the train from Inman Park to meet a buddy of mine from North Atlanta for the Hawks game on Monday and had a bit of a panic when the game was over. So much so that I let my fears take over and offered to drive my friend home if she would take the train back to my car with me.
It wasn’t the train I was afraid of…it was the parking lot.
I hear exactly what you’re saying, Annie. I took the train from Inman Park to meet a buddy of mine from North Atlanta for the Hawks game on Monday and had a bit of a panic when the game was over. So much so that I let my fears take over and offered to drive my friend home if she would take the train back to my car with me.
It wasn’t the train I was afraid of…it was the parking lot.
Thanks, Tori - I agree - the parking lots are the scary part.
Mr T. You need to read more carefully. I wasn’t defending Franklin at all, I was just repeating the "excuse" (in response to the above post) I had heard on the news. Unsurprisingly it turned out to be incomplete, thanks for the clarification.
I’d like to ring in and second the notion that it’s not the ride, but the parking lot. Lots of parking lots, not just MARTA. And not only in Atlanta, but most places. And while, yes, we womenfolk are common targets, parking lots are pretty fertile ground for assualt and robbery of both men and women. So, it’s a security issue.
If you’re walking to your car, you probably have your drivers license, which is likely in your wallet, which probably has a little bit of money - or at least credit cards. These are crimes of opportunity, and there are things that can be done by the property owner, the community, and the individual that can aid in reducing the criminal opportunity. Lighting would help. More security presence would help. Awareness of surroundings is essential.
Also, I ride MARTA quite often and commuted daily on the system for two years until I began working from home. I can walk to the station closest to me, but there are no sidewalks. The bus at the end of my road comes - like a previous poster noted - every 30-90 minutes. It’s a service and infrastructure problem, too.
May not be a constructive addition to the conversation, but my two cents nonetheless.
Thanks for your comments, Sadie!
Violent crime in Atlanta is 3.30 times the National Average.
http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime.asp?city=Atlanta&state=GA
By comparison, New York is only 1.23 times the National Average.
http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime.asp?city=New+York&state=NY
So, yeah, you have a right to feel concerned, and be careful. Fearlessness is overrated.