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[theinevitable]

paul-- the real issue is that being from the nice ol' suburbs, I am not scared. And then things happen like... a shootout on the road north of me? And I start thinking that maybe I should be more scared. I walk down that road all the time late at night if I can't sleep.

my reaction to deserted streets, boarded-up-windows, and shitty old buildings is... "oh, man, cool! look at these cool old brick buildings!" Then my friends who are from st louis laugh, and tell me never to go to this area, ever.

[pmcd9]

paul-- the real issue is that being from the nice ol' suburbs, I am not scared. And then things happen like... a shootout on the road north of me? And I start thinking that maybe I should be more scared. I walk down that road all the time late at night if I can't sleep.

Those shootings involve people who have personal issues with one another.  They have no beef with you, you're safe.  Besides, that shit very rarely happens in the middle of the street or in any kind of public place.  [omitted]*

*I was going to quote FDR there, but decided it was too cliche.

[theinevitable]

yeah. I just have no way of judging what is a dangerous area and what is not. So I try to be Safe.
I mean... I'm not going to be afraid to walk around where I live. I am not going to be afraid to walk down the street parallel to campus just because my friend's friend got mugged at gunpoint there, either.

I will explore sometime, in the daytime. Not alone.

Hopefully.

[linnea]

Those shootings involve people who have personal issues with one another.  They have no beef with you, you're safe.  Besides, that shit very rarely happens in the middle of the street or in any kind of public place.

In Denver that kind of stuff happened a lot, and it often involved bystanders. Don't kid yourself into thinking that it only happens to other people. I'm not saying you should be paranoid, I'm just saying that it never hurts to take a few precautions.

If I were you, I'd play it safe, go during daylight hours, and bring a friend and a cell phone. If you go to concerts at night, then bring a friend or a few friends and stick together. There's other common sense stuff too, like not listening to your iPod, because tons of kids have been mugged for theirs. If you  must listen, then get black ear-buds instead of the iPod white, and only put them in one ear so you're still alert to your surroundings.

You don't have to look like the baddest guy around, just stay low-key and appear calm and confident, and always look like you know where you're going.

[theinevitable]

yeah.

one time I was following these kids to get somewhere, and I finally just called "hey!" and explained that I was following them to get to the party, and that I didn't want them to think I was some creepy murderer or mugger or something.

...they all burst out laughing. "dude... you are not really intimidating looking. at all."
so I don't have to worry about looking like the baddest dude around.

[jaydub]

I did a thing at Boston College one summer (between 11th & 12th grade) where I essentially took 12 semester units of lower division college credit while living in dorms with other kids who were in the same program (although their classes varied depending on interest; poli sci, art, what have you).  Anyway, I was all of 16 and didn't know anyone, so I'd do stuff like ride the T Green Line to downtown and check out Paul Revere's house, or Sharper Image, or the street where the molasses flood of 1919 happened etc.  One night I was walking back to campus from the subway and saw one of my classmates ahead; a young lass from Long Island who I fancied some.  In typical teenboy manner I followed along about 30 yards back, trying to figure out what to say to her, the best thing she was wearing to compliment her on, etc etc.  After a bit it occurred to me the route she'd picked to go back to campus was kind of strange - there were some weird turns here and there - and damn was she walking fast.  Finally we got back to the dorms, but she ducked down a hallway before I worked up the nerve to say hi.  The next day, of course, I learned that I had terrified her (she was too scared to turn around to see who was 'stalking' her) and felt really bad. 

Awkward.

[pmcd9]

She was terrified that you were going to ask her for a date.

[Nabubrush]

There is a wide variety of public transportation experiences. I've done DC, NYC, Paris, London, Chicago, PDX, Anchorage (what a joke), and some smaller bus lines in places like Cancun and shit. I ride on the Max train to the airport periodically when my lovely wife is at work or at school and is unable to provide me with a lift. One time I was on there for about 45 minutes and the whole time I was on there, this crazy old woman was talking to her lizard, which she had just sort of cradled in her arms (probably went about 3 pounds or so - not a particularly small lizard, but not a Komodo Dragon).

Also, I met two pre-teens on the Cancun bus line who were sans parents and absolutely hammered. I worried for them a great deal. But you just gotta embrace the experience. The DC public transport isn't great, although the US Capitol subway system ain't bad. Of course, it's of limited utility, but there's less urine smell - although when Bob Packwood (or Ted Kennedy - YMMV) was riding it it could get kind of rank.

[robot_god]

Job offerings update:  It's not down in ink yet, but basically I got the hospital job.

They want hell of hours though, which I didn't expect, but whatever.  Maybe I'll learn some time management skills for once.

[jaydub]

>,_<

**cries**

Oh, look at that - we have a smilie for that