Comments on: 3 ways to not scare people when you walk past them late at night in a bad neighborhood.

By: Kaye

Kaye — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:47:43 +0000

Thanks for the laugh! This is your best yet, that I’ve read.

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:44:23 +0000

Glad to know you weren’t hurt!

By: Abraham Piper

Abraham Piper — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:58:46 +0000

Scary!

By: jessicamelling

jessicamelling — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:46:02 +0000

I was getting out of my car one night in front of my house (in not that bad of a neighborhood), and a guy ran up from behind a parked car. I didn’t exactly give them up easily, but somehow he ended up with my purse and two Target bags. The whole incident happened in probably 10 seconds or fewer!

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:02:03 +0000

I’m curious as to where Jessica had all her mugging experiences – and were they as victim or casual observer?

By: James

James — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:47:26 +0000

What about a post on how to scare muggers while walking late at night in a bad neighborhood?

By: jessicamelling

jessicamelling — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:35:06 +0000

In my experience, muggers are actually more fast than furtive!

By: tyler

tyler — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:39:38 +0000

the whistling might make things creepier.

By: Matt Van Zee

Matt Van Zee — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:10:16 +0000

This is a brilliant topic. The night walk is a sticky one to navigate. On my way home tonight, a guy turned around and started talking to me about the slippery terrain and the Vikings game–not sure if he was trying to avoid appearing like a mugger or was trying to disarm the potential mugger he heard behind him.

All of this is bringing to mind how I would sometimes run through an especially violent neighborhood when I lived in Milwaukee. No one mugs someone who is running, right? Maybe it could work in reverse. Would a mugger by running full down the street at night? Probably not. You’d freak people out, but you wouldn’t make them quiver in fear for very long like you do when you’re lurking or walking slowly and deliberately.

I apologize for such a long comment on your compendious blog. If I had a blog, it would probably be called 22 pages or less.

I enjoy reading this blog. Keep up the great work!

-Matt Van Zee

By: Bethany

Bethany — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 20:38:12 +0000

ha, if i saw someone skipping through my neighborhood at night it might go ahead and incite some sort of fear, just of a slightly different kind…