My Three Pet Peeves (Baltimore, Severn: violent crime, home, neighborhoods)

[are you kidinme?]

Almost everything I post (except when I'm trying to be funny) involves one of these three illogical arguments.

1. "Crime is bad in that neighborhood, but if you go one block south of XXX St. you'll be fine." Are you kidding me? Does anyone fall for this?

2. "Crime happens everywhere. People are getting killed in Chicago everyday." How does this make me safer in Baltimore? Posters throw this out constantly, as if someone is going to say: "Oh, okay, nevermind."
This reminds me of the "Just be glad you don't have cancer" argument. Well, yeah! But it doesn't make me feel any better.

3. "Being (robbed, raped, shot, assaulted, burglarized and/or vandalized, etc.) is just part of city life." "Accept it and stop your whining (or move out)." Is that how bad it's gotten in Baltimore? We tell people considering moving here they should just plan on being a victim and shut-up!

Will people stop saying this dumb stuff?

When something heinous happens, just say: "That was terrible. How can we prevent that from happening, again?"

[Infinite_heights77]

"3. "Being (robbed, raped, shot, assaulted, burglarized and/or vandalized, etc.) is just part of city life." "Accept it and stop your whining (or move out)." Is that how bad it's gotten in Baltimore? We tell people considering moving here they should just plan on being a victim and shut-up"

*I agree!!

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by are you kidinme?

Almost everything I post (except when I'm trying to be funny) involves one of these three illogical arguments.

1. "Crime is bad in that neighborhood, but if you go one block south of XXX St. you'll be fine." Are you kidding me? Does anyone fall for this?

2. "Crime happens everywhere. People are getting killed in Chicago everyday." How does this make me safer in Baltimore? Posters throw this out constantly, as if someone is going to say: "Oh, okay, nevermind."
This reminds me of the "Just be glad you don't have cancer" argument. Well, yeah! But it doesn't make me feel any better.

3. "Being (robbed, raped, shot, assaulted, burglarized and/or vandalized, etc.) is just part of city life." "Accept it and stop your whining (or move out)." Is that how bad it's gotten in Baltimore? We tell people considering moving here they should just plan on being a victim and shut-up!

Will people stop saying this dumb stuff?

When something heinous happens, just say: "That was terrible. How can we prevent that from happening, again?"

Buyer Beware....

Hopefully anyone with half a brain that reads those statements is able to use that as a barometer for the level of risk they are willing to take. Some may read that and say... "Im moving from Detriot so.. I am good with all that and can handle myself" on the otherhand someone from Fairfax VA may say.. "um that is a little too much.. no thanks". Point being all of this stuff is subjective so people need to take anything they read on these boards as the gravy and still get their own rice....

[SWBFAN]

Great perspective. We need a no tolerance approach.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by are you kidinme?

Almost everything I post (except when I'm trying to be funny)
involves one of these three illogical arguments.
sniiiiiiiiiip

Maybe you ought to just stop making those posts?

[picardlx]

Originally Posted by are you kidinme?

1. "Crime is bad in that neighborhood, but if you go one block south of XXX St. you'll be fine." Are you kidding me? Does anyone fall for this?

I just found it funny that you were able to squeeze in your name.

[DrSloan]

Two problems with how information like this spreads:

1. Statistics & Polls
The problem with statistics is how the numbers can be outdated.
Some of the statistics you might be reading have been recycled from the 70's.
The problem with polls are the mysterious target audience.
Who is answering these polls and what do you know about them?

2. Hollywood & the Media
People watch the Wire and still believe it's real today.
What they don't actually realize is how outdated it's been.
Want to know a mind-boggling fact?
The stories based on actual events in films occur 10 or more years later after it actually happened.

[jonjj]

Three of my pet peeves:
1. Folks who oversensationalize the actual reality of a situation or issue. We all agree, Baltimore is near the top of the list for crime. We all get that. Where I disagree: the city is off-limits for the "good, decent folk". I know plenty of good, decent folk living in the city. I consider myself one and as a resident who lives two blocks from Orleans, Pulaski (whatever the name of it is up here, I have NEVER been a victim of crime, nor has my car or my home. That is a fact.
2. Most of us have not been robbed, raped, or pillaged in Baltimore. Some have. I don't consider myself in danger as I walk or ride my bike in my neighborhood. There are neighborhoods in the city/county where I would feel like that. My second pet peeve are folks who generalize and say the "city is this...." the "county is this...." . Both jurisdictions have areas/neighborhoods that are at least from my perspective: undesirable.
3. People who have never lived anywhere other than Baltimore or Severna Park or whatever who claim to have all of the answers on urban living from their limited experiences. Someone is unhappy with Baltimore, having never lived anywhere else or rarely even experienced anywhere else claiming "Living in Baltimore will lead to this" or Baltimore is the monkey in the bag. Please, get a life and experience the world. After that, one would realize that Baltimore certainly does have lots of decent areas to choose from.

Burlington is actually quite a nice city. I have just come back from cleaning up my home there to prepare to make my next move to Portland, Maine. Good fortune has struck and I will soon be leaving Baltimore for a permanent new location. Am I excited about moving to Portland? Yes. My family is originally from Canada and it will be closer to "my roots". Will I miss being a permanent resident of Baltimore? Hell yes. I love this town with all of it's craziness. But money talks and I walk.

So to all of the namesakes for our original poster. And..... there are many of all shapes and sizes and colors and genders. Have the floor, it's yours.

[CarrottopHead]

Crime especially violent crime is out of control in American cities and we have been conditioned to accept it as normal. I spent a good deal of time in Seoul and became very used to wandering around in any area of the city at any time of day or night with ZERO fear of becoming a victim of a crime. Is this possible in any American city?? I would think not. And this is a pathetic reality we live in here in the USA.

My point is, you don't have to accept this. Demand better , recgonize which neighborhoods in every city are the problem generation after generation AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

[goodlife36]

Originally Posted by are you kidinme?

Almost everything I post (except when I'm trying to be funny) involves one of these three illogical arguments.

1. "Crime is bad in that neighborhood, but if you go one block south of XXX St. you'll be fine." Are you kidding me? Does anyone fall for this?

2. "Crime happens everywhere. People are getting killed in Chicago everyday." How does this make me safer in Baltimore? Posters throw this out constantly, as if someone is going to say: "Oh, okay, nevermind."
This reminds me of the "Just be glad you don't have cancer" argument. Well, yeah! But it doesn't make me feel any better.

3. "Being (robbed, raped, shot, assaulted, burglarized and/or vandalized, etc.) is just part of city life." "Accept it and stop your whining (or move out)." Is that how bad it's gotten in Baltimore? We tell people considering moving here they should just plan on being a victim and shut-up!

Will people stop saying this dumb stuff?

When something heinous happens, just say: "That was terrible. How can we prevent that from happening, again?"

If you had your choice, where would you go?