HP: walk home at night, is it safe? (Chicago: crime, credit card)

[chickaboo]

moved to hyde park for 2 weeks now, it does get pretty quiet around here at night and I'm fine with that. but say if I do go to downtown or north side for some nightlife, and take metra or #6 bus back, how safe is it walk home by myself after mid-night?

btw, where do hyde parker go catch a movie these days?
Much thanks!

[ajolotl]

Your only choice in Hyde Park for a movie is Doc Films in Ida Noyes (pretty good for what it is but not a conventional theater). There was a theater on 53rd and harper that mercifully closed down in 2001. The university tried to lure a new one but the deal fell through.

Otherwise, many people I know tend to prefer River East since door to door is about 15 minutes and parking is easy, if no longer very cheap.

I'm a late night person and absolutely hate Hyde park after 10. Personally, I never feel particularly safe at that hour (streets are too deserted). That said, in 25 years no one has really ever done anything to me. Robberies do occur with some regularity, though, so you should really be aware of your surroundings, take well lit routes, etc. Ideally you wouldn't be alone.

I would say getting harmed in any way is much less common -- usually it's your classic stick-up.

[Avengerfire]

Carry mace and/or a shock device. I advise that to any female walking alone late at night in just about any part of the city.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Carry mace and/or a shock device. I advise that to any female walking alone late at night in just about any part of the city.

In the previous post someone mentioned "classic stickup" and in my mind that is someone saying something along the lines of "Give me your money or else...".

In my experience the muggers/robbers/thugs did not go to that school. When I got mugged years back some kid that I barely saw slugged me pretty hard in the side of the head and then grabbed my wallet. He thoughtlfully emptied it of any cash then throw the id and credit cards into the street while he sprinted around the corner and out of sight. Meanwhile I groped around to find my glasses, staggered into the street to pick up my wallet / contents and got back to my car from which I called my friend who said that is pretty much how it happened to him and pretty much everyone he knows who has been mugged in Chicago.

I suppose if someone was intent on a sexual assault there is chance that things would go down differently but that initial punch seems like a great opener that they never put into movies as it spoils the dialog. If that is how things do happen then would be best to have the mace on a keychain in your hand, not in your purse. It would be good to practice spraying the stuff at an attacker, especially being able to do this as soon as you are unexpectedly punched in the side of the head.

Frankly it might be much better advice to simply avoid walking alone.

I think the advice from the crime prevention types is that whenever you must walk alone it would be smart to be on you nice clunky cellphone and be talking loudly so that potential attackers will be less likely pounce as that would alert the other party that you are being attacked, and that sort of ruins things for a lot of 'em.

Not saying it happens all that often, but it does happen.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I think the advice from the crime prevention types is that whenever you must walk alone it would be smart to be on you nice clunky cellphone and be talking loudly so that potential attackers will be less likely pounce as that would alert the other party that you are being attacked, and that sort of ruins things for a lot of 'em.

I have heard the exact opposite in that if you are on your phone you're not paying as good of attention as you ought be, which makes you an easy target - at least for a mugging. I can agree it might deter rapists and murderers.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by aragx6

I have heard the exact opposite in that if you are on your phone you're not paying as good of attention as you ought be, which makes you an easy target - at least for a mugging. I can agree it might deter rapists and murderers.

... is focus! I mean its nice to zone out with your m3p players and all, but that is exactly the WRONG thing to do walking alone! If you are like aragx6 with ninja-senses & spider power than you can spot potential attackers a thousands yards away in every way

The key is, on the rare occasion that you cannot get a friend to walk with you, that you do something to proactively prepare for the possibility of an attack.

[chickaboo]

thanks for all the advices. I think most of the time I will be walking with someone. but will take the advice of purchasing pepper stay just in case
can two people get mugged walking together? alright... I know my questions are getting dumber...hehe~

[Ghostgecko]

I hope that they will at least let you keep your ID...Man it sucks replacing that! Not to mention that I have a military ID, can't lose that one! It's probably good not to carry ANY cash from what I am gathering...using the card when or IF I move there...

[aragx6]

I usually have a little cash on me for cabs and such, but I never carry more than I'd be OK losing - like less than $40

[Ramo Nash]

Originally Posted by chickaboo

moved to hyde park for 2 weeks now, it does get pretty quiet around here at night and I'm fine with that. but say if I do go to downtown or north side for some nightlife, and take metra or #6 bus back, how safe is it walk home by myself after mid-night?

btw, where do hyde parker go catch a movie these days?
Much thanks!

As others have said, Ida Noyes is it in HP, but they have some pretty fantastic series throughout the quarter, with the focus largely on art/foreign/classic movies. The weekend movies are generally pure hollywood, although the movies that they show are a couple of months past when they're in mainstream theaters.

For a more conventional experience, I used to go to a cinema on 63rd and western (I believe... it may have since closed) that had $5 movies with free popcorn on tuesdays.

As far as safety goes, it really depends on where you live in hyde park and what you look like. I'm 6'5" and usually around 200 lbs and have never even had a hint of a problem walking home late at night, but I will say that you never know. A grad student was shot and killed randomly when he was walking home late at night last year and there is nothing being big will do to help you in that situation. If you have a block or so to walk from the metra or the #6, you should be fine. Just take the normal precautions and it always helps to be walking with someone else.

And for the person who said to talk on your cellphone--I've personally known 2 people to get blindsided and mugged while on their cellphone. From my experience (9 years living mostly in HP), robberies can go either way--stick ups or blindsides. There was also a spree of random beatings a couple of years ago, during which students were randomly beaten up by groups of teenagers.