That's It, I'm Carrying a Gun from Now On (Springfield: apartments, condo)

[dlumpen]

Originally Posted by normie

LOL, somehow I don't think we'll be seeing a mass exodus of people from Loudoun county to SE DC because the suburbs are sca-a-a-ary and the inner city is so much safer!

Not SE, but the exburbs are becoming the new inner cities. In the future, we'll be seeing the same kind of decay/blight that you typically see in cities. The paradigm of "white flight" to safe suburbs is gone. I remember for a long time biking from North Arlington and noticing gang tags, etc. as I approached Herndon/Sterling.

As for the comment about homeless people. Most may not be dangerous, but it's like the broken window theory and worse. If people can just pile crap on play sets, why can't various goons and wierdos hang out there? Of course they do.

[normie]

Sorry to interrupt your suburb bashing, but let's take a look at some evidence. This is Briar Patch Park, the public playground in Sterling Park. Wowee, you're right... it's just so creepy--what a terrifying place....


Why, every inch of this park is covered with scary, scary graffiti. gee it's enough to make you quake in your boots....


Clearly these are gang members, and they're right out in public. You can tell they're gang members because their wearing their colors! And look at all that trash on the ground. Gang markings everywhere! Boy this is one creepy place all right.


Just look at these gang markings! And you can see markings like these all over Sterling Park!


Holy cow, playground equipment that's in good repair. No vandalism, no graffiti. Now that's just too creepy... how can we let things like this exist right here in our own community?

Originally Posted by dlumpen

live in homeless camps (there's one near Dulles)

Not that I'm dubious or anything (no, no of course not) but where's this homeless camp? Specifics please. And let's see the evidence you're basing this on. Can you show us photos? A newspaper article? A police report?

[dlumpen]

Originally Posted by Margery

Please tell us the playgrounds in Sterling where you feel unsafe, I can't think of any.

This is not meant as disapproval of concealed carry, I grew up learning to be comfortable with a rifle or shotgun and my husband is a life member of NRA. I just have never felt threatened enough to carry a pistol on a daily basis.

Ok, I'll bite. I don't know the name but it's the one with four play sets on Sterling Blvd near Rt. 7. People pull into the parking lot there who have no intention of using the facilities,. They just hang out. It's also a major pedestrian cut through. Not sure why, must be near a bus stop or something. Also, near the area for the smallest children, people pull along the road for various reasons, not all of which have to do with the park. If you only go there when it's busy, you may not care. When it's just you and a creepy person, it's a different perspective.

Over the years, I'm going to be in lots and lots of situations where it's isolated and I don't like looks/behaviour of strangers. Why should I be left vulnerable when it's not necessary? What if I get unlucky like the couple who were brutally beaten in Ashburn?

If you sympathize with the NRA as you imply, respecting my right to defense of self and children would go along with that. Actually, I don't believer you. You certainly cannot be very pro-Second Amendment if you don't allow for me to make my own decisions about self-defense.

[dlumpen]

Normie, if you don't believe thaI there are homeless people in Sterling and NOVA, then you have a sheltered perspective. If you haven't noticed creepy people or seen gang tags, then you need to be more alert. Last week, I noticed a gang tag on the inside of the drop-down diaper changing station inside Long Branch Nature Center in Arllington. Read or watch some John Walsh (a la America's Most Wanted). You sound like a potential victim, and I don't want that to happen.

[normie]

Originally Posted by dlumpen

the exburbs are becoming the new inner cities.

Have you ever been to an inner city area? This is Herndon, please tell us how these photos make it "the new inner city." http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...sa-photos.html

Anyway, thanks for giving me an opportunity to post the Herndon photos again.

[normie]

Originally Posted by dlumpen

Normie, if you don't believe thaI there are homeless people in Sterling and NOVA, then you have a sheltered perspective. If you haven't noticed creepy people or seen gang tags, then you need to be more alert. Last week, I noticed a gang tag on the inside of the drop-down diaper changing station inside Long Branch Nature Center in Arllington. Read or watch some John Walsh (a la America's Most Wanted). You sound like a potential victim, and I don't want that to happen.

So in other words you don't actually have a location or any evidence of this homeless camp. I didn't think so. But go ahead, scare yourself silly if you wish.

[dlumpen]

Ok, I'm a sucker again. The hobo camp is near the Dulles Transit Center near Dulles Toll Road and off of Sunrise Valley Drive. I have spent a lot of time over there and had no idea (the normie syndrome I guess). It was mentioned in the papers in relation to a rape that occurred there about a month ago, although it appears that the homeless camp was not related.

You did hear about the savage Landsdowne murder, right? Where a man and woman were savagely beaten on a trail in Ashburn. The man was killed, but the woman was found strung over a fence. Both areas are at least as attractive to the eye as your photos above, but crimes occurred.

The playground with the homeless person was a "pocket park" near Rt. 50 and West Ox Road. It was also a farily nice looking area of townhouses. Perhaps you could go on a photo tour of them all. (Actually if you had the gumption to actually go into the hobo camp and take photos of the tents, fires, and flamable alcoholic beverages, that would be cool!)

[dlumpen]

Originally Posted by normie

Have you ever been to an inner city area? This is Herndon, please tell us how these photos make it "the new inner city." http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...sa-photos.html

Anyway, thanks for giving me an opportunity to post the Herndon photos again.

No, it's in the process of happening. Lower income folks move into an area who can't afford upkeep, and the area gets run down. Crime goes up, and the older inhabitants who have more money leave. It's called neighborhood decline. The pheonomon of it happening in the exburbs has been documented in many articles. Again, the old "white flight" paradigm is no longer vaild. There is even "gentrification" where higher income folks are moving back to the city. In fact, if it weren't for immigration, the exburbs would be losing population right now. Maybe I'll be a sucker some time and post those articles too. I gotta get off the message board right now.

But yes, Sterling/Herdon are not prime areas, which is well known. Just wait, they'll get nastier, unfortunately.

[normie]

Originally Posted by dlumpen

(Actually if you had the gumption to actually go into the hobo camp and take photos of the tents, fires, and flamable alcoholic beverages, that would be cool!)

Of course I do. Found out a long time ago that the easiest way to squelch rumors was to go get some photo evidence. It will be my pleasure to show the scary scary Dulles Transit Center.

Yes, I'm aware someone got killed in Lansdowne last March, it was all over the news and we discussed it at length here on city-data. Despite the high profile that this particular crime received, the facts are that violent crime is down by 42% in Loudoun County. Crimes happen in every town in the country, I'm sad that someone was murdered last March but that's no reason to overreact.

I think it's funny that you're basing all this fear on a killing that occurred 8 months ago. Maybe if you had something that happened yesterday I'd be worried that we're turning into "the new inner city." Watch the nightly news and you'll see that in most inner cities violent crimes happen every day. You don't have to look back to something that happened in March to try to scare people. But nice try.

[normie]

Originally Posted by dlumpen

The pheonomon of it happening in the exburbs has been documented in many articles.

Ahhhh.... I see. Your evidence is "many articles" about exurbs in general and a fear of something you think might happen in the future. Boy, if I were you I'd move away right now. Go--quickly! before it's too late! Booga booga!