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Not sure if this section is the best place to post this but want to talk about it.
Five days ago I was walking home from my work, it was about 10 PM. To get to my apartment you have to go through this darker area but I have used it many times before. Anyway I was walking and the next thing I know I hear a woman to my left yell out "hey!" I look to my left and a woman that looks like she is on something starts walking towards me, I just say hi but the next thing I know she says to give her my purse. I was shocked, not only because of how despite how she looked how calm she said it but you never really hear a woman doing a robbery and as you can probably tell I am also a woman.
Anyway I say "what?" and as she is walking towards me she pulls out a knife! So I give her my purse and thankfully she starts kind of jogging the opposite direction. I get home and contact the police and fortunately just two days later I get a call saying they arrested someone that fit my description and had a lot of items and asked me to come down to see if any of it is mine. Well my purse wasn't there but it did have my wallet, phone, keys. I had already informed my credit card companies about it previously.
I am 27 and have never encountered something like this. But needless to say I have a friend drive me and no longer walk alone at night. I do admit while it really may not matter it was surprising it was a woman that did it, even though she obviously wanted drug money. I had also found out she had done this to two other women.
I'm sorry that this happened to you, Trishalie. It's understandable that you would be upset. Perhaps you can take a different route home from work in order to avoid the dark area. Another thing you could do would be before you leave work, transfer important items such as ID, money, credit cards and keys to a small crossbody or pouch that will fit under your clothes. Then carry a second, decoy purse (with some random worthless items in it to weigh it down) so that if you get robbed again, you won't lose anything valuable.
Glad you have a friend to drive you and that you no longer walk alone at night. Don't know what your neighborhood is like otherwise. Crime like that can happen anywhere especially at night. Any chance you can change to a daylight hours shift? The light of day keeps many of those types away. Glad you weren't harmed.
OP. Sorry about your plight, you might want to think about carrying some pepper spray or mace with you. Bayarea4 has good advice for you to ponder over.
I guess there is that mentality of "It will never happen to me!", but when it does it can be a huge shock to the system!
Fortunately, you didn't come to any harm, physically at least. But there will for a short time be that mental barrier of not wanting to go out at night at all; or that you will mistrust everyone and everything you see that doesn't look quite right.
Time of course is a great healer; and you've learnt a shocking experience the hard way regrettably. Getting lifts or catching cab rides are safer alternatives, if you can afford it. Otherwise if you can't change shifts or find a better route to walk, it might be worth considering a new job (extreme I know)
I stopped carrying a purse decades ago. Every thing I need is in my pockets or it doesn't come with. Especially if I'm going to Chicago. I went to Chinatown alone many many times to see my doctor there. These days you need eyes behind your head.
OP. Sorry something so bad happened to such a young person.
If it helps, many of us have experienced really traumatic things in our lives, and in our famiiy's lives, but like ZolaLoyd says, "time is a great healer." Wounds will result in scars and, if you let them, in wisdom.
You don't way where this is and in some cities you have limited options when it comes to what I'm discussing. But have you ever considered arming yourself? While I am a now retired career police officer I have no problems telling you that expecting the police to save you is only something that happens in the movie. If you knew how few uniformed police officers were out in your city at any given time you might be shocked. They can't be everywhere.
Does your city allow the carrying of a concealed handgun? If so, just buying one and carrying it is not recommended. If you're not going to train, and train often, then don't do this. Just the simple act of drawing it from wherever it will be concealed must be practiced. If you can't/won't carry a firearm then what about OC spray. (Pepper spray) Extremely effective but even this has its limitations. If it's windy then the spray kind can come back on you if the wind is blowing the wrong way. The stream OC works very well but it must be sprayed in the right place (eyes-mouth-nostrils) which can be more difficult since it's a stream and everyone is likely moving around fast. You have other options as well but here are a couple.
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