What is it with all the aggressive homeless people? (Seattle: crime rate, tax)

[xqt]

Why are there so many aggressive homeless people in downtown Seattle? I do not go there alone anymore because I have been grabbed, chased, and verbally accosted by homeless men. This has never happened in any other city.

[AK76]

Originally Posted by xqt

Why are there so many aggressive homeless people in downtown Seattle? I do not go there alone anymore because I have been grabbed, chased, and verbally accosted by homeless men. This has never happened in any other city.

Sounds like legitimate cause to exercise your right to self defense.

[Hemlock140]

They are not all homeless, just panhandlers. Even if the sign says they are homeless they may not be. Some of them make more than we do (tax free all cash) but that's during the summer when all the tourists are around. In the winter, until at least May or cruise season starts in June, they do tend to be more aggressive as they run out of drug money. Worse are the real homeless that are not all there and need medication that will be out around 2-4th & Pine early in the morning 6:30-7 when I pass by there. The police ignore them so they can handle more important crimes like you jaywalking. You should just avoid them unless you are prepared to defend yourself and risk getting sued.

[RunTheDistance476]

Seattle does need to do something about this. They ruin downtown Seattle, straight up (the aggressive pandhandlers). Often times drunk and willing to follow you. We need to raise a tax and ship them to California, since no one wants to live there anyway.

[jzcrandall]

It's not just Seattle. I pulled my knife on more than one homeless person that couldn't take no for an answer when I was attending VCU.

[RunTheDistance476]

Side note to the above poster. That's not surprising at all in Richmond. I'm shocked that city data doesn't report a higher crime rate for Richmond. Its easily up there. 36 murders for a town of 200,000? yikes (although I realize that use to have nearly 100 a year, thats unfathomable).

[skidamarink]

The scariest thing is the Wells Fargo bank downtown (Seneca & 3rd?). You have to go inside the enclosed glass door lobby to the bank to get to the ATM. I sometimes have to use this bank during after hours, and I'm always scared that some homeless person is sleeping in there and will jump out at me for cash. I try to avoid it when possible, though.

[amaiunmei]

Originally Posted by xqt

Why are there so many aggressive homeless people in downtown Seattle? I do not go there alone anymore because I have been grabbed, chased, and verbally accosted by homeless men. This has never happened in any other city.

If a panhandler is threatening you, write down a description and file a police report. Many of the worst offenders are well-known to the police department, but some folks are just traveling through and it would be best to alert SPD to their presence.

[RotseCherut]

Strangely, I never thought Seattle had that aggressive of panhandlers compared to other cities I have been to like Los Angeles or San Francisco. Even Portland had some roughians around the downtown.

I never get messed with in downtown Seattle, but I always look like I mean business and I never act lost. I don't know maybe I just have the attitude, "Go Ahead, Make My Day" and panhandlers/street punks feel it. I never like being bullied by some bum.. Nor, do I pick a fight.. But, I'll be d*mned before I just act like a coward and victim.

My advice is act vigilant... Carry pepper spray and a obtain concealed handgun license. Take some handgun self-defense classes or martial arts. Folding knives four finger lengths vertical long are legal to carry as well. Just the fact that you have the means to defend yourself gives you the confidence that many street punks can sense. There is nothing that a street punk hates more than a confident and vigilant person. They tend to be like parasites who look for a host to infest. They suck off the weak.

[Adrian71]

Originally Posted by RotseCherut

Strangely, I never thought Seattle had that aggressive of panhandlers compared to other cities I have been to like Los Angeles or San Francisco. Even Portland had some roughians around the downtown.

I've never experienced anything worse than Portland. I saw one guy taking a dump behind a bush, and a young kid whipping it out in front of everybody and peeing on the lawn of a high-rise. Another kid positioned himself in front of us on the sidewalk and stuck his arm in my face and the other in my wife's face as we walked past, expecting me to read his tattoo, which said something like "Need money for beer." No joke. He actually had this tattooed on his body. Portland must attract young runaways or something, because there was a whole group of what had to be teenagers, smelly and in ragged clothes, congregating on the sidewalk downtown. And they were all very aggressive.

The worst I've encountered in Seattle so far are the people holding signs at the intersections, begging for cash. Maybe I've just been lucky. My favorite one so far has been the woman here in Renton who was holding her "homeless, lost my job, two kids, no money, blah blah blah" sign, and when she thought no one was looking, she pulled an iPhone out from behind a bush to either make a call or text someone. Got enough money for a phone and a data plan, I see.