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If we may add a teaspoon of alarmism to you afternoon coffee, you are going to get mugged and/or killed. And soon. And right here in SF.
OK, not exactly. But today's article in the Chronicle, "Surge of Robberies in the Bay Area and Beyond," has us feeling like we just spent the day flipping back and forth between Cold Case Files and Law & Order marathons. See, a lady had her purse violently snatched from her in broad daylight last July in the Marina District. And no one, it seems, came to her rescue while she screamed for help during the attack. She tells the Chron:
"As a single woman living in the city, I always thought if I screamed loud enough somebody would come and help me," said Terri, who asked that her last name not be used because she fears retribution from the two suspects who are facing robbery charges."But the reality is nobody is going to come. It made me see the city in a whole different light."
This puzzles us since San Franciscans live for sticking their noses in other people's business. (Have you ever seen passersby helpfully swarm over a lost tourist who needs directions to the Wharf? We really are a helpful bunch here in the City.) We're certain that none of you, dear readers, would ever ignore a damsel in distress. Or would you?
Oh, and your unbridled Marina hate can commence...now.
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I heard a woman screaming one night and looked out to see what looked like a woman being forced into a car down the block. I was too far away to run out, because they sped out of there like bandits, but I did call the police.
How does this woman know other people didn't do the same? How long exactly, was she there being robbed, was there even time for someone to run out?
For every person who ignores a marina girl getting her purse snatched, there's a guy who throws himself onto the hood of a car that's just hit a pedestrian. i hardly think this one anecdote is evidence of the entire city going down the toilet. Purse snatching =/= Kitty Genovese.
Hearing others discribe similar situations, I have come to realize that there are instances where unless the events happening to one affect the immediate lives of others, there is often little assistance. This doesn't mean there are those good samaritans calling the cops from their windows. Best thing is to yell fire...
I saved a woman from being kidnapped when I worked late shift about a year ago in North Beach. If she didn't scream I would have never heard her. Alpha males ftw.
This is standard psych 101 stuff, if you believe you alone hear the person screaming you are significantly more likely to help. This is known as the bystander, or Genovese effect.
@ mushmouth
That's fascinating.
Brock what is a violent purse snatching? What were they supposed to help her do? cancel her credit cards?
what?
One night two guys were fighting and punching each other out of control (no one wants to get in the middle of that) but I yelled at them to stop, told them the police were coming, as my friend dialed 911. The few people around told me to SHHHHHHHH as they kept walking away. What is the proper thing to do here?
I saw Stand by Me. I also saw Things we Lost in the Fire. The movies taught me that getting involved = getting killed.
I'll call police. I'll even shout out of my window. Jumping into the fray and risking being stabbed/shot? F**k that.
Yeah, sorry, but while I would call the cops out of ear- and eye-shot of the perps, there's no way in hell that I'd just jump in and try to "save" her. I honestly don't think I'd do it if I were a guy either unless I happened to be literally walking by and knew I could genuinely be helpful (in this case it sounds like she was alone).
This isn't a city problem as she implies, it's everywhere and anywhere. People in general want to like, live and stuff, ideally without serious injury.
As one of our great Democratic Presidents said ... "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
That said, if there's a gun involved, yeah, I'm going to be as good of a witness and try to have the presence of mind to take photos of the perpetrator - but I'm not tangling with a guy/gal with a gun. No gun? Then I'd like to think that I would at least try to scare the perp off ... make them reevaluate their probability of escaping scott free.
The last time I was in the Marina a guy standing in front of a minivan stopped me to ask directions to the nearest hospital, explaining that he had been kneed in the groin and was in a lot of pain. He then invited me to have a look at his injury. Just because it's a "nice" neighborhood doesn't mean it's not full of creeps and assholes.
..it all depends on the situation. I've chased muggers with bats and other weapons of mass destruction before or as they were pouncing. I have also taken wide berth of shady situations and called the cops.
Jaded observations carried, rarely have I ever seen Marina residents do much more than get in their expensive cars, with their latte's, dodge brown people, and head to Chestnut.
Again, I would guess its about the situation and who your neighbors are.
One hand: a friend of mine got mugged while opening her front gate @ Guerrero/16th. No one tried to stop the guys, no one stopped to see if she was okay.
Another hand: I got rear-ended by a hit-and-run and two cars stopped to make sure I was okay and that I'd gotten the license plate.
If I had to choose, I'd rather someone check on someone who just got mugged rather than rear-ended, but I wish people would check in in either scenario.
Berkeley's muggings are going up up up!
.C. Police Crime Alert - Strong Arm Robberies Blake & Ellsworth, Telegraph & Parker, Bancroft & Telegraph and College & Dwight BPD Case No. 08-45354, 08-45356, 08-45360 and 08-45361
On Sunday, September 1, 2008 a series of strong arm robberies occurred on the south side of the campus. UCPD has not yet learned the affiliation of the victims.
At 2:38 a.m. BPD responded to a robbery at Blake and Ellsworth. The suspects were four males, possibly Asian or Hispanic in their late teens to early 20s, all were wearing black shirts and jeans. Taken was a purse and contents.
At 3:02 a.m. BPD responded to a robbery at Telegraph and Parker. The suspects were 2 unknown race males with black hooded sweatshirt and a Hispanic male, 15-16 years old, 150 lbs with a black hooded sweatshirt.
At 4:25 a.m. BPD responded to a robbery at Bancroft and Telegraph.
Suspect #1 was a Hispanic male in his early 20s, 5"07 with shoulder length hair wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Suspect #2 was a Hispanic male.
At 4:33 a.m. BPD responded to a robbery at College and Dwight. Suspect #1 was a White male in his late 20s with facial hair. He was accompanied by 3 other suspects who were possibly White males. They may have fled the scene in a silver 4-door vehicle traveling westbound on Dwight.