CaptConstantine t1_ismw7fo wrote
Reply to comment by Odd-Alternative-996 in I got assaulted/robbed INSIDE a laundromat today. by HALabunga
Look man, I lived there for 3 years. I was obviously out after dark more than once, willingly or not. You absolutely need to travel in a group at night, and if you're alone you need to be LOUD.
Are you trying to tell me Baltimore is a safe city? Are you telling me you can ride your bike through ANY part of Baltimore without risking getting jumped? I rode my bike from Bolton Hill, down Charles St, to the Harbor and back. That is basically the most mainstream, eyes-up, lots-of-witnesses, lots-of-tourists ride a local can ride. I rode to work on a Monday morning, and home that Monday evening. On the ride to work, I had a guy come out of a building entryway swinging at me. On the way home, I was chased twice. I never rode in Baltimore again.
Which was probably safer, because the bike paths in Baltimore are constantly strewn with... the only word I can come up with is "rubble," as in, like, a bomb went off. Chunks of concrete. Whole lengths of pipe. Wet cardboard boxes filled with Healthy Holly books. Just... debris. That is basically the crukx of what the fuxk I'm talking about.
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> you need to seek professional help and/or move to a suburb.
- I recommend therapy to all adults. It's done wonders for me.
- You originally responded to a comment where I said I no longer live in Baltimore. That means I have already moved. Comprehension is key!
groovevault22 t1_iso5xv4 wrote
>Bolton Hill, down Charles St, to the Harbor and back. That is basically the most mainstream, eyes-up, lots-of-witnesses, lots-of-tourists ride a local can ride.
Going to have to disagree on this premise
CaptConstantine t1_isobw75 wrote
What would your version of that bike ride be? Around the harbor to fells or something? Genuinely curious
CaptConstantine t1_isobwoj wrote
What would your version of that bike ride be? Around the harbor to fells or something? Genuinely curious
groovevault22 t1_isofb5s wrote
No issue with the route on that bike ride whatsoever: if that's where you needed to go then so be it. But there are some questionable spots on that ride. Not awful, but definitely would have me looking over my shoulder to a degree. What I drew from what you said was that you were using your bike route as an example of a very safe area, and that even that had you experiencing some danger. My disagreement is that I think there are several spots where you'd more than likely not be facing the obstacles that you had described. If I misinterpreted that, please let me know.
I'd imagine I'd feel comfortable in several parts of the city riding my bike at most hours of the day. As you can probably guess, I'd refer to most of FH/Riverside, Locust Point, Canton, probably Fells Point etc. If we bring in the more 'suburban-adjacent' neighborhoods, the list would grow but I'm assuming that's not really what we're talking about.
Unrelated, I am a big Bolton Hill fan
CaptConstantine t1_isohb3v wrote
Yeah we absolutely loved Bolton Hill, it's a cute little neighborhood and usually felt quite safe, although we constantly dealt with package/ mail theft.
I guess that's another one of the problems with Baltimore: Bolton Hill is cute, but if I go a mere 6 or 10 blocks to the west or north, I'm in some shit. The route I described definitely goes through little patchy areas, but I was more talking about how it also has dedicated bike lanes, and there is usually a lot of pedestrian traffic during daylight hours... in other words, not a place that I personally would try and rob somebody.
But again, one ride was enough for me. After that if I wanted to ride, I packed it out to the BWI trail or somewhere else outside of town.
Odd-Alternative-996 t1_ismwt7u wrote
Cool story. I’ve lived here for 12 years, many of which I spent as a full time bike commuter living in Butcher’s Hill and working / going to school in North Baltimore. I still ride my bike (and not just on main thoroughfares) and generally don’t feel the need to wear an adult diaper just so I can go outside after dark.
Does crime exist? Yes. Is this a city? Also yes.
Check out Ellicott City; that feels more your speed my boi.
CaptConstantine t1_ismxxu7 wrote
Just curious, in your 12 years how many bikes have you had stolen? What about wheels / gears/ lights/ seats? How many times have you found stuff missing?
I have to admit the Ellicott City bit was pretty cute, especially since I'm pretty sure they're still underwater, aren't they? Another Maryland problem I have NO IDEA how to fix, and I'm even a policy guy. Troubles run deep in that neck of the woods. I'm glad we're out in the suburbs where we have bike paths and playgrounds and nobody gets punched at a major intersection.
Will crime always exist? Yes. Should we continue to make our city streets safer? Also yes.
Odd-Alternative-996 t1_ismyjqd wrote
12 years, 0 stolen bikes; 1 time, I caught a guy messing with my bike (locked to a bike rack with a city-worthy bike lock), but that’s kind of expected because, and I can’t express this enough, this is a city.
Do you think we make city streets safer by sitting on the couch and watching Dawson’s Creek and then fear-mongering on Reddit posts about how terrifying Bmore is and recounting how you poopied your panties once bc you rode your bike past a building and someone who had a different color skin than you walked out when you rode by? Is that the world you live in?
CaptConstantine t1_isnjvwo wrote
You have a weird obsession with poop and diapers.
Odd-Alternative-996 t1_iso58m6 wrote
Enjoy your TGI Fridays and Chick-Fil-A sammiches. Maybe consider redirecting your comments to the r/imtooafraidtoleavemyhousebecausepeoplearebad part of the internet
CaptConstantine t1_isob31u wrote
I'm sorry that you are so angry, and I get the feeling based on your comments that you would change your situation if you could as there appears to be some seething envy lurking under there.
Cities I Have Lived and Worked In: Rapid City, SD; Denver, CO; Seattle, WA; Los Angeles, CA; Orlando, FL; Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC.
Cities I Have Been Chased or Harassed on my Bicycle: Baltimore, MD
Go ahead and keep telling yourself it's the dumb scared redditors who are the problem, not the decades of public neglect and despair leading to a city populated by the angry, bitter, and desperate (case in point).
But just so you know, it's ok to leave.
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