Workout safety (stranger danger)
Replies
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But I'm going to anywayI love how men are coming on here and making fun of women for being cautious, I know you guys don't have to worry about it, but surely you realize it's a bit different for us?
Of course we have nothing to worry about. No man has ever been sexually assaulted, raped, attacked, or murdered.
So I don't really want to get involved in an online argument because I feel like that is like the lamest thing in the world;however, I do think this series of posts is a bit insensitive. Men are certainly targeted as victims of violent crimes and no one is saying that they're not.
No one on here is saying that they are paranoid or are hiding in their homes because of fear, but it is important to be cautious and aware of your surroundings. That applies to men and women. As a man, however, it can be really hard to understand what it feels like to be physically intimidated by another person. You may have never experienced the utterly helpless feeling of knowing that you are matched up against a person who has greater physical strength than you. The fact is, we live in a world where some people will use their physical attributes to make another person feel weak or intimidated. I have personally experienced it, and there is literally no worse feeling. I don't think a lot of men can say that they understand how this feels.
Also, your points would probably be taken more graciously if you didn't feel the need to make them in such a snarky manner.
TIL all men are equally strong and men haven't been faced with larger or stronger people. I'll let Gary Coleman know that he should have no problem with The Rock.0 -
It's separated by woods and water (that someone could have dumped their bodies in after they knocked them out with whatever they put in their drinks and did who knows what to them). I probably watch too much Criminal Minds, but it could happen.
you're right, you watch way too much Criminal Minds. please look up the statistics on serial murder. you will feel much better. you're welcome.0 -
I love how men are coming on here and making fun of women for being cautious, I know you guys don't have to worry about it, but surely you realize it's a bit different for us?
not true. Men can be victims of violent crime as well, even rape. To think that it's just something that only affects women is naive. A male friend of mine was murdered aged 17, a tragic waste of life (this was a couple of decades ago now) so don't think that this kind of safety advice only applies to women. Some kinds of violent crime are more likely to happen to men than women. And while rape more commonly happens to women, it happens to men too.
that said, I do think there is such a thing as being overly paranoid, and it's not healthy. Take sensible precautions for your safety, but don't obsess about it or think that every other person is out to get you. and yes i know what it's like to be extremely paranoid (i.e. hypervigilance due to having PTSD) and really, sensible precautions plus not stressing/obsessing about it is far more healthy. the vast majority of people out there are good people. Don't be naive as bad people do exist, but don't be paranoid either, because you can waste your entire life being terrified of the world for no actual increase in how safe you are in reality.0 -
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But I'm going to anywayI love how men are coming on here and making fun of women for being cautious, I know you guys don't have to worry about it, but surely you realize it's a bit different for us?
Of course we have nothing to worry about. No man has ever been sexually assaulted, raped, attacked, or murdered.
So I don't really want to get involved in an online argument because I feel like that is like the lamest thing in the world;however, I do think this series of posts is a bit insensitive. Men are certainly targeted as victims of violent crimes and no one is saying that they're not.
No one on here is saying that they are paranoid or are hiding in their homes because of fear, but it is important to be cautious and aware of your surroundings. That applies to men and women. As a man, however, it can be really hard to understand what it feels like to be physically intimidated by another person. You may have never experienced the utterly helpless feeling of knowing that you are matched up against a person who has greater physical strength than you. The fact is, we live in a world where some people will use their physical attributes to make another person feel weak or intimidated. I have personally experienced it, and there is literally no worse feeling. I don't think a lot of men can say that they understand how this feels.
Also, your points would probably be taken more graciously if you didn't feel the need to make them in such a snarky manner.
TIL all men are equally strong and men haven't been faced with larger or stronger people. I'll let Gary Coleman know that he should have no problem with The Rock.
It would be kind of hard to let Gary Coleman know anything at this point...also, I see what you're saying and I agree to some extent. I shouldn't have made generalizations, but I think there are certain legitimate differences that you can say apply more frequently to women than to men (not saying always). I also think that you're taking a lot of people's valid points to an extreme that they were not intended.0 -
I love how men are coming on here and making fun of women for being cautious, I know you guys don't have to worry about it, but surely you realize it's a bit different for us?
Nobody is saying not to take precaution...but their is precaution and then there is downright paranoia and pretty much being afraid of your own shadow. I mean some of these posts (and the do come up relatively frequently) make me wonder how many people even manage to step outside of their own front door. A great many people are overly paranoid and just think the boogie man is around every corner waiting to pounce on them and that's just not reality. Overwhelming fear of everything consumes the lives of many it would seem...
The fact of the matter is that you have a far greater likelihood of getting hit by a motor vehicle while you're out on your jog than you do being physically attacked by another human being...guess it's best just to lock yourself in your own house then....0 -
Two words:
Stun gun.
Bzzzzzt!!!0 -
SURPRISE. people are being really over the top here. running with a concealed gun... I'm pretty sure you must be kidding.
I do sometimes...but usually only when I'm running out in the sticks where there are big dogs roaming free and they will run after you and attack.0 -
Two words:
Stun gun.
Bzzzzzt!!!
no joke, I hope to one day own one of those. not for protection against wackos, but to live out my dream of being more like veronica mars.0 -
Two words:
Stun gun.
Bzzzzzt!!!
no joke, I hope to one day own one of those. not for protection against wackos, but to live out my dream of being more like veronica mars.
I'll get you one!! I just changed my profile pic!!0 -
All right, I worded that badly, I shouldn't have said that men don't have to worry about it, you're right. My father's (male) cousin was picked up hitchhiking as a teenager in the 60s and almost murdered, and he watched his (also male) friend be murdered before he escaped the guy who drugged them and had intended to kill him as well. True story. So I realize things can also happen to men.
I guess I just meant that on an average day, IF anything were to happen, it's more likely statistically that a female would be attacked than a male, and as was mentioned earlier women are often at a physical disadvantage, to a greater degree than an equally sized male would be. I'm not suggesting paranoia or constant fear is the way to go, but going about life with the "I don't have to pay attention because it could never possibly happen to me because the media exaggerates everything" philosophy isn't really smart either. Sensible caution is a good thing, is all I was saying, because bad things DO happen sometimes, and there really are some seriously deranged people out there.
That said, I would never advocate carrying a gun, I'm Canadian lol I don't consider that "sensible caution".0 -
there are a multitude of dangers to worry about when running, other than rapists and muggers...
i suggest everyone lock and load before their daily run. better safe than sorry. you'll thank me later.0 -
Two words:
Stun gun.
Bzzzzzt!!!
I'd probably accidentally zap myself first.0 -
Violent crime is much lower now than it was 50 years ago. 50 years ago you were much more likely to disappear without a trace. However, they didn't have cable television with 24 hour news coverage constantly blasting people over the head with every horrible atrocity to garner ratings back then, either. I was much more likely to be kidnapped as a kid in the 80s than my daughter is today, but the news networks have done a great job of instilling paranoia in people.0
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I love the run keeper app, I can follow random women around while they do their daily jogs, once I went to the park and waited for one of them to pass by just to watch. I also turned on Find Friends on my girlfriends IPhone without telling her( she has never used the app) Now I know where she is at all times so I can call her if she isn't where she is supposed to be and be all stealthy about who she hangs out with when I'm not around!0
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This is more of a rant about some of the dangerous stuff I've seen people do.
Do you make your workout maps public? I don't. I've noticed that some people do, though. And, some even let people follow their activity. I just don't think that it's a good idea to let random people know what streets and parks you use each day.
I've gone to the park and have seen full water containers and personal belongings in a certain area (but, I didn't see anyone at the park), and about 20 minutes later, a group of young women would come back and start drinking from the containers. :noway: Weren't we told in school to never leave drinks unattended? They were 100s of feet away in a completely different part of the park. There was no way for them to know if anyone had come into the park (you can't hear or see anything between the two areas) and slipped something in their drinks. It's separated by woods and water (that someone could have dumped their bodies in after they knocked them out with whatever they put in their drinks and did who knows what to them). I probably watch too much Criminal Minds, but it could happen. I mean, this happened two days in a row. And, when I got to the park, the sun had just come up and I was the only one there (besides them). So, anyone who had bad intentions could have figured out their habits and used that. I just thought it was stupid of them to do that.
Wow, you either live in downtown Beruit, or you are being pretty paranoid.
I would give up on the melodramas for a while. Criminal Minds is a fiction. Due to it's episodic nature it needs to create somewhere around 20-24 serial killers per annum to fill a season. I'm not sure that's an accurate description of reality!
However, I'm sure a reasoned and moderate tone won't fly here in the face of countless horror stories this (and posts like it) generate.0 -
Its funny the people that complain that the government is watching them and listening to their phone calls are the same ones that check in everywhere they go on foursquare/facebook/ whatever else..0
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I try to walk with a pit bull. Best detererent0
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This is true.I guess I just meant that on an average day, IF anything were to happen, it's more likely statistically that a female would be attacked than a male, and as was mentioned earlier women are often at a physical disadvantage, to a greater degree than an equally sized male would be.
This is also trueViolent crime is much lower now than it was 50 years ago. 50 years ago you were much more likely to disappear without a trace. However, they didn't have cable television with 24 hour news coverage constantly blasting people over the head with every horrible atrocity to garner ratings back then, either. I was much more likely to be kidnapped as a kid in the 80s than my daughter is today, but the news networks have done a great job of instilling paranoia in people.
I think the key (as most have said) is moderation. Know your surroundings, don't make yourself an easy target, vary your patterns, etc. But you certainly don't have to carry a glock either (unless you're running in a really bad part of a major city?).0 -
Wow, you either live in downtown Beruit, or you are being pretty paranoid.
I just laughed water out of my nose. Thank you.0 -
This is true.I guess I just meant that on an average day, IF anything were to happen, it's more likely statistically that a female would be attacked than a male, and as was mentioned earlier women are often at a physical disadvantage, to a greater degree than an equally sized male would be.
This is also trueViolent crime is much lower now than it was 50 years ago. 50 years ago you were much more likely to disappear without a trace. However, they didn't have cable television with 24 hour news coverage constantly blasting people over the head with every horrible atrocity to garner ratings back then, either. I was much more likely to be kidnapped as a kid in the 80s than my daughter is today, but the news networks have done a great job of instilling paranoia in people.
I think the key (as most have said) is moderation. Know your surroundings, don't make yourself an easy target, vary your patterns, etc. But you certainly don't have to carry a glock either (unless you're running in a really bad part of a major city?).
I run outside in Oakland, CA. I don't think you can get a whole lot worse and even I think these people are nuts.
eta: except as mentioned earlier, Beirut and maybe Detroit would top it0 -
I think it's a legitimate fear that can only be understood if you have been in a scary situation before. Seven months deployed in the desert made my situational awareness what it is today, and it's not always a concern for rape/molestation. When I'm running outside, I'm not just looking for random people lurking in the shadows. I'm looking for stray dogs that could attack, too. When I'm in a restaurant, I always am in the seat that faces the rest of the people seated instead of a wall. I also look for emergency exits in public buildings. In an airplane, I always get the aisle seat. I think it's less of a paranoia and more of a preparedness for anything that could happen.
^ I take this approach. Being aware and prepared doesn't have to reduce your quality of life. Odds are you'll never have to defend yourself against a person or wild animal, but it's empowering to know that you can. If i were a female jogger, i'd carry pepper spray, a small knife & a loud whistle, and also take a self-defense course. Also there's no point in wearing "cute" clothing.0 -
I think it's a legitimate fear that can only be understood if you have been in a scary situation before. Seven months deployed in the desert made my situational awareness what it is today, and it's not always a concern for rape/molestation. When I'm running outside, I'm not just looking for random people lurking in the shadows. I'm looking for stray dogs that could attack, too. When I'm in a restaurant, I always am in the seat that faces the rest of the people seated instead of a wall. I also look for emergency exits in public buildings. In an airplane, I always get the aisle seat. I think it's less of a paranoia and more of a preparedness for anything that could happen.
^ I take this approach. Being aware and prepared doesn't have to reduce your quality of life. Odds are you'll never have to defend yourself against a person or wild animal, but it's empowering to know that you can. If i were a female jogger, i'd carry pepper spray, a small knife & a loud whistle, and also take a self-defense course. Also there's no point in wearing "cute" clothing.
yes, I can prevent rape, a crime largely of opportunity, by wearing ugly sweats.0 -
I love how men are coming on here and making fun of women for being cautious, I know you guys don't have to worry about it, but surely you realize it's a bit different for us?
You don't where I live, where I'm from, or what dangers I've had to learn to avoid over my lifetime. No one is saying not to take precaution and to be aware of your surroundings. But everyone is not trying to harm you every second of your life. I know that every time I turn on my television after 9pm I see horrible things happening to women on every single network show, but the world isn't comprised entirely of serial killers.
You must not get the Baltimore news stations.0 -
This is more of a rant about some of the dangerous stuff I've seen people do.
Do you make your workout maps public? I don't. I've noticed that some people do, though. And, some even let people follow their activity. I just don't think that it's a good idea to let random people know what streets and parks you use each day.
I've gone to the park and have seen full water containers and personal belongings in a certain area (but, I didn't see anyone at the park), and about 20 minutes later, a group of young women would come back and start drinking from the containers. :noway: Weren't we told in school to never leave drinks unattended? They were 100s of feet away in a completely different part of the park. There was no way for them to know if anyone had come into the park (you can't hear or see anything between the two areas) and slipped something in their drinks. It's separated by woods and water (that someone could have dumped their bodies in after they knocked them out with whatever they put in their drinks and did who knows what to them). I probably watch too much Criminal Minds, but it could happen. I mean, this happened two days in a row. And, when I got to the park, the sun had just come up and I was the only one there (besides them). So, anyone who had bad intentions could have figured out their habits and used that. I just thought it was stupid of them to do that.
Well, if you were the only one there they don't have anything to worry about.
Or do they????!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Are you admitting something here without trying to admit it?
Can we revisit this comment for moment? It got me thinking that I've been working out a long time and have probably passed a couple hundred thousand unattended water bottles. And not once did it cross my mind that this was a prime opportunity to drug, molest, kill and then dump the body of a woman into the woods.
Yet the OP sees a water bottle for the first time, thinks of these nefarious things, AND EVEN CHECKS TO SEE HOW MANY WITNESSES WOULD SEE HER AND HOW FAR SHE'D HAVE TO CARRY THE BODIES TO DUMP THEM WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT.
i think we should all block the OP from our MapMyRun accounts just to be on the safe side.0 -
Ok 2 things...If i were a female jogger, i'd carry pepper spray, a small knife & a loud whistle, and also take a self-defense course. Also there's no point in wearing "cute" clothing.
First, pepper spray AND a knife? Overkill maybe?
Second, let's not discourage women joggers from wearing cute clothing...it's half of what keeps me motivated to run!!!0 -
I think it's a legitimate fear that can only be understood if you have been in a scary situation before. Seven months deployed in the desert made my situational awareness what it is today, and it's not always a concern for rape/molestation. When I'm running outside, I'm not just looking for random people lurking in the shadows. I'm looking for stray dogs that could attack, too. When I'm in a restaurant, I always am in the seat that faces the rest of the people seated instead of a wall. I also look for emergency exits in public buildings. In an airplane, I always get the aisle seat. I think it's less of a paranoia and more of a preparedness for anything that could happen.
^ I take this approach. Being aware and prepared doesn't have to reduce your quality of life. Odds are you'll never have to defend yourself against a person or wild animal, but it's empowering to know that you can. If i were a female jogger, i'd carry pepper spray, a small knife & a loud whistle, and also take a self-defense course. Also there's no point in wearing "cute" clothing.
not even to look cute? and are there some crime stats out there that i'm not aware of where violent offenders said they picked the targets of their assaults based on color coordination. or are you merely implying that women that dress nicely are "asking for it"?0 -
I think it's a legitimate fear that can only be understood if you have been in a scary situation before. Seven months deployed in the desert made my situational awareness what it is today, and it's not always a concern for rape/molestation. When I'm running outside, I'm not just looking for random people lurking in the shadows. I'm looking for stray dogs that could attack, too. When I'm in a restaurant, I always am in the seat that faces the rest of the people seated instead of a wall. I also look for emergency exits in public buildings. In an airplane, I always get the aisle seat. I think it's less of a paranoia and more of a preparedness for anything that could happen.
^ I take this approach. Being aware and prepared doesn't have to reduce your quality of life. Odds are you'll never have to defend yourself against a person or wild animal, but it's empowering to know that you can. If i were a female jogger, i'd carry pepper spray, a small knife & a loud whistle, and also take a self-defense course. Also there's no point in wearing "cute" clothing.
yes, I can prevent rape, a crime largely of opportunity, by wearing ugly sweats.
Inorite? Because women who wear cute clothes are asking for it.:huh:0 -
I love the run keeper app, I can follow random women around while they do their daily jogs, once I went to the park and waited for one of them to pass by just to watch. I also turned on Find Friends on my girlfriends IPhone without telling her( she has never used the app) Now I know where she is at all times so I can call her if she isn't where she is supposed to be and be all stealthy about who she hangs out with when I'm not around!
Wait, wut? I think I need to start forum stalking you more often...:grumble:0 -
Ok 2 things...If i were a female jogger, i'd carry pepper spray, a small knife & a loud whistle, and also take a self-defense course. Also there's no point in wearing "cute" clothing.
First, pepper spray AND a knife? Overkill maybe?
Second, let's not discourage women joggers from wearing cute clothing...it's half of what keeps me motivated to run!!!
Overkill. Heh.0
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