Two people attacked waiting for bus near Othello station

I knew the light rail stations were going to be hunting grounds for muggers and people talk like it’s safe to go shopping and such on the trains, don’t beleive it.

There is no reason to try and start panic or alarm about this (people talk like it’s safe to go shopping and such on the trains, don’t beleive it. ). This is an opportunity to remind people to be aware of their surroundings, be alert, and go with your gut feeling at all times. Here’s a newsflash MarkB – muggings and robberies have taken place for 100s of years all over the world in train stations, at bus stops, at homes, and yes even here in docile Seattle! The internet is just making the information more accessible to the lay person. Use this information wisely, and not as an alarmist.

“The internet is just making the information more accessible to the lay person. Use this information wisely, and not as an alarmist.”

I don’t know if UPD means you are a cop or not if you are then you know it’s not safe and all the cheery pet a puppy type denial shit is not going to make anyone safe. If the info is more accessible, good let the people know it’s not safe.

I would feel safer hanging out at a Seattle light rail station than Pioneer Square, Belltown, lower Queen Anne, Westlake Plaza, The Ave or Broadway at any time of any day.

Calling light rail stations “hunting grounds” is a gross mischaracterization and logic fail. You should spend a little time using our fancy new train and getting to know the stations. They are quite welcoming.

I use the light rail to take me downtown to go shopping and I find it is a great convenience. Never have I felt threatened while riding the train or at a station.

Nope not a cop, nope not a cheery pet a puppy type, just a public transit rider and city dude that refuses to give in to internet panic, that also realizes there are bad people everywhere in the world — not just at one lightrail station in Seattle. So yep, you are right, the word is not safe, stay home, it’s better that way for you, and us.

UPD, are you sure you’re not from Utica, New York? Or maybe you are with a university police department. Nope, I got it. I bet you are from Ukiah, CA, population 15,000.

Just know, Mr. Ukiah PD, we’re onto you…

except that you forgot about Ulaan Bataar.

Oh that’s cute Tom – troll much? Stay relevant, this is about a mugging, not my moniker. Have fun!

Let’s all gang up on the one person who’s asking us to use common sense. The fact that you lot are going after UPD’s moniker/profession indicates that you have no insightful responses to the content of their posts, because if you had, you’d be utilizing that rather than immature ad hominem attacks.

That being said, UPD is right. The proper response to this news is to stay smart. Try not to wander out alone late at night if you don’t have to. If you do, there’s strength in numbers- this sort of thing is SUPER rare. How many times have you heard about this in the news until now? Stay aware of your surroundings. Stay in well lit areas. Don’t sport expensive items like iPods or designer purses. Don’t talk on the phone or listen to your iPod: talking on the phone seems like a good idea so someone knows the instant something befalls you, but it severely decreases your situational awareness and makes you even more vulnerable. Plus, the thieves now know you have a cell phone they can steal. Lose lose.

This stuff is NOT butterflies and rainbows. We are not saying that there is absolutely no crime in the city- come on, you live in a city. We’re not telling you it’s as safe as upper middle class suburbia with white picket fences, a dog in the yard and 2.5 kids. We’re just asking you to utilize your common sense and street smarts. Don’t make yourself a victim. True, sometimes bad things happen to you that you have absolutely no control over, but you can also do a lot to stay safe out there.

The bottom line is, unfortunately, if you refuse to take responsibility for your own life and actions, then, well, none of what I’ve said makes a difference and I’m wasting my breath.

In conclusion: You go, UPD. Right on. And no. I am not a cop. I just refuse to be made a victim. Unlike some people around here.

dribble so don’t take it as something to get upset over. We have had our share of robberies on the light rail but since this wasn’t in the station I don’t see how it can be added to the train’s crime sheet. I feel safe wherever I go but I am not someone that criminals would find as an easy target. If you feel it is unsafe to travel on the local transit then you need to look at yourself and see if you make an easy target. If you are then you should stay in groups of people than make you less vulnerable or get a CCW license, take a self defense class and start carrying a pistol.

I don’t know that I would agree with getting a CCW and carrying a pistol. In theory it’s a good idea, but people are more likely to shoot themselves than someone else, and if they preemptively pull out a weapon as a bluff rather than with actual intent to use, it might set off an attacker, creating an even more volatile situation. Furthermore I wouldn’t trust most people to carry a firearm intelligently, even with intensive training in usage and safety.

I come from the Bay Area, the BART (which is their light rail system) is NOTORIOUS for having criminals hang out around the stations waiting for victims. It’s been that way for decades.

Don’t blame the messenger, he is on point. If you are taking any form of public transportation you need to be extra aware. If you are someone who can’t protect yourself, I would stay away from the Othello station. It is the sore spot in an otherwise fairly safe system.

He’s not being an alarmist, he’s making sense. The rest of you just stick your heads in the ground, close your eyes and say “there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home” if you like.

It’s better to understand the potentials so you can try and avoid them then to pretend they don’t exist and become a victim.

“That being said, UPD is right. The proper response to this news is to stay smart. Try not to wander out alone late at night if you don’t have to.”

This happened at 11:30 A.M. not late at night.
And I’ve been in this area since 1994 so I know what goes on(even if you don’t see it on the news, it still happens)

So there is no reason to feel unsafe, just Don’t listen to your ipod,travel in packs and get a gun. I feel safer already

Mark B, that is good advice:

Don’t listen to your iPod (it makes you a target of opportunity)
Don’t travel in packs (it attracts attention from gangs)
Don’t get a gun (for the excellent reasons given by lilyson above)

I feel safe, too. Enjoy our light rail.

I’m an “alarmist” but all the “advice” you all give points to the fact that it is not safe. What do you consider “safe”?

I didn’t give advice, I simply agreed with the advice that you gave. And the 3 points of advice you gave (no ipods, no packs, no guns) apply to anyone, anywhere in any city, not just at Seattle light rail stations.

Actually, I take that back. Carrying a gun might be a good idea in Mogadishu.

@LRE
I did not mean you.

don’t report it on the “news” and I did not see any of your names in the postings, this was just a couple of months ago at the Mt. Baker station.

http://seattlecrime.com/2010/05/07/woman-mugged-at-south-sea

To Mark: I don’t think my advice points towards the city being dangerous. IMO, it’s universal for any city. I’m not saying that crime is prevalent, I’m saying in any city, this is what you can do to help decrease the chances for opportunists to target you. I will, however, concede to you the irony in me calling you out on ad hominem attacks and Matt’s response to your posts.

May I ask you a question without getting a completely hostile response? I’m honestly just curious. I’m wondering if you live in the city, and if so, whether you leave the house. I’m also wondering if you’re creating your persona ala some late night talk show hosts. It seems too exaggerated to be real.

To LRE: Mark is straw manning. That advice is from me.

cracks me up

“Officers took the teen to the South Precinct where, during an interview, the boy told officers “he became ‘angry’ with the victim when she resisted his efforts” to rob her. “

I can hear it now “That bit*h should have just let me rob her and she wouldn’t have got popped”

“May I ask you a question without getting a completely hostile response? I’m honestly just curious. I’m wondering if you live in the city, and if so, whether you leave the house. I’m also wondering if you’re creating your persona ala some late night talk show hosts. It seems too exaggerated to be real.”

1.I’ve lived in this city since 1994, had a few friends killed in the area also.
2.Yes I leave the house, I even go to hip hop shows.
3.I don’t watch late night TV, have to work in the morning but you’ve made me think about getting my own show.

For every one of these crimes that gets reported, many more do not. The area is full of people who do not speak English, and many are illegal workers. People in S. Seattle don’t go out of their way to talk to cops.

Who needs to panic? Get yourself a permit to carry. Leave the bitch alive and breathing. Then walk away because you will be a target for retaliation if your name gets in the paper.

I won’t bother trying to change anyone’s mind on the ownership or legal carrying of a weapon – that is everyone’s personal choice. I do agree that stupid people should not carry handguns. But as long as the person(s) attacking

LILYSON wrote: “…and if they preemptively pull out a weapon as a bluff rather than with actual intent to use, it might set off an attacker, creating an even more volatile situation.”

What about all the people who end up dead, maimed or raped because they had no gun to defend themselves?

An attacker who gets enraged from seeing a gun (rather than running away) is clearly the psychopath you really should be shooting at. In fact, that should be your test to see if you should actually shoot them without any hesitation.