Glad you're ok. After the Michelle Go killing, I made it a point to tell people to stand back from the platform edge - especially if they were distracted on their phones. She was the friend of a friend, but the crime was memory holed because it did not fit the narrative. You can no longer let your guard down in the NYC subway, even for a few seconds. It might cost you your life. I would advise you to find other forms of public transportation like Citibike, scooters, and buses, or leave the city.
I actually was thinking about Citibiking, as the weather was nice out, but then an author I liked (Sherman Alexie) published a Substack essay I wanted to read, so I took the subway instead so I could read it on the way home.
I will be trying to use Citibike more in the future.
It's sad that many have come to accept the pervasiveness of erratic and violent behavior as we go about our daily lives. I hope to see our government leaders break free from their paralysis and bring back a civil society. Until then, please take care.
Yeah. The MTA worker didn't even bother involving the cops. We all knew nothing would happen except having to spend hours at the station giving my testimony and doing paperwork.
Until those same bleeding hearts are someday violently attacked. I know it's a weird comparison, but I'm reminded of Timothy Treadwell, a recovering addict who was obsessed with brown bears and imagined being understood and accepted by the bears. His heart bled for the bears. He had been out in the wild and had been able to get close. He said bears were misunderstood and he would never hurt one. Took his girlfriend out with him to camp with them and their ending was caught on audio recording, with him screaming for somebody to shoot the bears. Sad ending but no surprises there.
Isn't it ironic that, whenever there's a major event - marathon, bike tour, Fourth of July - there's a massive police presence. They even have their own air force. But down under ground, they're nowhere to be seen. Not a criticism of the cops - I'm sure they're just as frustrated. But the lunatics running the city are to blame.
I am sorry that you went through this and am relieved it ended without any tragic result. Unfortunately, this individual will ultimately hurt and, perhaps, kill someone. It will happen soon.
The subways are not safe. They haven’t been for a while. The fact that the current narrative characterizes another violent menace as a victim leaves a terrible feeling in my stomach.
My entire family, born and raised in Queens, escaped NYC in the last decade. I went to a CUNY college and worked in NYC government for more than a decade. A month ago, I also escaped. I will only return for a work meeting or a visit where I travel within the confines of an Uber. It’s not worth it.
It was commuting, aggressive homeless and public transportation that made me move out of a big city to a town that offers outdoor activities like skiing and sailing -- I wish I had done this 20 years ago, but I probably wouldn’t have had the money.
lol yes im just typing while eating dinner, talking on the phone etc...multitasking!
that flashlight could be a good idea. most likely if someone fucks w u on train they're gonna be an angry mental patient of some kind, so u don't wanna engage them physically, but just do something that distracts or stuns them for an instant so you can get away, and maybe also that gets other people's attention.
they must still have those self-defense stores where they sell NYPD hats and that kinda stuff. maybe go in and see what they have...i'm sure business is booming!
One time I was really drunk and stepped on a guy's foot on the subway. He pulled out a switchblade and said, "That smile isn't going to save you."
But I was so drunk at the time I wasn't bothered by it and just started talking to him. He seemed surprised at first and then we started talking about where he was from and how he just got out of prison. Had a good talk. Afterwards, I realized I probably should've just backed away.
I think some people are looking for any excuse to justify escalating a situation. Also, in prison you are expected to fight if anyone ever disrespects you, even if it's by accident like stepping on one's foot. What I think happened with you is that you acted so unexpectedly that he was forced to change his view. In that situation, he must've thought that YOU were the crazy one.
So glad you are OK! that sounds like a lot to deal with. I hope that you don't spend to long thinking of the "what ifs". It leads nowhere good. I hope our politicians and the general public start to wake up to the fact that none of this is OK and needs to stop. Just releasing mentally unstable people and addicts onto the streets isn't compassion.
The current mayor here has considered bringing back involuntary psychiatric hospitalization for severely mentally ill people. Hopefully something happens.
"My side" (former leftie, moving more center every second, and someone who's worked on homelessness for a long time) will fight him tooth and nail over that. And that's one of the many things that's made me move politically. There has to be something more helpful and pragmatic between deinstitutionalization and disability rights on the one hand and the bad old days of horrific institutionalization and involuntary commitment practices.
Also, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I don't know you at all, but in the lonely and depressing political space our country has become, your writing is encouraging. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.
I've said this many times before....when a government can't or won't protect its citizens, it loses any claim to legitimacy. NYC is a sewer because it is ruled by lunatics who don't care about decent, hardworking, law abiding citizens. Why does any sane person vote for them???
Oh and btw, Daniel Penny is a hero. Anyone with two firing brain cells knows that. Progressive Democrats lack even that level of cognition and sanity.
"Instead of just walking away from a clearly deranged person, I yelled at him to get off."
Never engage, never escalate. Unless you have no choice.
I grew up in the 80s and 90s. Almost everyone in my immediate social circle (upper middle class) experienced a threatening encounter or worse from random assailants. A few incidents:
In high school, my next door neighbor's dad was shot when closing his hardware store (Cleveland). Paralyzed from the neck down, he died shortly thereafter.
In college, a friend in Philadelphia was held up at gunpoint. Similarly, another friend in NYC. I was held up at knifepoint in Los Angeles.
Post-college, a friend was violently sexually assaulted in NYC.
That was late 80s - early 90s.
After the 92 riots, I drove to work with a shotgun through the summer.
Things seemed to improve during the aughts, i.e., I don’t recall any friends being victimized by random criminals.
Now, “the jungle’s grown back” and I carry self-defense tools when I go out in case I have no choice.
The world is full of froot loops these days and we all know why we have got government’s telling us all that we have all got a problem and there is so many places that can help us and I haven’t found one yet and these days you are better to walk away good on you.you can’t even hit your kids.I did and now there in their forty’s and I have got three kids and none of them have got a record and they still have respect for there elders
Really glad you’re ok. In your post, you write a hypothetical story in the right wing press contrasting your unfortunate experience to the Jordan Neely affair. What would the left-wing slant have been?
The left-wing slant would be to claim that it's ultimately the failure of a lack of social workers and mental health funding. They would omit any mentions of race at all, unlike with Neely/Penny.
Oh I disagree. The left wing slant now is: “You’re still alive so what’s the big deal? Go live in the suburbs if you can’t handle a periodic weapon-brandishing, snowflake!”
Glad you're ok. After the Michelle Go killing, I made it a point to tell people to stand back from the platform edge - especially if they were distracted on their phones. She was the friend of a friend, but the crime was memory holed because it did not fit the narrative. You can no longer let your guard down in the NYC subway, even for a few seconds. It might cost you your life. I would advise you to find other forms of public transportation like Citibike, scooters, and buses, or leave the city.
I actually was thinking about Citibiking, as the weather was nice out, but then an author I liked (Sherman Alexie) published a Substack essay I wanted to read, so I took the subway instead so I could read it on the way home.
I will be trying to use Citibike more in the future.
It's sad that many have come to accept the pervasiveness of erratic and violent behavior as we go about our daily lives. I hope to see our government leaders break free from their paralysis and bring back a civil society. Until then, please take care.
Yeah. The MTA worker didn't even bother involving the cops. We all knew nothing would happen except having to spend hours at the station giving my testimony and doing paperwork.
I believe the goal of all the chaos generators coming from the left is to dissemble our society and country.
Possibly. Although some people are genuine "bleeding hearts" when it comes to homeless people.
Until those same bleeding hearts are someday violently attacked. I know it's a weird comparison, but I'm reminded of Timothy Treadwell, a recovering addict who was obsessed with brown bears and imagined being understood and accepted by the bears. His heart bled for the bears. He had been out in the wild and had been able to get close. He said bears were misunderstood and he would never hurt one. Took his girlfriend out with him to camp with them and their ending was caught on audio recording, with him screaming for somebody to shoot the bears. Sad ending but no surprises there.
Calling violent vagrants "homeless people" is the first mistake.
Isn't it ironic that, whenever there's a major event - marathon, bike tour, Fourth of July - there's a massive police presence. They even have their own air force. But down under ground, they're nowhere to be seen. Not a criticism of the cops - I'm sure they're just as frustrated. But the lunatics running the city are to blame.
I am sorry that you went through this and am relieved it ended without any tragic result. Unfortunately, this individual will ultimately hurt and, perhaps, kill someone. It will happen soon.
The subways are not safe. They haven’t been for a while. The fact that the current narrative characterizes another violent menace as a victim leaves a terrible feeling in my stomach.
My entire family, born and raised in Queens, escaped NYC in the last decade. I went to a CUNY college and worked in NYC government for more than a decade. A month ago, I also escaped. I will only return for a work meeting or a visit where I travel within the confines of an Uber. It’s not worth it.
The MTA worker claimed that it was the first time she's seen him pull a knife. I wonder if there's some bad batch of drugs or something going around.
It was commuting, aggressive homeless and public transportation that made me move out of a big city to a town that offers outdoor activities like skiing and sailing -- I wish I had done this 20 years ago, but I probably wouldn’t have had the money.
thank god u ok!
maybe the guy was a yankees fan?? ;)
but srsly, i grew up in queens in the 70s-80s and it sounds like the good ol days are back...
my friends and i were always being targeted by older kids and other shadier hoods...
we usually had some sort of minor weapon for protection, anything from a pocketknife to brass knuckles to mace.
i know is all up to u and what you're comfortable with, but you might wanna consider having something to protect u on the train.
I heard crime spiked in NYC in the 90s. Can't imagine how bad it must've been back then.
I know knives with blades under 4 inches are legal in NYC, but then I've heard that the winner of a knife fight is someone that dies in the ambulance.
Perhaps mace, but the legality of it is iffy.
no i wd never suggest a knife fight on the train (or anywhere)...talk about bad advice!
just maybe as something to flash, if at all...
i think mace is fine, i doubt you get busted for it.
the 70s/80s were rough, u just hadda always assume u were gonna get fucked w.
i am a weakling but luckily most of my friends were big and loved to fight.
sorry u had this happen to u, i know is very disturbing.
Something to flash? Like one of those ultra-strong flashlights to temporarily blind someone?
Also, I’ve never seen you type in all lowercase and use shorthand. Is everything okay?
lol yes im just typing while eating dinner, talking on the phone etc...multitasking!
that flashlight could be a good idea. most likely if someone fucks w u on train they're gonna be an angry mental patient of some kind, so u don't wanna engage them physically, but just do something that distracts or stuns them for an instant so you can get away, and maybe also that gets other people's attention.
they must still have those self-defense stores where they sell NYPD hats and that kinda stuff. maybe go in and see what they have...i'm sure business is booming!
Glad to see you're okay!
One time I was really drunk and stepped on a guy's foot on the subway. He pulled out a switchblade and said, "That smile isn't going to save you."
But I was so drunk at the time I wasn't bothered by it and just started talking to him. He seemed surprised at first and then we started talking about where he was from and how he just got out of prison. Had a good talk. Afterwards, I realized I probably should've just backed away.
I think some people are looking for any excuse to justify escalating a situation. Also, in prison you are expected to fight if anyone ever disrespects you, even if it's by accident like stepping on one's foot. What I think happened with you is that you acted so unexpectedly that he was forced to change his view. In that situation, he must've thought that YOU were the crazy one.
So glad you are OK! that sounds like a lot to deal with. I hope that you don't spend to long thinking of the "what ifs". It leads nowhere good. I hope our politicians and the general public start to wake up to the fact that none of this is OK and needs to stop. Just releasing mentally unstable people and addicts onto the streets isn't compassion.
The current mayor here has considered bringing back involuntary psychiatric hospitalization for severely mentally ill people. Hopefully something happens.
It needs to happen to protect both innocent civilians and the mentally I’ll.
Adams is a bullshitter.
"My side" (former leftie, moving more center every second, and someone who's worked on homelessness for a long time) will fight him tooth and nail over that. And that's one of the many things that's made me move politically. There has to be something more helpful and pragmatic between deinstitutionalization and disability rights on the one hand and the bad old days of horrific institutionalization and involuntary commitment practices.
Also, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I don't know you at all, but in the lonely and depressing political space our country has become, your writing is encouraging. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.
My two favorite cities are San Francisco and New York. Couldn’t catch me in either of them any more.
I heard SF is total chaos right now. I wonder which is worse.
Glad you're OK, Yang.
I've said this many times before....when a government can't or won't protect its citizens, it loses any claim to legitimacy. NYC is a sewer because it is ruled by lunatics who don't care about decent, hardworking, law abiding citizens. Why does any sane person vote for them???
Oh and btw, Daniel Penny is a hero. Anyone with two firing brain cells knows that. Progressive Democrats lack even that level of cognition and sanity.
"Instead of just walking away from a clearly deranged person, I yelled at him to get off."
Never engage, never escalate. Unless you have no choice.
I grew up in the 80s and 90s. Almost everyone in my immediate social circle (upper middle class) experienced a threatening encounter or worse from random assailants. A few incidents:
In high school, my next door neighbor's dad was shot when closing his hardware store (Cleveland). Paralyzed from the neck down, he died shortly thereafter.
In college, a friend in Philadelphia was held up at gunpoint. Similarly, another friend in NYC. I was held up at knifepoint in Los Angeles.
Post-college, a friend was violently sexually assaulted in NYC.
That was late 80s - early 90s.
After the 92 riots, I drove to work with a shotgun through the summer.
Things seemed to improve during the aughts, i.e., I don’t recall any friends being victimized by random criminals.
Now, “the jungle’s grown back” and I carry self-defense tools when I go out in case I have no choice.
Glad you weren’t hurt. Be safe.
Gah. Glad you are okay. I bet he is on the list of 30-40 dangerous people on the streets of NY. The city can afford to take care of them.
The world is full of froot loops these days and we all know why we have got government’s telling us all that we have all got a problem and there is so many places that can help us and I haven’t found one yet and these days you are better to walk away good on you.you can’t even hit your kids.I did and now there in their forty’s and I have got three kids and none of them have got a record and they still have respect for there elders
Dang! Late, I know, but just wanted to say I'm glad you're okay.
I am, thanks for looking out. Also, I finished and published the radfem-religious piece I was talking about.
Will check it out! <3!
Glad you are okay
Really glad you’re ok. In your post, you write a hypothetical story in the right wing press contrasting your unfortunate experience to the Jordan Neely affair. What would the left-wing slant have been?
The left-wing slant would be to claim that it's ultimately the failure of a lack of social workers and mental health funding. They would omit any mentions of race at all, unlike with Neely/Penny.
Oh I disagree. The left wing slant now is: “You’re still alive so what’s the big deal? Go live in the suburbs if you can’t handle a periodic weapon-brandishing, snowflake!”
Meanwhile they wilt upon hearing mere words that hurt their feelings.
I’m glad you’re okay and that you can process in words.