4 ms·

> being able to go to a park, sit down and not run the risk of someone mentally ill screaming at you, trash and human waste strewn about or needles, really is a

> being able to go to a park, sit down and not run the risk of someone mentally ill screaming at you, trash and human waste strewn about or needles, really is a treat. ... I enjoy visiting some of those places mentioned on the east side. This, right here, is what makes me want to stand out in the street and scream like a banshee. It's not that this happens in Seattle with regularity, at least for me. But that it happens more than very occasionally is bad enough for a city's reputation. I happen to really enjoy living in Seattle and I'm tired of seeing my city be (literally and figuratively) shit on by the nose-in-the-air suburbs because we refuse, either out of compassion or indifference, in Seattle to shuffle people off onto someone else. > acceptance of bad behaviors and almost no penalties for crimes committed by those without means -- citations are ignored, many arrests are catch and release. In Seattle's case, it's "catch in the suburbs, release into Seattle" and that only compounds the problem. My blood pressure is starting to build so I should really stop replying, and so I shall after this: I'm PISSED AS FUCK that Redmond gets to have a reputation as a leafy suburb with well-groomed bike-and-walk trails and amazing parks while Seattle also has those things but there's a non-zero chance that you'll also witness some taking a bath in the nearby fountain so we get the rap as a run down, dirty city that people rush to escape once the workday is through. (Even though 97% of the city is just as nice and usable as the 'burbs. Our "local paper," the Seattle Times, really seems to enjoy perpetuating the stereotype.) I'm just ranting at this point and maybe irrationally defending my city so now I'm going to go hop on my bike and enjoy some of those parks and trails and nice weather and pick up my dog from the doggie daycare and have some cold brew coffee or something.

jmspring 10y ago
It is interesting how large cities with a similar problem differ from smaller "towns" like Santa Cruz which have as bad or worse problem (due to concentration/space constraints). Local individuals here will defend and make excuses for ill behavior, even to the point a few years back -- a local shelter w/ no bed space (waiting list); magically a mentally disturbed individual (inadvertently released) finds bed space due to AB109 or similar; a few days later brutally murders a local business woman who was walking between her house and downtown. When other individuals asked to understand why someone like this magically got bed space, local "homeless advocates" were apoplectic about such questions. Here, the politics around "homeless issues" are highly polarizing. The ability to have a rationale conversation is almost impossible. I understand the urge to rant. After 25 years here, some of those "burbs" you mentioned are looking appealing as are other areas in rural california, etc.

jmspring 10y ago

It is interesting how large cities with a similar problem differ from smaller "towns" like Santa Cruz which have as bad or worse problem (due to concentration/space constraints). Local individuals here will defend and make excuses for ill behavior, even to the point a few years back -- a local shelter w/ no bed space (waiting list); magically a mentally disturbed individual (inadvertently released) finds bed space due to AB109 or similar; a few days later brutally murders a local business woman who was walking between her house and downtown. When other individuals asked to understand why someone like this magically got bed space, local "homeless advocates" were apoplectic about such questions. Here, the politics around "homeless issues" are highly polarizing. The ability to have a rationale conversation is almost impossible. I understand the urge to rant. After 25 years here, some of those "burbs" you mentioned are looking appealing as are other areas in rural california, etc.