7 ms·

It is just in cities, and specifically in SF/Oakland. Smashing a car window is not really going to be punished in any way in those cities, at most they will tak

It is just in cities, and specifically in SF/Oakland. Smashing a car window is not really going to be punished in any way in those cities, at most they will take you in and release you within 24 hours. Most likely police will not bother, even if they witness it occurring. When I was younger and walked around at night me and my friends would get mugged fairly regularly (~6X over 4 years) and the police would maybe show up 24 hours later at a random time. One time I even had a clip from a gun the dudes dropped as they were running away (it was empty) and the police never came and took it. I probably still have it around somewhere. I moved to the suburbs recently and it is amazing being able to park and walk around without being afraid of break ins or muggings.

asveikau 4y ago
It's important to note that violent crime in the United States has been at a low for about 29 years. I don't know how old you are, but for me, "feeling unsafe when you were younger" is a pretty meaningless observation with respect to present reality. Speaking personally, I feel totally safe in San Francisco parks with my children; we've got a lot of peaceful, blissful parks in this city, which in my understanding is substantially safer than it was in the 90s.
- rabuse 4y ago
  This is called "coping" with your reality. Doesn't remove the fact that your city is still statistically unsafe.
  - asveikau 4y ago
    San Francisco isn't anywhere near the top of US cities by violent crime. You've been taken in by a lot of false media narratives. Trump said his bit about "American Carnage in our cities" and set about this revival of the tough on crime rhetoric from the 80s and 90s, a time when violent crime was much higher than today. Your position is not backed by the statistics.
    - rabuse 4y ago
      Who even mentioned Trump? That man lives in peoples minds so blatantly, it's insane. Crime is crime, and when you let property crime grow and go unpunished, it's a guarantee violent crime will also rise.
      - asveikau 4y ago
        Trump has a lot to do with the perception today that San Francisco and cities generally are unsafe. He did more than anyone else to further that perception. You would have to be foolish to deny it. I can 100% assure you it's not crime rates driving this perception. There were pandemic related increases but the trend of the last 30 years runs counter to the narrative.
        jen20 4y ago
        I don't think Trump has anything to do with that perception. I don't think I've ever made it through a full minute of listening to that clown talk. I regularly stay in SF in SOMA, and the thing that gives the impression it is unsafe is all the violent, mentally ill addicts roaming around accosting people. The last time I was there, I couldn't go a single day of walking two blocks from hotel to office without encountering at least one. You can deny that reality all you like, but it is a reality.
        whimsicalism 4y ago
        In my experience, the addicts/mentally ill are all bark no bite. Most of the car theft crime comes from organized groups driving here from Oakland, not the addicts who largely are shoplifting from Walgreens, etc.
        asveikau 4y ago
        A lot of times they come from much further away than Oakland. I've seen Vallejo or Fairfield cited in the news articles about these suspects. Uber and Lyft drivers in SF often come from similar places. Basically distant cities with less prosperity and fewer job prospects.
- callalex 4y ago
  Fewer people are dying of cancer, but we still put effort into making better cancer treatments.
  - p_j_w 4y ago
    We don't go on screaming about how cancer is so much worse than it used to be either, though, do we?
- stcroixx 4y ago
  How do avoid all the needles? They’re everywhere in the parks and can be very hard to see sometimes.
  - asveikau 4y ago
    Not really. But, I've heard that risk from casual contact with hypodermic needles is rare. See: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2529409/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2529409/ Risk is obviously much higher if you re-use the needles to inject drugs. Casual contact with the needle is low risk. That's assuming lots of needles. I see needles sometimes. I use the 311 app when I see needles. But I don't see them in an area where my kids are going to play.

asveikau 4y ago

It's important to note that violent crime in the United States has been at a low for about 29 years. I don't know how old you are, but for me, "feeling unsafe when you were younger" is a pretty meaningless observation with respect to present reality. Speaking personally, I feel totally safe in San Francisco parks with my children; we've got a lot of peaceful, blissful parks in this city, which in my understanding is substantially safer than it was in the 90s.

rabuse 4y ago
This is called "coping" with your reality. Doesn't remove the fact that your city is still statistically unsafe.
- asveikau 4y ago
  San Francisco isn't anywhere near the top of US cities by violent crime. You've been taken in by a lot of false media narratives. Trump said his bit about "American Carnage in our cities" and set about this revival of the tough on crime rhetoric from the 80s and 90s, a time when violent crime was much higher than today. Your position is not backed by the statistics.
  - rabuse 4y ago
    Who even mentioned Trump? That man lives in peoples minds so blatantly, it's insane. Crime is crime, and when you let property crime grow and go unpunished, it's a guarantee violent crime will also rise.
    - asveikau 4y ago
      Trump has a lot to do with the perception today that San Francisco and cities generally are unsafe. He did more than anyone else to further that perception. You would have to be foolish to deny it. I can 100% assure you it's not crime rates driving this perception. There were pandemic related increases but the trend of the last 30 years runs counter to the narrative.
      - jen20 4y ago
        I don't think Trump has anything to do with that perception. I don't think I've ever made it through a full minute of listening to that clown talk. I regularly stay in SF in SOMA, and the thing that gives the impression it is unsafe is all the violent, mentally ill addicts roaming around accosting people. The last time I was there, I couldn't go a single day of walking two blocks from hotel to office without encountering at least one. You can deny that reality all you like, but it is a reality.
        whimsicalism 4y ago
        In my experience, the addicts/mentally ill are all bark no bite. Most of the car theft crime comes from organized groups driving here from Oakland, not the addicts who largely are shoplifting from Walgreens, etc.
        asveikau 4y ago
        A lot of times they come from much further away than Oakland. I've seen Vallejo or Fairfield cited in the news articles about these suspects. Uber and Lyft drivers in SF often come from similar places. Basically distant cities with less prosperity and fewer job prospects.
callalex 4y ago
Fewer people are dying of cancer, but we still put effort into making better cancer treatments.
- p_j_w 4y ago
  We don't go on screaming about how cancer is so much worse than it used to be either, though, do we?
stcroixx 4y ago
How do avoid all the needles? They’re everywhere in the parks and can be very hard to see sometimes.
- asveikau 4y ago
  Not really. But, I've heard that risk from casual contact with hypodermic needles is rare. See: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2529409/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2529409/ Risk is obviously much higher if you re-use the needles to inject drugs. Casual contact with the needle is low risk. That's assuming lots of needles. I see needles sometimes. I use the 311 app when I see needles. But I don't see them in an area where my kids are going to play.