I have this spot I like to fish. It's where I caught that walleye and that keeper bass. It's kind of out of the way. Secluded. The closest homes are across the river. No one comes down there unless they are specifically there for fishing or putting their boats in to fish elsewhere.
Or to make trouble.
Hubs and I were there the other day when we heard what I thought was someone stuck trying to put their boat in. Turns out it was someone trying to get their truck back where they really shouldn't be parking. The hooting and the hollering was enough to encourage us to find another spot to fish.
They were still there the next time I went. They had managed to get their truck backed in under the trees where it wasn't very visible - unless you already knew where they went in. They were still hooting and hollering like a bunch of drunks and it was early in the morning. But there were cars in the parking area, and I was far enough away to not be really worried. One by one, the other cars left as their owners brought their boats in for the morning. And I was alone with the extras from Deliverance*. I left. I didn't think it was wise to be stick around near anyone that intent on hiding their vehicle.
Now, it's entirely possible that those people were fine. They might not have bothered me. Hell, they probably didn't even know I was there, so they weren't going to mess with me. I didn't want to take that chance. I'm a 46-yr old woman who can't run, out in a place where, if someone did hear me scream, people wouldn't reach me in time to stop whatever was making me scream.
It's also entirely possible that, because of the books I write and the books I read and the shows I watch, that I am overly sensitive to such events. :shrug: Better overly sensitive than a statistic or a name on a flyer. Know what I mean?
I clutch my purse tighter in some situations. I cross the street to avoid potential problems. I know basic self-defense. I have a plan if I can't avoid nasty events. And I know what items on or around my person can be used as weapons at all times.
I trust my instincts. They've kept me alive this long. I've never been robbed, assaulted, raped, abducted, or murdered. :knock wood: Even living in Flint for a period of time. Even driving the streets of Detroit for a period of time. Stay alert. Stay vigilant. Keep your eyes and your ears open all the time. It cuts the likelihood of bad things down considerably. Yeah, bad stuff could still happen to me and you can't protect against everything, but I do my best.
This is the world we live in. I keep reading snippets of news here and there that crime is actually down. Personally, I don't see it. The news is filled with crimes happening to regular people on a daily basis. Here in the back of beyond and in the nearby cities and across the nation/world. Hell, last year, within a week of each other, two people were murdered in two of the little towns out here. The local papers have reports every week of robberies and assaults, and the occasional rape. Out here.
Statistics can be manipulated. So can the news, but I'll trust the things I see on the news before I trust the statistics that say crime is down. And I'll keep trusting my instincts.
How's the crime where you live? Do you have a plan?
*This is based on the look of their truck and the sounds they were making. I never actually saw the people.
Situation awareness. I teach a course in it. :) You've got good instincts and you pay attention. Thumbs up.
ReplyDeleteSuggesstion? Next time, alert the wildlife officers in your area. They were likely drunk partiers, but they might also be stupid enough to poach or think they don't need licenses. Just a thought.
Crime is up. Our local murder rate this year is up almost 60% and last year, while not quite a record year, was way up from the previous year. Look at the statistics in Chicago (don't EVEN get me started there!). And the assault on first responders just turns my stomach! Bank robberies are up. Armed robberies are up. Domestic assaults are up. And speaking as a crime statistician, we can expect them to continue rising through the holiday season because the numbers always do.
Statistics can be massaged. Just look at the unemployment rate. If you add in the millions of people who simply stopped looking for work, the REAL unemployment rate is double digits.
The problem with alerting the authorities is that, if they did see me, they'd know exactly who called them in. I was the only one there long enough to pay any attention. And since I fish there often, they'd know where to find me again if they were sufficiently motivated to do so. Ah, the anonymity of populated places vs the glory of hermitude.
DeleteYeah, I figured you'd probably know the truth of it. Kinda makes one wonder about anything you hear/read about anything anymore. Reality indicates crime is up. They say crime is down. Bah. They really need to quit blowing smoke up people's nether regions.
Statistics... grrr. Don't get me started. My favorite funny about statistics, though: 'Nine of out ten doctors think the tenth doctor is an asshole.' ;o)
I have no idea what the crime is here or whether it's higher or lower than previous years. There's crime, though, that's for sure. And I do my best to make it hard for a thief to steal from me. Or rather, make it easy to keep honest people honest.
ReplyDeleteOh, man. Silver took the words out of my mouth. The other thing I find ironic about Chicago's violent crimes, is that it's a gun-free city. My aunt fanny!
ReplyDeleteI'm a walking enigma when it comes to violence. Most of the time I'm so focused on my mission for the day, I tend to be oblivious to people around me. But I seem to have a spidey sense when it comes to danger and that snaps me back to noticing the tiniest details.
The other thing that I was never aware of until someone pointed it out, is that I walk with confidence. Or as the security manager of a store I worked at once said, I carry myself as if I had been trained by the military. (I have never been in the military.)
I'm old. I have a gimpy leg. And I'm tiny. But I have never, ever been a victim. I simply don't understand how so many people complain about being bullied. I should be a bully's favorite chew toy, but bullies are actually afraid of me.
I've never been mean or violent with anyone, but I won't take any crap either, and maybe that's the answer in a nutshell.