Mean Streets
I’m so spoiled. I float around my well-lit, bustling-at-all-hours neighborhood in a perceived bubble of safety, assuming that the city that never sleeps will always protect me from random harm in the night. But this sign, which LCF and I spied after sushi last night on 2nd. Ave. & St. Marks made me feel so sad and worried. And then Jennigirl forwarded me this alert from Gothamist this Morning:
“The police are looking for a man they believe may be involved with four sexual attacks in the East Village and Lower East Side. Early yesterday morning, a 20-year-old woman was attacked at East 9th and Second Avenue, as the Sun puts it, ‘just steps away from the bright lights of the 24-hour Veselka Restaurant.’ The other attacks occurred in other parts of the East Village and on Mott Street, near Prince. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the latest attack is ’seen as part of the pattern,’ with all the attacks happening in the early morning, when women are entering their buildings. The attacker puts the woman into a chokehold, and, in one case, the News reports, ‘the man put his arm around a victim’s neck and caused her to pass out for a short period.’”
Holy crap! I KNOW I live in a huge city and that these things are bound to happen, but after all this time, the Villiage really does feel like a little villiage to me, and it’s terrible to think that this is suddenly happening with such alarming frequency to my fellow-lady neighbors, and that it could happen at any time to my late-night-going-out ass. Keep those keys handy at all times chicas! And lets keep our ears and eyes out for each other.