Two muggings in the last two nights

[rdolan]

Not comedy muggings. Real ones.

A friend of a friend was mugged up in Andersonville two nights ago, but she got away.

Last night a friend got mugged by Trader Joe's on Lincoln and Grace and had to go to the hospital.

If you're a woman, be aware, and try not to walk alone at night.

If you do any bits on this thread, I'll cut you.

[Tabs]

Also if you're a woman, don't assume other women aren't going to try to hurt you.

The Trader's Joe mugging was 2 girls jumping another girl.

[Sarah]

My office is bringing in a group to do a "Self-defense for Women" workshop tomorrow. The timing is almost spooky to me. I'm definitely going.

The group is called IMPACT Chicago and this is their website: http://www.impactchicago.org/

They offer classes and workshops in self-defense. It is absolutely worth checking out.

[bagnall]

thanks for the info.
it's all too easy to get comfortable and forget that stuff happens, even near the trader joes.
thank you thank you.

[JRC]

I removed some posts for being off-topic and generally derailing.

Thank you.

[Rich]

Does my post count include deleted ones?

[lumberjackadal]

My sister Sadieh ,who is a actress in town, was the girl mugged by Trader Joes.

A car pulled up to her while she was walking and 2 girls got out, one snuck behind her and broke an umbrella on the back of my sisters head and then when she fell to the ground they punched her in the face trying to get her messanger bag off of her. An office duty police officer chased one girl down so we will be able to charge her.

The cops said it was most likely a gang initiation because there were 2 or 3 males in the car the whole time who just sat and watched.

[Leslieface]

Thanks for letting us know. :-)

I was mugged last September by 3 girls, but I got my stuff back after I chased them down. Luckily there was a cop car around and they all got caught, but I know that is very lucky.
They're getting ...4 years in jail i believe

Be aware at night! And try not to walk alone. : )

[Fenstermaker]

Oh my, I hope Sadieh is okay...thank goodness that cop was nearby.

[Fenstermaker]

Thanks for letting us know. :-)

I was mugged last September by 3 girls, but I got my stuff back after I chased them down. Luckily there was a cop car around and they all got caught, but I know that is very lucky.
They're getting ...4 years in jail i believe

Be aware at night! And try not to walk alone. : )

Leslie, I'm still in awe of your bravery.

[Sarah]

I am so impressed with Leslie, Sadieh, and all other attack victims mentioned here. It's clear that they kept their wits about them and were able to fend off the attackers and alert law enforcement quickly. These are some strong women.

I just attended a short workshop and I want to share a few tips/reminders. With Spring usually comes a rise in muggings and sexual assaults, particularly on women, and it's so important to remember that it can happen anywhere. A few of the things that stuck out to me are:

- Stay aware. If you hear footsteps behind you, don't ignore it or pretend you don't hear it, LOOK. Know what's around you and let your potential attacker see that you see them.

- As women, our center of gravity is lower and our strength is in our hips and legs. If you can (and if it makes sense) drop to the ground, on your side, and kick out the person's knee. Keep your feet and legs in between you and your attacker.

- Yell "NO," "STOP," whatever you can, repeatedly to alert others to the situation and to try and set a clear boundary between you and your attacker.

- Groin (for men), eyes, and face/head are good target areas.

- Above all, always trust your instincts and do whatever you need to do to protect yourself. That may mean fighting, it may mean taking off and running, it may even mean submitting to the attack, or any number of things. Do what you need to do.

IMPACT Chicago offers classes and workshops, so feel free to contact them if your interested in them coming to your office or perhaps a super serious bachelorette party. Worth it!

www.IMPACTchicago.org 773-338-4545

[Former Hoosier]

I don't know if this works or not (mainly because, thankfully, I've never been attacked), but I've heard that yelling "Fire!" instead of "Help!" is more likely to get a response from passersby. For some reason, people are more likely to equate "Fire" with a need for emergency help.

[Eric Pedersen!]

If someone is trying to hurt you, don't be afraid to hurt them to get away. No one has strong eyes, literally try to damage their eyeballs then run the second they are distracted. Run and yell for help. Best bet is to be smart before it happens. Ya'll are too great for something bad to happen, be carful and stay with numbers.

[LeahC]

I took a self-defense class earlier this year - a few pointers:

-When you're walking around, no matter how you feel, look alert and walk with good posture; if you look assertive and aware, you're less likely to be chosen as a victim because it's harder to attack someone who is fully aware.

-If you think someone looks suspicious, start up a conversation with someone (even strangers). It ensures that someone has their eye on you, which deters potential assailants. If there's nobody else around, call someone on your phone. I have used this one when some guy came up to me in the subway station and asking me personal questions. As soon as I started to talk to someone else, he walked away from me and left the station without getting on a train.

-If you have any choice at all, run.

-If you have to fight someone, use the heel of your hand, your elbow, or your knee rather than a fist. It's much easier to hurt your fist, and you don't want to be incapacitated.

-Aim for the groin, throat, back of the knees, or underneath the nose or chin.

-Before you EVER try to fight anyone, consider your priorities: do you really care more about your bike or your purse than (potentially) your life?

[jimfath]

This is all great advice:

Keeping yourself aware of your surroundings and being ready to react is key. Whether you like it or not, your guard is constantly going up and down no matter how vigilant you are.

Change it up:
If something feels strange get away or at least change your pattern. Walk faster, cross the street, do something different. If you are being targeted, any kind of sudden shift in your behavior might discourage someone from acting. They're looking at you and trying to figure out the time to strike. They might not attack if you suddenly become unpredictable. Speaking of which....

Act Crazy:
If you feel like someone has their eye on you or is following you and it's immanent, do something that makes you look unstable. Even if it's slight. Murmur something, display some sort of large jarring body tic, anything. This sounds like a bit but many women have told me it works. NOBODY likes crazy and nothing says "Hands off" like a whacka doo roaming the streets at night.

This is probably the biggest scare tactic you can use and it's definitely worst case scenario. Making it audible is better than visible in case they can't see you plus a sudden noise is more jarring then sudden facial tic. And the louder the better. A quick non sequitur or faking Tourette syndrome is a winner. At worst you'll look like a fool in pubic at best the attacker thinks twice and backs off.

You are attacked:
So much of what happens to you is how you react. Many people are shocked into submission just by the fact of what's happening. Even if they could have gotten away a lot of victims get stunned into submission. Even people who have seemingly taken every precaution imaginable have fallen victim to their own fears.

So...You are attacked:

Expect to be tackled or knocked to the ground.
Expect for the attacker to sit on your stomach or abdomen and grab your hands.
Expect them to order you into submission by threatening you with more violence.
Expect to be hit back. Especially if you try to fight back. YOU CAN'T back down and you have to follow through with all of this.

These are all horrible things but if you have an any idea of what to expect you might not be SO stunned as it's happening to you.

Strikes are in proximity.

foot to groin (when you have distance)
palm to nose
elbow to anything
finger to eyes
forehead to nose
teeth anywhere.

If you get away and they come after you, a shot to the groin can help. expect to miss and land on the ground. By kicking you've taken away 50% of your support. If you connect, run... You're only goal is to get away. Make noise... Scream bloody murder if you have to. Get away. Get into the street lights. Get into the Street... RUN

Closer strikes:
Open palm to the nose: It takes under 10 lbs of pressure to break the nose and it's a very painful and bloody injury.

Strikes to the eye. The eyes are tricky because as humans become aggressive firm layers of muscle tissue firm up around eyes. The brow furrows and cheeks raise making the eyes less vulnerable to a quick finger jab. You're best bet to just grab them like a fucking bowling ball. get your hands in there as quickly as possible. Even a signifigant amount of pressure can give them double vision if not loss of vision outright however temporary.

Windpipe: Everyone's windpipe is exposed. There's no muscle and just a very thin layer of tissue covering it. Strike it with the side of your hand or grab it and twist it if you have to.

Bite'em: Lastly they have you pinned and can't move. Bite'em. Soft tissue draws more blood. The neck, the cheek. Sink your teeth in. You might draw blood but probably not. Just bite as hard as you can. Expect them to hit you. This will release your arms. You will likely have one shot with them. Make it a good one.


From Behind:
the majority of physical attacks come from behind. You will likely be overwhelmed with the surprise and be disoriented from it. If you land face down and are pinned, think about your next move. You may have to wait for an opportunity. If you can work in an elbow strike that's great but many times they will put you in a strangle hold and can lift you up and use your own weight against you. You will pass out if they hold you like that too long. If they put you in a strangle hold bite their fucking arm.

Muggings:
If they demand money, your wallet or your i-phone you should probably just give it to them. These are truly desperate people. Usually addicts. If you are in a very public place and there are people around, making the choice to run or cause a scene is yours. You have to ask yourself "Is it worth getting hurt over?"

[bek_mar]

If you're walking on a low-traffic street by yourself, walk in the middle of the street. It's brighter and people can't hide in doorways or alleys. And I've always heard not to talk on your cell phone, that looks like you're distracted.

Also, while I'm not a fan of pepper spray (I know I'd just get it in my own face), I usually carry my keys between my fingers. Partly so if I have to hit someone it's more effective, and partly 'cause it makes me feel like a gangster. :)

[JPanic]

I'm a big advocate of walking around with something in your hand that will increase the power of a quick strike, because when the moment hits, you might be too startled to make a move to get out pepper spray or something.

I have an old car key on my key ring that is about 2 or 3 inches long and pointy (I think it was a Sears key shop copy of my original). I could hold my keys in my clenched hand with the car key sticking out between my middle and ring fingers. If I had to punch somebody trying to mug me, I could do serious damage to the eye with just a jab and also have the chance to pierce skin.

I seldom get attacked, but I think of these things.

And for the hell of it: Brass knuckles.

[timalimdim]

If they demand money, your wallet or your i-phone you should probably just give it to them. These are truly desperate people. Usually addicts. If you are in a very public place and there are people around, making the choice to run or cause a scene is yours. You have to ask yourself "Is it worth getting hurt over?"

To me, this is probably the single hardest piece of advice to follow. I've, thankfully, never been mugged, but the idea of having someone take something from me in a very public place and not say anything about it... that'd be a tough pill to swallow. I know it's often the right decision, but the sheer principle of allowing someone to terrorize you into submission with the mere threat of uncertain harm... that's tough for me to stomach.

I'm sure my mind would change if I were ever actually confronted by the situation. I'm fairly positive I've come close to danger a few times, but some variation of the other advice offered on this thread has kept me safe so far. (Knocking on every piece of wood around me.)

[timalimdim]

And for the hell of it: Brass knuckles.

Funny you should say... I have a carabiner on my keys that's way too huge to make a whole lot of sense. It's an actual load-bearing 'biner that happens to fit my fist nearly perfectly. If I'm ever feeling a little sketched out while walking alone at night, you better believe that thing's on my fist.