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5ksandcabernets: When running with a gang is not so much fun.

5ksandcabernets

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

When running with a gang is not so much fun.

My assignment today had me in one of the rougher neighborhoods of Fort Worth, trying to report whether the city's gang prevention initiatives in a particular neighborhood was working.

You can read about that story in a few days because I've yet to write the piece. But I can say this: It'd be pretty hard to be a runner in some of these neighborhoods. There was a known crack house just a few blocks away from a state-run daycare center, and at one of the parks, pit bulls were running around like squirrels. Sidewalks and buildings were marked, or tagged, by the gang members who run those blocks.

I've never even thought twice about the neighborhoods where I run. I don't carry mace with me. I leave my apartment unlocked when I don't feel like carrying my keys with me. I can't imagine what my life would be like if I had to "watch my back" every time I ran.

The thing is, I grew up in some gritty Dallas neighborhoods in the 1970s and early 1980s and never gave my surroundings a second thought. It was all I knew.

Once I graduated from college, I moved into the nicest neighborhoods my money could buy, so things seemed so foreign today.

I'm glad I live where I live but today reminded me to not take things for granted.

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5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am the same way. (I live in Ottawa where even our scariest 'hoods are relatively safe.) When I did Shamrock, the woman I kept pace with lives is Baltimore. She said she only treadmill trains because it's not safe to run in her community.

Sad isn't it.

August 27, 2008 at 7:33 PM  
Blogger Victoria said...

I think part of the reason I ended up switching to trails is that I do NOT run in my neighborhood. It's pretty funny sometimes, because I grew up in Santa Barbara, where even the worst parts of town are pretty ridiculously tame, and now I live in one of the homicide capitals of the US. I actually did the opposite trajectory of "moving up and out." Go figure. My immediate neighbors are super supportive and wonderful though, so that's all well and good.

August 28, 2008 at 1:51 AM  
Blogger Laura said...

When I was in Boston and asked the concierge at the hotel where to run in the early morning, he was shocked, and pointed out that I was in a city and it would be dangerous. I replied that I live in NYC, but I later realized that NYC is a surprisingly safe place to train, because there are always people around. Other places might not be the same.

August 31, 2008 at 9:25 AM  
Anonymous cloudveil said...

It's so sad if you can't run within your community. We just can't help it, its really happening. So its better to be sure for us to be safe.

September 1, 2010 at 11:57 PM  
Anonymous mizuno said...

Place s really important in running. That's why we really have to choose it. but of course it is not good to have a community like this. Hope it would be better.

October 19, 2010 at 10:40 PM  

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