Comments on: Woman Robbed at Gunpoint in Studio City

By: Felonius Interruptus | Los Angeles Metblogs

Felonius Interruptus | Los Angeles Metblogs — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:00:50 +0000

[...] rise in crime that is accompanying the fall of the stock market: mail theft in Hollywood, hold-up in Studio City, and so on. It seems we all know someone, or several people, who have been victims [...]

By: JC

JC — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:04:53 +0000

Confusing semi-automatic with SMG, perhaps? I might be prone to hyperbole if suburbanites were getting mugged by Uzi-brandishing maniacs. OTOH, if it’s just a Glock, statistically speaking that’s a little more par for the course.

But it isn’t any less scary for the person getting mugged.

By: flowerofhighrank

flowerofhighrank — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 05:10:33 +0000

Now, you kids. Play nice.
I don’t think it’s hyperbole; I want to know about gun crimes in the supposedly ‘safer’ areas of the city. I live in Whittier. Things even happen here (most PDs have a blog or crime log). Will I arm myself? It’s too much of a hassle, frankly. Also, I’m a pretty big guy. This story will make me more careful.
Lucinda! Wasn’t Taix fun? We missed you for Thai food Friday, next time!

By: lamapnerd

lamapnerd — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:55:25 +0000

David, I live in Studio City. I don’t mind raising peoples’ awareness – especially if they think armed robberies are “rare.”

Studio City ain’t Compton, but it ain’t bucolic crime-free suburbia, either. (Neither is most of suburbia, for that matter, but that’s a different issue…)

The North Hollywood Division has tallied 91 violent robberies since the beginning of the year, 32 in the last month alone.

But that’s down 17% compared to the same time period last year.

The city of Los Angeles is not “spiraling out of control”.

And there’s nothing so remarkable about a semi-automatic weapon that it warrants breathless bold-facing.

I don’t mind making people aware of what’s going on, but I dislike sensationalism and fear-mongering – whether it comes from CNN or unpaid bloggers.

Fear is the mind-killer. It makes people do stupid things and support stupid, repressive policies.

We need less of that around here, not more.

By: David Markland

David Markland — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:54:36 +0000

Egads.

lamapnerd, think of it this way: Studio City is relatively safe, but probably not as safe as people think. Jason writes a post about a single mugging. It gets a lot of attention. People, especially around Studio City, hear about this, and start sharing stories of similar incidents they’ve hard about. People become more vigilant, more careful, more aware. As a result, the neighborhood actually becomes a little bit safer.

By: frazgo

frazgo — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:12:24 +0000

OMG that is just blocks from where I used to live. Scary stuff, nearly as bad as the last great recession in the 80′s, ‘cept then I lived in LV and everyone was armed and the shoot outs were awful.

By: lamapnerd

lamapnerd — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:43:55 +0000

Hey, you’re just writing on a blog, and I’m just commenting on your writing in the blog’s “Comments” section.

Don’t get your panties in a bunch.

By: Jason Burns

Jason Burns — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:31:17 +0000

Then don’t take me, or Metblogs, seriously, Mapnerd. That’s your choice.

This is not a newspaper or CNN. It’s a blog. It’s the internet. It’s a bunch of people that live in Los Angeles who choose to write about their city for no pay. That’s all it is.

But, if it makes you feel better, please continue to correct our grammar and spelling. Everyone needs a hobby.

By: lamapnerd

lamapnerd — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:03:38 +0000

But, hyperbole is what I do. It’s kinda my thing.

Yeah, I’ve noticed that. :-)

Glad it makes you happy.

Makes it kinda hard to take you seriously, though – and diminishes any chance that Metblogs might have of being taken seriously as a voice for change in the community.

(And personally, I’d have to say that if anyone has their “panties in a bunch”, it’s you, not the journalism majors of your imagination.)

By: darleene

darleene — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:52:52 +0000

I wasn’t trying to say Studio City is any safer or not than Koreatown. I just treat them the same.

I’m with Markland on the cash thing. I’ll go into a supermarket and buy something I don’t need to avoid going to an ATM (especially an out-of-network ATM).

AND I also try my best to never get gas at night. My husband’s sister once told me a story about a woman by herself getting raped because she was getting gas at night. It may be an urban legend, but I think its pretty safe advice anyway.