Heads up on harassment downtown

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Heads up on harassment downtown

Submitted by Sarah on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 10:13am.

Last night about 10:30 pm a friend was walking along 4th downtown Oly near the fountain, headed towards the west side. A car load of guys drove past and yelled "Faggot!" loud and angry and aggressive at him. My friend knew at this point to be extra alert, especially since it then looked as if the car was going to double back to take another swing by him and possibly at him.

But, as my friend puts it, they got their karma. OPD stopped the car for some reason just a block or two away.

I remember hearing about a Q Patrol at some point downtown, does it still exist? I'm especially interested in helping with some sort of online incident reporting, this could even be done through OlyBlog if an active site doesn't already exist. Then we could compare notes and trends on any kind of public harassment in Olympia.

Okay, I'm back on vacation.

Sarah's blog
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It is an unfortunate compulsion

Submitted by Guglielmo on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 11:22am.

any time three or more like-minded 16 to 20 year old males share an automobile. I've encountered the behavior enough times to make that observation. It never occurred to me to report it, but if people feel are feeling threatened I suppose it would be the right thing to do. Good idea. Perhaps a mapping function too.

Yeah, this same sort of

Submitted by zeet on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 2:12pm.

Yeah, this same sort of thing has happened to me a handful of times to me over the years. I could see it shaking someone who didn't feel they could defend themselves.

Just to clarify

Submitted by Sarah on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 2:33pm.

This clarification is in general, not aimed at anyone, cause I could just be misunderstanding here. I personally don't believe this is about a person feeling as if they cannot defend themselves. Whether the person can or cannot, a carload of aggro guys is most likely trouble.

In other words - the person being harassed is not to blame. And all their feelings are okay. Scared or not, angry or not, whatever.

If they need help, calling 911 is the thing to do in my book. Plus I believe shit should be reported. But, at the same time, community awareness of what the trends are, people comparing notes, and community education of each other on street smarts.......I think is a great idea.

For some of us, getting yelled at is normal. Maybe there is a way for us to change that.

Oh, I agree

Submitted by Guglielmo on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 2:37pm.

Changing some norms is a good idea.

HEY!!

Submitted by Norm on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 4:58pm.

Just for the record, I am NOT one of those Norms!!

Oh, yeah

Submitted by Guglielmo on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 5:00pm.

It's always all about you Norm.

When my name is in the text?

Submitted by Norm on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 5:05pm.

Of course it's about me! ;)

something like that happened

Submitted by Sue on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 6:55pm.

something like that happened to me a couple of years ago, on the near east side, about 10 pm. they were persistent, and did it several times, though i couldn't understand what they were saying. otherwise, i generally feel pretty safe around here. that kind of behavior is really disappointing, and beyond my understanding. changing "the flow of that energy" would be really nice, but it's not as if we'd ever get to sit down to a reasonable conversation with people like that. do you think that they're capable of or willing to engage in reasonable conversation?

Oh

Submitted by Rob Richards on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 2:07pm.

When I bring up community policing it's subversive evil anarchism, but Sarah brings it up and it's a good idea so soon.

You know what they say, "today's anarchism is tomorrow's conservatism."

But seriously, this is something that I and others I know would be interested in being a part of if it could be geared a little toward cop-watching as well.

We can start a new website

Submitted by Guglielmo on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 2:15pm.

Goongle.net

ah

Submitted by Rob Richards on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 2:18pm.

It took me a minute.

No, no, I'm more evil than you

Submitted by Sarah on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 2:44pm.

(Much more subversively anarcho-evil than you. OG might have to set up a cage fight for us so we can determine the victor in this evil-ness contest.)

Cop watch could certainly fit in.

My personal interest is on the information collection and sharing end of things. That could work in tandem with watches and the general public.

I would be happy to participate in something constructive...

Submitted by Reeechard on Thu, 09/20/2007 - 5:45pm.

I'm tired of seeing the behavior of people bonding with each other against what's different. A similar situation originated from a group staying at the big downtown hotel last week. If these people, whoever they may be, are not hearing from the rest of us that this behavior is not OK in public, they will continue to fear differences and diversity, and as a result, will attack it.

Harassment in any form is unwelcome. Let's take a lesson from Aikido and change the flow of that energy into something positive.

If, instead of harassing someone as a response to the amygdala's impulse for flight or fight [I know it's always referenced the other way, but I prefer it this way] to what may be perceived as a possible threat, we exchanged fear with a desire for understanding through actively listening and thoughtfully discussing differences in a positive manner in order to quell those warning triggers, what a great world this would be!

Doh! Grammar...

Yup, that's my idealism for this week.

Nana ka maka; ho`olohe ka pepeiao; pa`a ka waha.
"Observe with the eyes, listen with the ears, shut the mouth." - thus one learns...

animal watch as well?

Submitted by chad360 on Fri, 09/21/2007 - 7:48am.

I hang alot downtown and watch, bike around...I see alot of disturbing human behavior:

making wastes in bushes and on buildings, theft, fights, folks sleeping in shrubbery, drunken sots wandering around, public nudity, masturbation (>!<), the whole gamut--

I hate that fact that the streets are open at night to thru traffic...esp the one way drags--

--but what I care most about is watching the non-human wildlife try to make their way across the concrete and asphalt mess-of-a-city we all lovingly call Olympia.

Please, no f*cking caiman or nutria jokes for once, OK--

I'd like to take some time and ask if anyone on this 'blog has any motivation to work on wildlife corridors or some such solution? Can we posse?

I expect humans to make asses of themselves and trash whatever space they are in (just goes without saying), but I'm embarrassed that our great and proud society cannot understand and support wildlife & natural ways-of-being...

Considering the sad state of FLOD, I'm not surprised that nature & wildlife take a backseat to human "endeavors" here locally in Oly & the South Sound

how about....

Submitted by Rob Richards on Fri, 09/21/2007 - 9:43am.

...daylighting Moxlie Creek?

Hey

Submitted by Guglielmo on Fri, 09/21/2007 - 10:00am.

I'm all about daylighting Moxlie! Been thinking about that one for a while. That and neighborhood micro-corridors, where you work with neighbors to turn their property lines, if not their yards, into habitat.

it's on

Submitted by Rob Richards on Fri, 09/21/2007 - 10:13am.

I'll rent the jack-hammer, you get the city worker uniforms and ID badges.

Did you say....

Submitted by oysterpreserve on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 6:18am.

Did you say city worker uniforms and ID badges, well you came to the right place, being employed by them I have access to everything even the jack-hammer!!!

Well,

Submitted by Rob Richards on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 10:01am.

looks like we're all set.

I'm on board

Submitted by oysterpreserve on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 6:30am.

This is a topic on my mind as well......and would be very interested in becoming involved in. one problem with downtown Oly (in terms of wildlife) is that you have water on one side, and on the other you have the interstate and then concrete until you get to the water.

I suspecting Moxlie Creek now runs underground through the city does anyone have any more info, or could point me in the right direction. We would need to open it up completely atleast in between roads,rebuild the habit along the creek, and then have a laser crosswalk system that would warn motorists and bicyclists that they were there.

Moxlie Creek

Submitted by Meta Hogan on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 8:47am.

A little history and a map from the city's website. It's my understanding that the creek runs pretty much directly under Chestnut Street. I'm sure there are several groups in town who, although they may not prefer the jackhammer-at-midnight method, would like to get involved in advocating for the daylighting of that creek. Ask around.

I think

Submitted by Rob Richards on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 10:07am.

we have the beginning of a posse. Perhaps a meeting is in order. I'm game. I think getting folks together with the skills to draw up the plans for what that corridor would look like afterward, as well as looking into a feasibility study, which can be expensive. I'm sure local enviro groups would chip in, and perhaps the city council itself if we convince them they can make money from it.

Hello Safeway....

Submitted by oysterpreserve on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 12:23pm.

I'm looking at the map of how Moxlie creek is pumped under Chestnut street, when it hits me that the now closed Safeway sits next to chestnut street. Then I am wondering if the City Council is actually going to purchase the property to build a new city hall. Then I start to think that if they were to do that, could they build up instead of out? Because (i'm still thinking here) then we could possible do something very similar to what has been done with Indian Creek.

it seems to me that this space might be the best starting point for anything involved with Moxlie Creek. If this was possible we could turn it back into a native habitat, while at the same time help to lower pollutants in the east bay. One study i glanced over says that Moxlie Creek is the reason for 43% of the Fecal Coliform found in EastBay. That is huge. And we might have the opportunity to change that.

Daylighting

Submitted by Guglielmo on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 10:16am.

A lot of this has been done in Seattle. We can learn from those experiences. Lets meet. Wednesday anyone?

Damn the culverts, full stream ahead!

The usual place?

Submitted by Rob Richards on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 10:18am.

or elsewhere? Oh, and I think you just came up with our motto!

The usual place works for me.

Submitted by Guglielmo on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 10:35am.

Unless someone cares otherwise.

OK, what's next?

Submitted by chad360 on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 12:46pm.

>WORD UP<

Daylighting Moxie Creek is a neat idea--

--any ideas of how to move this OlyBlog dialog into progressive action?

How to appeal to Council, how to generate awareness?

Started a new thread

Submitted by Guglielmo on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 12:50pm.

just for this...

Seems to me that the topic...

Submitted by Reeechard on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 1:56pm.

has diverged considerably from the original post.

Maybe we could move all the Moxlie Creek comments to a new thread as it seems lots more discusion is waranted?

Oh duh, already hap[pened: http://www.olyblog.net/daylighting-moxlie

Nana ka maka; ho`olohe ka pepeiao; pa`a ka waha.
"Observe with the eyes, listen with the ears, shut the mouth." - thus one learns...

reinventing the wheel

Submitted by Meta Hogan on Sat, 09/22/2007 - 1:55pm.

From a recent Port Commission communique (this week) regarding their subdivision of a short plat along East Bay Drive:

"Indian and Moxlie creeks run underneath the site on the Chestnut Street alignment in a City culvert that spans from East Bay to Interstate 5. As part of public planning process for this site that included 4 community workshops, the concept of daylighting the creeks was explored but that action was recommended."

I'm confused by the wording. Was daylighting recommended or not? If so, why didn't they do it? Maybe culverting was the recommended action. Were these the community workshops held a few years ago (I seem to remember something happening back then)? Perhaps there are folks who have been advocating this for a while who could be pulled into this process and contribute their wisdom and experience. Anyone out there been through this before? Any thoughts?

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