The Scary Truth: Safety In New York | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

The Scary Truth: Safety In New York

After a week of troubling headlines in Manhattan, we have to reflect on how close to home they can hit.

7
The Scary Truth: Safety In New York
Wikimedia Commons

In the last week, any doubts about the safety of New York City were tested in two major news stories. First, a homemade bomb constructed of a pressure cooker and duct tape went off in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, injuring around thirty people. Then, it was reported that an NYU student was sexually assaulted after she got in a vehicle she believed to be a cab early Saturday morning.

It is safe to say that most people believe that there are safer places in the world than New York City, to which most of us New Yorkers reply that the things that happen in the Big Apple happen all over the country, you just hear about them more here. I don't think about them anymore.

Of course I'm not ignorant to the dangers of Manhattan. I refuse to use Uber because I've read too many stories about the dangers and don't want to take the risk of it happening to me. If I'm walking home or taking the subway at a certain hour, I make sure I have a male friend of mine with me because as much as my feminist principles wishes it weren't true, I still live in a sexist society where I know I look less vulnerable with a man by my side than I do alone. My faith in the goodness lying beyond New York's pretty face was unwavering.

Until, of course, something bad directly affected me.

A couple weeks ago, my mother was in town visiting me and being my buddy to see a taping of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." We waited outside all day to see my dad and comedy crush, and were happy but exhausted from such. I placed my mom in a cab as I took the N train back to campus. Normally it's my overprotective mother asking me if I've arrived at my destination, but instead, it was me questioning why I hadn't heard about her return to my apartment long after I'd gotten down to the Village.

When my mother did acknowledge my message, she said she'd had a horrible experience in her taxi. The driver had been extremely aggressive on the road to the point where he and another driver got in an argument that took them off the road and had them calling the police following the altercation. Scared, my mother tried to get out of the cab, only to find the driver had locked her in the backseat so that she could speak to the police when they arrived. It wasn't until she was able to yell to a nearby construction worker once she rolled her window down that help came, convincing the driver to let her out after a lengthy, scary experience.

The taxi my mother got into could've been the taxi she always encourages me to take home when I leave work late at night. The driver could've been worse, could've tried something similar to what allegedly happened to my fellow NYU student this past week. And the drive could've been crossing town on 27th Street, just blocks away from my apartment, in the place where another homemade bomb was found before it had a chance to further terrify a city.

I'm not afraid of New York. I still love it and thoughtfully wear the sentiment on a pin. But I can't be ignorant to the mark it has on its back for all of the wonderful things it offers, as well, for how easy of a target it can be. All of us New Yorkers have to be aware of that going forward. We have to remember how these news stories are just outside our windows and we can't handle it by closing our blinds.

Stay safe out there, fellow New Yorkers. Live your life, but don't live ignorantly.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

187770
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

13337
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

456692
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

25911
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments