# Does crossing the street to avoid certain people reduce your chances of being victimized by crime? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 21, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456 "2009-11-21T21:33:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/21 "2009-11-22T15:56:30Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > I live in Vancouver, and our minorities are generally asian. It’s never occurred to me to be fearful of them. I also live in Vancouver (hey neighbor!) and I’d be zigzaging down the centreline if I started crossing the streets because of asians. I’d also need a census map to figure out which of us is the minority threat on any given block. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/22 "2009-11-22T19:54:54Z")
**A Monkey With A Gun** has it right. You need to walk as though you have every right to be there to avoid being seen as ‘prey’. Saying that, you _could_ still cross the road, as long as you did it before the ‘rowdy looking gang’ had noticed you. You still have to walk tall; you just get to do it further away, which will buy you a little bit of time if it suddenly goes ‘pear-shaped’. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/23 "2009-11-23T07:52:28Z")
One thing to remember: If you’re a guy, not wearing any bling, not wearing any flashy or nice clothes, not wearing any gang colors; you’re not likely to make a ping on anybody’s radar. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/24 "2009-11-23T13:44:43Z")
I’ve seen this on other message boards: it’s wrong for a anyone to cross the street to avoid a black person, but it’s acceptable for a woman to cross the street to avoid a man. Why? I’m not some angry man’s advocate, but I find it quite insulting to be walking down the street, and have a woman cross over as I approach, and cross back after I’ve passed. So, is it politically correct for a woman to cross the street for a white man, since he may be a potential rapist, but it’s wrong to cross the street if a black man approaches, since it’s an implied racist act? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/25 "2009-11-23T14:31:11Z")
> [@What\_the\_deuce](#): > > I’ve got to handle this delicately; I don’t want to be accused of being a racist, which (I hope) I am not. However, I’m putting this directly into the BBQ pit, because there’s no way people will be able to maintain a calm rational response to this, and they may want the opportunity to vent. > > Following the police reports near my university (which are mailed right to us), I’ve seen again and again that the people who attack people in my neighborhood are of a certain group. Ergo, it would seem that crossing the street to avoid that kind of person is a good way to protect myself against being victimized by crime. Okay, more specifically, men in their twenties of that group. > …snip… > **I don’t like the idea of racism, and I wouldn’t want to be a victim of this technique, but _when it comes to personal safety, I’m forced to throw political correctness out the window._** Political correctness be damned. Trust your instincts. If you think you should cross the street, do so. There is a reason the little hairs on the back of your neck are twitching, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the skin color of whomever you are looking at. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/26 "2009-11-23T14:32:27Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > So, is it politically correct for a woman to cross the street for a white man, since he may be a potential rapist, but it’s wrong to cross the street if a black man approaches, since it’s an implied racist act? I read about a woman who would cross the street when approaching a man except if he was black because she didn’t want to appear racist. Forgot where. Some comedian on the OP: Cross the street and feel guilty when you get home safe. How to scare the shit out of a white couple: Step 1: Be black. Step 2: Be the first thing they see after they were intensely studying a wanted poster of a black man. Step 3: Take your pick: Profit! or Hi, Opal! I’ve had this happen in broad daylight and it always makes me wonder did she need to cross right then. In the absence of further evidence, benefit of the doubt and shit. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/27 "2009-11-23T14:40:34Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Crossing the street excessively can increase your risk of being run over by a drunk driver, I should point out. Yes, but at least it will be a white person. 😃 [QUOTE=Clothahump] Political correctness be damned. Trust your instincts. If you think you should cross the street, do so. There is a reason the little hairs on the back of your neck are twitching, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the skin color of whomever you are looking at. [/QUOTE] Oh, I don’t know. Could have _something_ to do with skin color. You know, since the OP said he was crossing the street to avoid people of a particular ethnic group. But hey, what does he know? They’re only his own words. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/28 "2009-11-23T14:46:51Z")
> [@What\_the\_deuce](#): > > I don’t like the idea of racism, and I wouldn’t want to be a victim of this technique, but _when it comes to personal safety, I’m forced to throw political correctness out the window._ I’m sorry, but what has this to do with politics? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/29 "2009-11-23T15:18:28Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Perceptive young men might easily take note of such behavior and decide that such streetcrossing indicates fear and vulnerability. Yeah, if you cross the street you could be showing yourself to be vulnerable. But if you stay on the same side you’re putting yourself in harm’s way. There’s got to be a compromise. Me? I’m a middle of the road kind of guy. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/30 "2009-11-23T15:27:44Z")
> [@Sebastienne](#): > > While I can see crossing the street being a way to avoid a confrontation with someone who’s likely to go off only if directly provoked (such as a bunch of drunks), I can’t imagine a mugger, or especially a group of muggers, thinking “Man, that person looks like a plum target-- if only they were on this side of the street!” I don’t know how much less conspicuous you really are for being on the opposite side, and crossing seems to be likely to bring more attention (and bad feeling) on yourself. Seriously. “Oh nos! He moved across the street. Drat, I suppose I’ll just have to mug the next white person I see. Hopefully the tricky bastard doesn’t cross the street, too.” Well, blacks _are_ lazy. > [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Now, up until that moment, I didn’t consider them a threat. I recognized they were just having a good time as I did with my friends at their age. “Up until that moment?” So this means you began perceiving them as a threat _after_ they informed you they didn’t want your money? > [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > Don’t look like prey. Pretty much. Perhaps the OP thinks all skinny white guys look like prey to black guys? > [@enomaj](#): > > How to scare the shit out of a white couple: > > Step 1: Be black. > > Step 2: Be the first thing they see after they were intensely studying a wanted poster of a black man. > > Step 3: Take your pick: Profit! or Hi, Opal! Hmm, profit seems appealing. Beats working! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/31 "2009-11-23T15:45:31Z")
I guess the question the OP has to ask himself is – is it about race or demeanor? Would he be warier of a black man or woman? Would he be warier of a huge white guy with facial tattoos and bling or a svelte black metrosexual in a Paul Smith suit? I agree, though, that obviously crossing the street may give you a false sense of security. You might be better off having a fake conversation on your cell phone. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/32 "2009-11-23T16:30:54Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Seriously. “Oh nos! He moved across the street. Drat, I suppose I’ll just have to mug the next white person I see. Hopefully the tricky bastard doesn’t cross the street, too.” Well, blacks _are_ lazy. Well, I don’t know about blacks, but the University of Minnesota (I believe - I cannot find a cite) did a study of incarcerated rapists, and they found that if they (the rapists) accosted a woman, and she ran away, they wouldn’t even bother to chase her. Their belief was that there was always another woman who would make it easier. When I taught women’s self-defense, this was one of the hardest notions to get across to my students - that they were better at reading body language than they believed. There is usually-but-not-always a reason, as **Clothahump** mentions, that you get a bad vibe from someone. The other hard idea to get across was that you don’t inflict injury on people by not giving them a chance to mug you, _even if that was not their intent_. I was heading to my car late one night at work. A woman was parked next to me (it turned out) and was coming to the parking lot from another building next to mine. She was a little ahead of me, and it appeared to her as we approached the parking ramp that I was following her. She looked back at me and was obviously frightened. I stopped, took off my hat, and waited for her to reach her car and get in. How did she damage me? Would it have been worse if she had gone back into her building and waited for me to leave? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/33 "2009-11-23T17:56:00Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > I guess the question the OP has to ask himself is – is it about race or demeanor? Would he be warier of a black man or woman? Would he be warier of a huge white guy with facial tattoos and bling or a svelte black metrosexual in a Paul Smith suit? Help! Prince is after me! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/34 "2009-11-23T18:14:03Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Help! Prince is after me! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/35 "2009-11-23T18:18:27Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > Yeah, if you cross the street you could be showing yourself to be vulnerable. But if you stay on the same side you’re putting yourself in harm’s way. There’s got to be a compromise. > Me? I’m a middle of the road kind of guy. Watch out for that car! ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/36 "2009-11-23T19:43:24Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > Yeah, if you cross the street you could be showing yourself to be vulnerable. But if you stay on the same side you’re putting yourself in harm’s way. There’s got to be a compromise. > Me? I’m a middle of the road kind of guy. Walking in the middle of the road with crazy eyes, sounds about the best bet to me! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/37 "2009-11-23T22:18:22Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Help! Prince is after me! Look out! He has a microphone and he’s going to use it! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/38 "2009-11-23T23:53:23Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I was heading to my car late one night at work. A woman was parked next to me (it turned out) and was coming to the parking lot from another building next to mine. She was a little ahead of me, and it appeared to her as we approached the parking ramp that I was following her. She looked back at me and was obviously frightened. > > I stopped, took off my hat, and waited for her to reach her car and get in. > > How did she damage me? How is taking off your hat reassuring? You could have meant to fling it at her like Oddjob in _Goldfinger_. You could have scary hair, or a glaringly offensive bald pate. Or she could think you’re about to take off other clothing items and run screaming for help. Simply stopping and leering reassuringly is always best. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/39 "2009-11-24T05:33:43Z")
There was a rabbit under it. Chicks dig magicians. ---
**Author:** ![independentminded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed8c4c/32.png) [@independentminded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/independentminded)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456/40 "2009-11-24T05:59:04Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > One thing to remember: If you’re a guy, not wearing any bling, not wearing any flashy or nice clothes, not wearing any gang colors; you’re not likely to make a ping on anybody’s radar. Even if you’re a female and you wear flashy clothes, jewelry, or any colors that could be construed as belonging to a rival gang, you’re still somewhat vulnerable to being attacked or whatever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-crossing-the-street-to-avoid-certain-people-reduce-your-chances-of-being-victimized-by-crime/518456.md?page=3)