# Dopers afraid of DC **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 8, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759 "2009-11-08T03:17:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/21 "2009-11-08T05:16:13Z")
> [@Epimetheus](#): > > I’d like to pit people that have never played Fallout 3 that think people that are making cultural references as a joke are serious insults to their obsessively loved city. Fallout 3 sucks ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/22 "2009-11-08T05:18:56Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Fallout 3 sucks I wasn’t saying it was good, I was merely referencing those that have never played it (or only for 5 mins). ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/23 "2009-11-08T05:20:11Z")
> [@Epimetheus](#): > > I wasn’t saying it was good, I was merely referencing those that have never played it (or only for 5 mins). I should’ve nuked Megaton when I had the chance. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/24 "2009-11-08T05:41:00Z")
I love DC. OTOH, no reflection on the town, but on its location in the sub-tropics that has expanded the range of vermin available to it: F’rinstance, my kids went on a mission trip there and misunderstood our instructions to empty their bags directly into the washer and then throw the bags out back for proper fumigation, and emptied their bags in the washer but left the bags on the laundry floor, virtually saying, “Find new homes and multiply!” to all of the denizens of the Tidewater they had encountered. Wife, who is an entomologist first and an exterminator somewhat further down the line, noted that some of los cucarachas had “beautiful” blue and yellow spots. :rolleyes: And she seemed surprised, as the first to encounter them but the last to fight them, when they established a breeding population. Beyond what I learned from the above experiences, I learned that Coco Cockroach is not stopped cold by insecticide but with Scope mouthwash delivered through a picnic ketchup squeeze bottle. And that there are times when I hate my family. ETA: There was a time when our dogs believed that all endotherms living inside of the house, regardless how tasty they were outdoors, were probably pets and off limits. Then the mice handled the roaches. Our latest canine addition, half Lab and half Corgi, so his disparate backgrounds cancel each other out and leave him a Generic Dog, hasn’t come to that false conclusion about vermin, so we have no gray, scratchy things but more brown, scurrying things. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/25 "2009-11-08T06:01:28Z")
You know, I grew up in a Virginia suburb of DC, and I still can’t really respond to this rant from the perspective of a DC-area native. I lived twenty minutes from the city and I still didn’t know my way around the neighborhoods and which ones to avoid, except that ‘there is never anywhere you need to go that will be on the Green Line’, and that probably wasn’t even really true. But now I live in the south side of Chicago, and now I understand why there are some people who refuse to take the bus that comes to the end of this street (and it’s not because “it’s never there” or “it takes too long”, whatever you say :rolleyes:), and now I understand this rant. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/26 "2009-11-08T06:05:27Z")
I can see you are not a large, white guy. I once asked my wife why I was never mugged in those neighborhoods. She said, “You look like Lenny from ‘Of Mice and Men.’ Especially in those overalls. They choose easier prey.” ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/27 "2009-11-08T06:39:00Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I can see you are not a large, white guy. I once asked my wife why I was never mugged in those neighborhoods. She said, “You look like Lenny from ‘Of Mice and Men.’ Especially in those overalls. They choose easier prey.” That was always my theory. Don’t look like the easiest prey. I mastered ‘crazy face’. That’s the key to the ghetto. People are even more afraid of the crazy dude than they are of the big dude. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/28 "2009-11-08T06:53:57Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > The joke was on them, though. It was actually a pretty high-crime place. Much higher than nearby less-white neighborhoods. Well, yeah- You might get shot in one \*those \*neighborhoods trying to rob someone! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/29 "2009-11-08T06:54:45Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > That was always my theory. Don’t look like the easiest prey. I mastered ‘crazy face’. That’s the key to the ghetto. People are even more afraid of the crazy dude than they are of the big dude. Failing that, try to master “I don’t give a fuck” face. The only time I’ve ever nearly been mugged was in the Tenderloin, when an aggressive panhandler threatened to beat me up if I didn’t give him cash. I just … did nothing. Didn’t talk to him, didn’t run away, didn’t respond in any way. In fact, I kept waiting for the walk signal to turn so that I could cross the street. The dude ended up apologizing - I mean, what else can you do? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/30 "2009-11-08T07:00:23Z")
Don’t you think people can be legitimately afraid of a place with a reputation for high crime without being ZOMGRACIST? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/31 "2009-11-08T07:29:39Z")
I think people who are afraid of a place based on inaccurate information and tired stereotypes are, at the least, not all that bright. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/32 "2009-11-08T07:31:33Z")
Fair enough. But that is a far cry from saying “they are afraid of black folks.” The latter is a character-damning accusation that should not be thrown around lightly. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/33 "2009-11-08T08:15:26Z")
I don’t throw it around lightly, I hurl it with great intent. What bothers me is the demonstrate a deep ignorance of the city, yet are eager to share their opinions on it, sounds like bigotry to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/34 "2009-11-08T08:16:11Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Fair enough. But that is a far cry from saying “they are afraid of black folks.” The latter is a character-damning accusation that should not be thrown around lightly. Agreed. Also, I’d point out that for some people, “stay out of SE” is fine advice. Don’t get me wrong - I love DC, and I think almost every neighborhood has much to offer. But for someone who lacks city-savvy - who doesn’t have the judgment to recognize a dangerous neighborhood or situation - a simple (but over-broad) rule can keep them out of real trouble. And there are some legitimately dangerous neighborhoods in the city. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/35 "2009-11-08T09:26:00Z")
> [@](#): > > And there are some legitimately dangerous neighborhoods in the city. Well yeah there are dangerous areas everywhere…BUT overall if you’re not involved in the drug trade, or make stupid decisions, random violence is VERY rare.Yes there are drive-bys and completely random violence…but overall those are pretty damn rare. (thank gawd too) ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/36 "2009-11-08T10:38:34Z")
I love D.C.! My husband had never seen it. We were on our way to his son’s wedding in Maryland and had a chance to see the Mall in the snow at 1:00 in the morning. So we decided to drive on in. It was just breath-taking! That is the way to see your nation’s Capitol for the first time. We made the loop around the Mall about three times and then tried to find our turn that would put us on the road to Annapolis. Well, we got lost and somehow ended up behind the Capitol where the mood changed very quickly. No bright lights here. It was residential, but the houses were run down. There were people out on the street itself and they stared. One very tall man did a double take and started walking toward our car. We just kept moving. I think I picked a direction and we found a road out. What surprised me was the abruptness of the change. Also, when I went back to D.C. another time, I was quite stunned at the poverty I saw on the streets. I thought one man was a statue until he reached out his hand. He looked like he was made of gray mud. It really got to me. How do _really_ wealthy people walk past that every day? ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/37 "2009-11-08T10:58:35Z")
This is one of the dumbest threads I’ve ever seen here. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/38 "2009-11-08T11:22:54Z")
I’ve read The Washington Post every day for the past 10+ years – I know where the violent crime in the city is, and no, you won’t find me strolling down the streets of SE Washington DC. That is where the most gun crime is, so naturally I will stay away. Besides, unless you live there, there is really no reason you would want to be in those neighborhoods anyway. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/39 "2009-11-08T11:41:53Z")
I grew up in a DC suburb that was overwhelmingly black. The year after I graduated, my high school came under a desegregation order because it violated a state law under which schools could not be any more than 80% of one particular race (my school was about 90-95% black). It was totally normal and unspectacular for me to be the only white person on the Metrobus. And when I was given a choice between taking a class in a rednecky part of the county and taking the same class in Bladensburg (where I was, again, the only white person) I quite happily chose the latter. I still avoided most of SE. Why wouldn’t I? A bad part of town is a bad part of town. Where I live now, the bad parts of town are virtually all white and I stay out of them too. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759/40 "2009-11-08T11:49:13Z")
The murder rate in DC is 15-20 times as high per capita as in Fairfax County. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-afraid-of-dc/516759.md?page=3)