# There Goes the Neighborhood: How do Creepers Find Themselves in Nice Neighborhoods **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887 "2012-10-16T14:39:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Diamonds02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Diamonds02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diamonds02)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/1 "2012-10-16T14:39:41Z")
There are areas in my city that are nice, but I am noticing that slowly more and more scary people are showing up. A rise in cars with tinted windows driving like a bat out of hell. Women with high ponytails and red lipstick prancing along the street at night. Suspicious-looking youth hanging outside of Walmart, looking like they are plotting to snatch someone’s purse. How do such people find nice neighborhoods? What’s in it for them? There’s a huge lack of liquor stores, affordable housing, White Castle and Church’s Chicken, pawn shops, hole in the wall dive bars, etc. Are they self-conscious about sticking out? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/2 "2012-10-16T14:42:57Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > How do such people find nice neighborhoods? Yelp? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/3 "2012-10-16T16:03:37Z")
They’re staying with their sister’s boss’s cousin’s friend’s mom? ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/4 "2012-10-16T16:06:12Z")
light rail ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/5 "2012-10-16T16:06:20Z")
They found in while they were delivering papers, and decided it’d be a nice place to return during their ‘off’ hours? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/6 "2012-10-16T16:12:57Z")
If they’re that distracting, just turn the setting to Peaceful. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/7 "2012-10-16T16:15:53Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > There are areas in my city that are nice, but I am noticing that slowly more and more scary people are showing up. A rise in cars with tinted windows driving like a bat out of hell. Women with high ponytails and red lipstick prancing along the street at night. Suspicious-looking youth hanging outside of Walmart, looking like they are plotting to snatch someone’s purse. > > How do such people find nice neighborhoods? What’s in it for them? There’s a huge lack of liquor stores, affordable housing, White Castle and Church’s Chicken, pawn shops, hole in the wall dive bars, etc. Are they self-conscious about sticking out? Even muggers, thieves and hookers like to feel safe walking around at night. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/8 "2012-10-16T16:29:21Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > There’s a huge lack of liquor stores, affordable housing, White Castle and Church’s Chicken, pawn shops, hole in the wall dive bars, etc. Not for long! ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/9 "2012-10-16T16:32:15Z")
Aimless, surly youths, car-proud dumbasses, and women with hair and makeup? That’s the big problem where you hang out? The people sound kinda trashy or possibly poor, not creepy. Have you recently emerged from some sort of sheltered upbringing or are you old and curmudgeonly? Sorry, got to go. A high-hair with too much makeup just walked by. I need to exhort an angry mob to shun her back to where she belongs. Or just stone her to death. Slut! ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/10 "2012-10-16T16:33:14Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > There’s a huge lack of liquor stores, affordable housing, White Castle and Church’s Chicken, pawn shops, hole in the wall dive bars, etc. Are they self-conscious about sticking out? Just picked up on this, the choice of words is telling. OP says ‘lack’ rather than ‘absence’. If I say something is lacking, it generally means that it is absent but desired. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/11 "2012-10-16T16:48:49Z")
Simple: you’re the elite scout pathfinder to the creeper army. Your role is to be ahead of them, finding new territory for them to assault and then consolidate with liquor stores, affordable housing, White Castle and Church’s Chicken, pawn shops and hole in the wall dive bar. When they catch up to your location, it’s your cue that you’ve done your work and it’s time to infiltrate the next location to be invaded by the main force. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/12 "2012-10-16T16:54:12Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > There are areas in my city that are nice, but I am noticing that slowly more and more scary people are showing up. A rise in cars with tinted windows driving like a bat out of hell. Women with high ponytails and red lipstick prancing along the street at night. Suspicious-looking youth hanging outside of Walmart, looking like they are plotting to snatch someone’s purse. > > How do such people find nice neighborhoods? What’s in it for them? There’s a huge lack of liquor stores, affordable housing, White Castle and Church’s Chicken, pawn shops, hole in the wall dive bars, etc. Are they self-conscious about sticking out? It’s practically downtown Mogadishu. Get out while you can! ---
**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:** [October 16, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/13 "2012-10-16T16:58:43Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > Suspicious-looking youth hanging outside of Walmart, looking like they are plotting to snatch someone’s purse. If your neighborhood has a Wal-Mart, it’s not nice. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/14 "2012-10-16T17:00:15Z")
People are people. The people who you’re seeing don’t want to hang out in the bad neighbourhoods for the same reasons you don’t want to hang out in those neighbourhoods. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/15 "2012-10-16T17:03:44Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > How do such people find nice neighborhoods? What’s in it for them? There’s a huge lack of liquor stores, affordable housing, White Castle and Church’s Chicken, pawn shops, hole in the wall dive bars, etc. Are they self-conscious about sticking out? Instead of complaining, why not be proactive? Print up some maps with the nearest fried chicken restaurants and pawn shops highlighted, and pass them out whenever you see Those People. Turn those poverty lemons into lemonade for the upper class to sip by their swimming pools. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/16 "2012-10-16T17:05:47Z")
Could be worse: Could be hipsters. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/17 "2012-10-16T17:07:05Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Could be worse: > > Could be hipsters. Outside a Wal-Mart?!?! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/18 "2012-10-16T17:08:40Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Could be worse: > > Could be hipsters. > [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Outside a Wal-Mart?!?! :dubious: Ironically. Or is Wal-Mart beyond irony, like Hitler? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/19 "2012-10-16T17:12:06Z")
> [@sahirrnee](#): > > light rail Not in KCMO it ain’t. > [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Ironically. > Or is Wal-Mart beyond irony, like Hitler? Oh yeah? Then how do you explain Germany’s Irony Curtain? ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887/20 "2012-10-16T17:53:10Z")
> [@Diamonds02](#): > > …There’s a huge lack of liquor stores, affordable housing, White Castle and Church’s Chicken, pawn shops, hole in the wall dive bars, etc. Are they self-conscious about sticking out? What about check-cashing places. Are you okay with those? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-goes-the-neighborhood-how-do-creepers-find-themselves-in-nice-neighborhoods/637887.md?page=2)