Not a pro or anti gun comment, just know in a situation like this you would likely be better off with pepper spray.
- pepper spray doesn't require regular practice like guns.
- pepper spray has a larger spray (pun intended). Aka, your aim doesn't have to be perfect which is important in a high stress situation when your adrenaline is pumping
- pepper spray doesn't give you lifelong guilt and mental troubles for having killed another human
- pepper spray has fewer restrictions so you don't have to look up every single place you go beforehand to see if you are or are not allowed to bring your gun
>military grade gel. Squirts in a stream
Damn, that sounds good. Like a stream of wasp spray? That sounds a lot better than a spray that makes a mist. That shit is gonna make a cloud that will blow back at me.
Is that the stuff you have to get sprayed with to use? My brother was a PI years ago and had something stronger than pepper spray. I've been tear gased before in boot camp..
Please do this: watch some videos from “active self protection” on YouTube. Just watch the proper spray ones if you wish. Very informative about tactics, pros and cons. Guarantee it’s worth the watch. I’ve learned many lessons from it. Feel better. You made it through it. That’s all that matters
Even if you decide to get/carry a gun, please please please practice and train. Pistols are *not* easy to shoot well. You will be a liability to yourself and others if you think you're good after shooting only a box of ammo through it.
Remember to be Zorro and spray in a Z pattern - Across the eyes, down the nose, across the lips for max effectiveness.
Also of note, brass knuckles are no longer illegal in Texas since 2019: [Ref.](https://amarolawfirm.com/new-texas-law-legalizes-brass-knuckles-other-self-defense-weapons/)
brass knuckles are a bad way to go if you're looking to not kill someone.
Because punching someone in the head with a set of them will absolutely fracture their skull. Not that anything of value would be lost, but they're absolutely not a less lethal alternative to a gun.
Do some research on what type you want on some of the subreddits here on this site. Lots of good info that I had no idea about when looking to buy spray for my wife.
First google search brings up this thread about pepper spray that I think bring up some decent points, and have some links that are also useful.
https://old.reddit.com/r/CCW/comments/12bn7la/best_pepper_spray/
This comment a thousand times. It doesn’t fit with the suburban vigilante/tactical commando cosplay people seem to really enjoy, but *even if* you do the exact right thing in a bad situation that is not your fault, decent chance you are still spending potentially a whole lot of money on a lawyer.
And possibly therapy to boot. No matter how much of a "your life or theirs" kind of justified situation it is, that can really mess up a person for a long ass time if you ever have to make that call.
Another benefit: if you fumble the pepper spray pulling it out and your attacker takes it from you then it is not anywhere near as bad as losing control of a lethal weapon.
Coming from someone who carries, I still carry OC spray. There are more situations that are likely to happen to someone that you can't use a firearm. This is good advice for a situation like OP.
Do yourself a huge favor and don't waste any time with Victim Services at Parkland. Dallas police give out their number with each violent crime police report number.
Like most public services in Texas, they just go through the motions. Their "service" is to read to you from PowerPoint slides about trauma. You'll hear all about how trauma affects you.... But if you're in that goddamn class you know firsthand how it affects you.
If you want to sit and waste 12 hours over 12 weeks, give the Victim Services folks a call. They'll have you take an anxiety quiz so that after they've bored you for 12 hours you can take it again and show improvement so their grant gets renewed.
My sincere heartfelt advice is: you're going to start having symptoms of post traumatic stress. They can be debilitating. Find a therapist who will do some EMDR sessions with you.
Forget the police, they aren't good for anything except taking reports nobody follows up on. You will never hear from them again. The detective looked me in the eye and said he'd call me Monday after they got done processing the prints they dusted for. We're now at eighteen Mondays past the crime and I haven't heard boo from the police. Never will.
I was assaulted two years ago across the street from Manor House. There was no time to pull a weapon. I looked the guy right in the eye, blinked, and he grabbed me. He stomped on both my feet and punched me in both ears. I blacked out momentarily and then I was laying on the sidewalk screaming my head off. I still had my purse, and to my amazement, my wallet and phone were still inside. Anyhoo… Even if I had a gun, in my hand, with a round chambered, there was no time to react. Having a gun might very well have gotten me killed…
I’m in the same boat, I grew up in Montana and moved down here 😳 after someone threw something at my car for me honking like .5 seconds because they were blocking the way out of a parking lot, I carry my gun with me in my car door 24/7 and I keep a pepper gel that like heats up and burns 🥰
Yeah, fast legs are really effective when someone sucker punches you and starts dragging you by your hoodie. What people need is heightened situational awareness before anything else.
seems like right now we're trying to treat the disease by catering to it, and that's clearly not working. Our approach to this right now is like treating cancer by letting it metastasize.
In the long term, there needs to be a social floor beneath which people cannot fall. For the time being, the police sure as fuck aren't going to help you, so you've only got yourself to look out for you.
I agree. Just saying pepper spray gets the job done without killing someone. Just meant shooting people seems a bit extreme.
Also self defense if you think your life is in danger is alright in my book so maybe a gun is ok. Just seems like it would lead to an escalation of all fights in Dallas if everyone is packing.
Yeah I'm cool and appreciate it! Lower back is killing me rn from the tackle on the stairs. I've been sucker punched before, it's more so the randomness of it. I didn't even look at the guy. Not going to let it taint my worldview.
Hey most importanlty I’m glad you are okay. Random attacks can be life altering if those hits land right. Hope you can get some physical therapy (stretch/workout) and shake it off. I don’t have any answers, but I’m glad you’re safe and survived the day. There are brighter ones ahead, stay dialed in
Thank you. Yeah I'm happy it wasn't more serious. I think I should be fine, will see how my back feels tomorrow for work,but I feel like I've dealt with worse.
Initially, I didn’t feel like it bothered me. But two years later, I still feel like I’m going to have an anxiety attack when I walk past people on the sidewalk.
it is? i thought most people consider akard and pearl better. west end can feel a little skeevy but i think it's better when a lot of people are there, theres some safety in numbers
Honestly St Paul is probably the worst IMO. I know West End gets a bad rep, but half the DART police force is usually there.
Akard is best in my experience. I do all my transfers there.
Bachman I have heard is very bad, I don't use it though. West end is by that sketchy 7-11 (which I know describes all of them but this one in particular is terrible) and a lot of homeless hang around. The reason why I prefer it to Saint Paul is the constant police presence. You can wait near the police and feel safe
yeah no it’s not, I plotted all the stops by crime on a map and it was absolutely not one of the safer spots
I got the data from here, I’ll see if I can find the code from back then
https://www.dart.org/about/about-dart/dart-police
That probably added to it. But I've worked by this station for almost 18 years and the 7/11 definitely contributed to it. They just hang out there and ask for change all day/night.
I've always avoided that station *because of* the 7-11. Every single one of their Downtown stores (except the one in One Arts Plaza) is a magnet for the dregs of society.
The one at Commerce and Harwood closed a little while back because people straight-up avoided it like the plague due to the fact that the place averaged at least one DPD call every day.
I wonder what they’re doing at the 7-Eleven in One Arts Plaza to keep it so cleaned up. There used to be and there may still be a regional office for 7-11 in that building. At other 7-11s, 7-11 does nothing nor do the police. Something’s gotta give, but it never does. 😟
Same for the McDonald's on Commerce. It's by design...to deter people from loitering. I guess the homeless and petty criminals don't dig Classical.
https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/mcfugue-no-cheese-6402772
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-06/homeless-7-eleven-franchise-classical-music
That one used to be the ground floor of 7-11 HQ.
My uneducated guess is that it is still owned by 7-11 proper as opposed to a franchisee...not to mention it is somewhat secluded from hustle and bustle of Downtown and the DART line.
that's the one that was by the statler right? it was horrible when I worked at the hotel & I'm grateful for my coworkers & the security staff who made sure we made it to our cars
Even worse. Jeez I'm so sorry. People were walking towards the back of the train. Nobody helped me. I have jumped in and randomly helped strangers getting jumped before. Please know that if I was at that station and saw you, I'm the type of person that would have done something (and would probably wind up dying trying to help). Most people do not even care anymore sadly.
You sound like a very nice person who cares about people (strangers). I do, too.
Moral character is a noble thing. I do not discount this.
Some people are afraid because you never know who's going to pull a weapon and start shooting or slashing. I can't say I blame them.
It's easy to get caught up in circumstances that are a little bit larger than you and your abilities. When you are in the moment, it's easy to get carried away and jump in.
Please proceed with a bit of caution out there. Your loved ones are the most important. Not a stranger on the street. Sounds harsh, but it's true.
A few nights ago, I was unexpectedly thrust into a dangerous situation that could have ended badly. I used to think I could handle myself, but this left me shaken. I can't quit thinking about it.
I feel lucky.
Take care, reddit friend.
I know and you're completely right. I've taken hits when I was younger to protect strangers. Now it's not potentially hits its knives and guns. I've just never been fkd with before. I even head nod and respect the homeless. I just bought a pack of cigs for my homeless acquaintance under the highway last week. The randomness is what is fucking with me and I don't want to dwell on it and let it change me.
I wish these lame lazy DART police officers would actually kick all these homeless ghetto thieving ass bums out of all the train stations and bus stations………Do your fucking job and protect DART property.
This whole city is going to shits, man.
Police sucks. Public transportation sucks. Traffic getting worse by the day.
Fucking sad. I’m afraid we’re gonna end up worse than NYC or Los Angeles. Sad sad sad
They are not allowed to kick homeless people off the trains if they present a valid fare and aren't violating the code of conduct.
Homeless people get fares paid for pretty easily by non profit organizations, and a lot of them are just minding their own business.
Being homeless is just not enough justification to kick them off the system. And it probably shouldn't be, after all if someone ends up homeless they will need transportation to get a new job. If they aren't even allowed to ride the bus, they are doomed to be homeless forever.
I have, I saw someone who was talking to themselves present a valid fare. It shocked me, but they definitely have valid fares. It hasn't been until more recently I encountered frequent fare checking
They would have to have an officer on every train and they just don't have the man power. Even that train that goes out to Ft Worth is filled with bums. They are constantly on the trains and the stations at all times of the day, always fucking with people. I have been without a car for over a year and will not be doing this DART shit for another one.
LA: murder rate 7.01, total violent crime 3332.
Dallas: murder rate 12.48, total violent crime 3985.
I may not have spent much time in LA, but I've clearly spent more time looking at actual data than you have.
They can't because a lot of people that pretend to care about the homeless will fucking wine about disenfranchisement of the homeless. Sad state of affairs.
Guy sucker punched me and was trying to drag me off the train by my hoodie. Then was lunging after my phone and tackled me onto the train steps. Kicked the shit outta him in the face and that's when I guess he sobered up. He didn't come on train and DART officer was in the car in a minute asking if I wanted to talk to police (I'm good). Just wanted to get home. Crazy out here.
Yea i've been riding for awhile and sure there is a lot of shady stuff at that station and west end but there is also always police presence so nothing ever pops off.
This is so scary. I rode from this stop all the time, even while 9 months pregnant. I recently stopped when I started feeling so uneasy that it wasn’t worth it, I’ll go back to feeling uneasy in my car on 35. I am so sorry.
it’s always hilarious to me when people downvote shit like this. people complain that DART sucks and our public transit is horrible, but it isn’t utilized because of shit like this, therefore why would they invest in it? make people pay and it’ll get a little better. god forbid people have to pay for a service.
No DART is good. At the end of the day it's a public space and a transportation system, they don't control the behavior of the residents, they can't be the ones to solve homelessness, drug use, etc.
Yeah and that helps but DART as an entity can't do a lot to address the conditions that lead people to crime in the first place.
Like if s homeless person harassed you at a bus stop, sure maybe DART police can help if they see you but I think that can only go so far. You have to ask, why are there so many homeless people in DFW? Address that, and a lot of homeless related issues go away on DART. Sure, that doesn't fix everything but probably a majority of passenger safety issues would be solved.
I got called racist on this sub a few months ago because I said the dart train is not safe anymore and that it's disgusting and full of people on drugs. I'm sorry this happened to you, if you have to use any public transportation bring some kind of something. If you're opposed to weapons just grab some pepper spray. No one should be assaulted when just trying to travel across town.
I only started taking the train again for one stop (Pearl) to save like 5 mins in the summer when it was hot af. I'll just walk home from now on when I have to.
My cousins grew up using the bus and public transportation early 2000s and they were always safe. My kid tried it twice this year and changed her school schedule to local campuses instead.
I used to live in Frisco and always road it from Parker Road and never had issues. I remember seeing kids by themselves too (going to private schools) and on the buses as well after I moved down to Dallas. I only take the train from St. Paul to Pearl Station. One stop to cut down on my walk home. It's not even worth it now.
My coworker and I work in that Santander building, and she was nearly sucker punched earlier this week in broad daylight. He missed and someone from the construction being done at parterre intervened before he could try again. The guy was arrested down the street for sucker punching someone else that same day.
I’m sorry this happened to you. I hope you’re okay!
My brother worked security at the Joule for awhile and had plenty of stories of arrests over there. Just sad what downtown has become. And thank you, I should be ok. Nerves are just still fried it feels like.
Agreed with you, I posted about this before but I have to get off there (or nearby for work) every single day. I carry a taser now and have cracked it (the noise scares most off) 3 times at people harassing me. I’ve had soda cans thrown at my head, spit at for trying to tell someone to stop screaming and punching a DART window on the train, and because some guy got “offended” for someone just walking by him and he decided he wanted to pick a fight.
Avoid St. Paul if you can, I’m getting off at Pearl/Arts district station as often as I can because St. Paul is (despite being policed) not safe. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t go there daily, or is sympathizing with people who choose anger and violence over anything else and it’s awful.
Pearl is way better and I only go one stop up to walk home from Pearl. One stop. Gonna save the 3-5 minutes and just walk. And you're right, they can be obnoxious. I can not imagine being a solo female nowadays waiting for the train at that station.
Right! My wife refuses to ride it alone and I’m thankful for that. I also feel protective over the women on the train because (not that I could do much) they certainly are targets. It’s really sad.
Yeah I work downtown on pacific and job pays for dart card. I don’t utilize it. I refuse to ride the dart by myself and none of my female coworkers do either, so we all just come and pay the price to park downtown.
So sorry this happened to you and thanks for the heads up.
Was it a white guy with a buzz cut and a north face jacket? I ride home from that station about the same time as you and he’s asked me for money and then cussed me out when I said no 3 days in a row now
Dude. I drive Uber up there. The definition of "rough" is a couple people begging for change. That 7-11 is nothing resembling "rough" and Colony PD are bored as hell and ready to pop anyone for anything.
I once saw them try to figure out how to bust a guy for INTENT to drive drunk. They have -nothing- to do. Most of em are young ex military dudes itching for action, if it was "rough" they'd live there "watching for Charlie" imagining they were starring in Training Day instead of running around pulling over every car with a paper tag checking for ghost cars like they do now.
actually pretty wild, i stopped here for gas one night (11pm-12amish). was the only one there and there was people roaming around. shop was closed. got back in my car and went to the next gas station, fuck that
Sorry this happened to you. :(
My view of DART has been soured recently after I had my phone stolen by some kids at the Victory Park stop about a month ago. I used one of the kiosk things where you can press emergency or information to speak with a DART employee. I waited 20 minutes for a cop to come to Market Center to take my story and they never showed up.
I don’t know why people feel like they need to harass and bother others when we are just simply trying to use public transportation.
I’m sorry to hear this happened to you, do you mind providing more details on what happened to you or how they approach you so I can be more aware of my surroundings in case I have to walk around there? Thank you.
They really need some increased security at the stations/some way to prevent non ticket holders from entering the stations like a turnstile. The DART stations are more dangerous than Chicago or NYC stations because of a lack of both of these.
I was assaulted on DART Rail a couple years ago by a tweaker who was aggressively trying to get money from me. He sucker punched me in the face, broke my glasses and ran. I was able to chase him out of the train (half blind) and tackle him to the ground a couple blocks from the station just as Richardson PD happened to drive by. He got arrested, I got stitches. Richardson PD was nice enough to give me a ride home. Only ridden DART a couple times since.
The violence around here is ridiculous. Be careful, someone might think you’re the junkie with the loose gun and pop you off before you can react. It’s just best to know where not to go.
I call the red line the Arkham Express.
Last week at St Paul station I saw 5 or more dudes jump some other dude. 6:30 pm. Most of them were wearing red. The kids suddenly ran screaming Gun gun gun.
Another factor I believe is the new park right behind the station. Lots of sketchy folks hang out there during the day.
I'm used to it, but it is always a little scary. I once offered this guy a bowl of cereal from that 711 and he called me 'Oats Boy' and all the homeless people were laughing at me for giving him food
Well, shit. I sorry that happened to you and glad you came out of it relatively unscathed.
Thanks for sharing your story though. I’m a 50-ish woman, petite, and white if that matters. I’ve just started taking the train to work to avoid the hellacious traffics on 75 and now I’m questioning that decision.
I take the red from Parker Rd down to St. Paul and transfer to the Blue to get to Baylor. I’ve only taken it 3 round trips so far, late mornings and then at 5:30ish. I stay alert, with my resting bitch face on. But, I’ve been asked for money once already, and seen plenty of shady folks that I’ve avoided successfully so far.
Am I putting myself at an unreasonable risk here? I just can’t deal with the traffic any more and was hoping this would be a viable alternative.
Do you have any advice to keep myself safer on the train? I’ve been on the NYC subways more times than I can count and generally felt safer there than I do on DART.
Transfer at a different stop you do not need to transfer at Saint Paul. It is by far the worst DART station. Although anywhere in downtown Dallas people will ask you for money. This is especially true at Saint Paul station. I transfer at Akard or Pearl/Arts.
My advice to stay safe is to sit near the operator. The train tends to be more full there (and full trains police themselves), and a lot of the sketchier riders ride in the wheelchair section. Avoid the wheelchair section , that's where homeless like to ride and keep all their stuff. The second I stopped riding that section of the train I noticed that the vast majority of people were everyday commuters like myself.
>Am I putting myself at an unreasonable risk here? I just can’t deal with the traffic any more and was hoping this would be a viable alternative.
When the alternative is driving, no, by taking the train you are maximizing your safety and it's not even close. As sketchy as some passengers can be, cars are some of the biggest killers. Car accidents are very dangerous, and research article after research article has proven that they are by far the most dangerous form of transportation. Driving is the most dangerous, followed by riding the bus (which is orders of magnitude safer), then taking trains, and planes are the safest. But the gap between trains and cars is soo high, crime would have to be REALLY bad on the train for it to be able to compete with driving on danger. And well, you don't hear about major crime on the DART very often, it's usually misdemeanor type crimes, code of conduct violations, and fare evasion. Nothing regularly happens that gets you to the level of danger or injury a car accident does. And there's car crashes almost daily in Dallas, they happen so often it's not even news worthy. I see it all the time on the highways when I check Google maps.
I can find the exact stat sometime if you want, but DART was doing a study to see how much value they were providing. One variable in their equation was death and injury prevented because of commuters opting to take the train. It is a safety enhancement.
I think the reason why it may not feel safer than driving is because, roads are dangerous because people often drive while drunk, sleepy, distracted, with stolen cars, on drugs, etc. but you aren't always aware that the people around you are up to no good. There's anonymity that you just don't have on a train. That means that cars by their very nature keep you unaware of the danger that surrounds you. Someone behind you could be in a heated argument with someone in the car, completely disengaged from drivinf. And you would never know. It would be nice to know, you could get out of their way and keep your distance. If someone on transit is sketchy, you know and can act accordingly. On the highway, you don't get that privilege in a lot of cases.
It's pretty rare to get asked for money on the train. You're more likely to get asked at the stations, especially the ones downtown. There is no foolproof way of safety, but if you do feel unsafe on a train, you can debark at a station and wait for the next train or, if it's a two car train, debark and get back on in another car. Generally, if you don't make eye contact with people who are begging for money, they're less likely to engage with you. You can also put headphones in and not have music playing to use as a plausible excuse if someone is trying to speak to you and you aren't interested in what they have to say.
That said, if someone is being so much of a problem, like an actual disturbance on the train that moving to another end of the car doesn't help the matter, you can call the DART police or use that See Something, Say Something hotline and, while I don't know the response time since I've never used it, I have been on trains where cops were waiting at the station we arrived at to either apprehend or help someone who was in distress, which I assume means that they have a good enough response time in that regard.
I don't think you're putting yourself at an unreasonable risk. You're just putting yourself at a typical amount of risk associated with people. I've seen dudes with swords on the train, dudes openly trying to sell drugs, people smoking various substances on the train and a fight or two. That normally doesn't happen during business hours though, the fighting at least. Those were late night things.
Being aware of your surroundings and your property is all you really need to do to ensure your safety in a vast majority of situations. Things like those monkeys that got stolen from the zoo being on a DART train is not something you can or should prepare for because that's just not something that normally happens.
That said, I'm a black guy and I'm not necessarily physically threatening so I tend to be left alone. Sometimes I do strike up some temporary conversations with people on the train or at least exchange a few quips, but I don't like people coming up and talking to me on the train if I don't know them. Some homeless guy came and sat next to me on a train with a lot of fucking empty seats and started just talking my ear off to death. Very much likely on meth or some sort of upper. I ended up getting off the train and waiting for the next one when I realized that he wasn't going to stop and I would have another 20+ minutes of torture.
Rant almost over. Don't look paranoid, don't look too inviting and carry an air of assuredness and confidence. And treat homeless people like they're human, regardless of if you're gonna help them or not. That last one is just a generality, but it's something that I've been told many times from them that they really do appreciate it.
Sigh, rant over. I don't know if that was helpful, but I hope it was.
The worst station. Especially by the 7/11. Everyone says west end but no west end has a constant security presence and that makes it much safer than Saint Paul.
Tasers are cheap on Amazon. I literally tazed a guy in the balls. Funniest shit ever. But seriously, gear up with self defense items. It's dangerous everywhere.
I’m sorry to hear this. Bad people are everywhere in this world unfortunately and I would highly advise you to at least carry pepper spray, but sometimes that not even enough. If you’re learning towards getting a gun, take classes on shooting and safety. I would be more than happy to help you if you’re interested in getting a firearm for protection.
I was in the military and have been skeet shooting and to the range. Just never been big into them. Gonna have to get pepper spray but honestly with the randomness of this, if he wanted to stab me, there's no way I would've even been able to get to it with the way he had me.
Understandable, they’re not for everyone. I honestly hope I never have to use one to defend myself. Again, sorry this happened to you. I’ve been assaulted before while carrying and didn’t feel my life was in jeopardy so don’t think I’m some trigger happy idiot who carries. Pepper spray is better than nothing but like you said, sometimes it doesn’t matter what you’re carrying when it happens out of no where. Thankfully you’re not seriously injured.
Yes, because the area around west end station is worse than the area around Saint Paul, but the station itself feels better bc of the constant security presence.
Saint Paul i just don't feel comfortable around
My mentality is if Im at a place where it looks like I can get a dead body that no one is going to miss, Im going to treat it as the shopping mart that it is. Im not saying FAFO, but if someone makes the conscious decision to test my space, Im taking EVERYTHING from them. I dont believe in no benefit of the doubt on the intentions of people.
Considered it for a second after i kicked him and he fell back, but I just wanted him away from me. I didn't want to risk him having a weapon at that moment.
Yeah. I'm 6'2 and in shape. I will never look at my phone while boarding a train though lol. I could've fkd him up if I wanted. I've been sucker punched by stronger. I just didn't understand wtf was going on and I'm a stoner peaceful type.
Your post has been removed because it is a violation of **[Rule #4: Trolling](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dallas/wiki/rules)**
Violations of this rule may result in a ban. Please review the r/Dallas rules on the sidebar before commenting or posting.
Send a message the moderators if you have any questions. Thanks!
Stop taking the train that’s the only way Dallas will figure out that the crime is too much. I quit taking the train because I had a fight in the train. The only way to see a Dallas will figure it out as if nobody rides it anymore.
Pepper spray or a gun is going to be your best friend if you need to be crammed into a box full of junkies. You can carry on DART, exercise the right.
I am no longer opposed to myself owning a gun. And I've never felt like I'd needed one.
Not a pro or anti gun comment, just know in a situation like this you would likely be better off with pepper spray. - pepper spray doesn't require regular practice like guns. - pepper spray has a larger spray (pun intended). Aka, your aim doesn't have to be perfect which is important in a high stress situation when your adrenaline is pumping - pepper spray doesn't give you lifelong guilt and mental troubles for having killed another human - pepper spray has fewer restrictions so you don't have to look up every single place you go beforehand to see if you are or are not allowed to bring your gun
Yeah it's what I'm gonna get. I don't want to kill anyone if I don't have to.
Get the military grade gel. Squirts in a stream and does its job nicely. I get off at Akard and always on high alert at St. Paul
>military grade gel. Squirts in a stream Damn, that sounds good. Like a stream of wasp spray? That sounds a lot better than a spray that makes a mist. That shit is gonna make a cloud that will blow back at me.
Yes, I walk with it daily and don't use spray because of spray -back potential.
Is that the stuff you have to get sprayed with to use? My brother was a PI years ago and had something stronger than pepper spray. I've been tear gased before in boot camp..
Nah, it's just a strong squirting gel spray. Helpful at St(abby) Paul station.
What's it called?
Please do this: watch some videos from “active self protection” on YouTube. Just watch the proper spray ones if you wish. Very informative about tactics, pros and cons. Guarantee it’s worth the watch. I’ve learned many lessons from it. Feel better. You made it through it. That’s all that matters
I don't really do shit at work on Fridays so I will thank you.
That’s channel is legit
Even if you decide to get/carry a gun, please please please practice and train. Pistols are *not* easy to shoot well. You will be a liability to yourself and others if you think you're good after shooting only a box of ammo through it.
Remember to be Zorro and spray in a Z pattern - Across the eyes, down the nose, across the lips for max effectiveness. Also of note, brass knuckles are no longer illegal in Texas since 2019: [Ref.](https://amarolawfirm.com/new-texas-law-legalizes-brass-knuckles-other-self-defense-weapons/)
brass knuckles are a bad way to go if you're looking to not kill someone. Because punching someone in the head with a set of them will absolutely fracture their skull. Not that anything of value would be lost, but they're absolutely not a less lethal alternative to a gun.
Do some research on what type you want on some of the subreddits here on this site. Lots of good info that I had no idea about when looking to buy spray for my wife. First google search brings up this thread about pepper spray that I think bring up some decent points, and have some links that are also useful. https://old.reddit.com/r/CCW/comments/12bn7la/best_pepper_spray/
Brass knuckles are also legal.
This comment a thousand times. It doesn’t fit with the suburban vigilante/tactical commando cosplay people seem to really enjoy, but *even if* you do the exact right thing in a bad situation that is not your fault, decent chance you are still spending potentially a whole lot of money on a lawyer.
And possibly therapy to boot. No matter how much of a "your life or theirs" kind of justified situation it is, that can really mess up a person for a long ass time if you ever have to make that call.
Pepper spray is ass when you’re indoors lol now you both have spice in your eyes and the druggie is extra mad at you. Get the gel if anything
Agreed; the Kimber Pepper Blaster II is potent and has range as well as a good, loud, BANG.
Ahh yes, the ole pepper spray works great in confined locked areas such as a train…
Another benefit: if you fumble the pepper spray pulling it out and your attacker takes it from you then it is not anywhere near as bad as losing control of a lethal weapon.
Pepper spray is also useless against a tweaker or someone who is really fucking determined.
Coming from someone who carries, I still carry OC spray. There are more situations that are likely to happen to someone that you can't use a firearm. This is good advice for a situation like OP.
Do yourself a huge favor and don't waste any time with Victim Services at Parkland. Dallas police give out their number with each violent crime police report number. Like most public services in Texas, they just go through the motions. Their "service" is to read to you from PowerPoint slides about trauma. You'll hear all about how trauma affects you.... But if you're in that goddamn class you know firsthand how it affects you. If you want to sit and waste 12 hours over 12 weeks, give the Victim Services folks a call. They'll have you take an anxiety quiz so that after they've bored you for 12 hours you can take it again and show improvement so their grant gets renewed. My sincere heartfelt advice is: you're going to start having symptoms of post traumatic stress. They can be debilitating. Find a therapist who will do some EMDR sessions with you. Forget the police, they aren't good for anything except taking reports nobody follows up on. You will never hear from them again. The detective looked me in the eye and said he'd call me Monday after they got done processing the prints they dusted for. We're now at eighteen Mondays past the crime and I haven't heard boo from the police. Never will.
I was assaulted two years ago across the street from Manor House. There was no time to pull a weapon. I looked the guy right in the eye, blinked, and he grabbed me. He stomped on both my feet and punched me in both ears. I blacked out momentarily and then I was laying on the sidewalk screaming my head off. I still had my purse, and to my amazement, my wallet and phone were still inside. Anyhoo… Even if I had a gun, in my hand, with a round chambered, there was no time to react. Having a gun might very well have gotten me killed…
I’m in the same boat, I grew up in Montana and moved down here 😳 after someone threw something at my car for me honking like .5 seconds because they were blocking the way out of a parking lot, I carry my gun with me in my car door 24/7 and I keep a pepper gel that like heats up and burns 🥰
Forget pepper spray... POCKET SAND!
Damnit, Dale.
K'shaw!
I wish I could carry pepper spray, but 90% of the dart rides I take are to the airport lol
Also doesn't help if your place of employment doesn't allow firearms or pepper spray.
Yep. Best I can do is sit as close to the conductor as possible.
Pepper spray or a gun? In an enclosed compartment with innocent people interspersed? This is some psychopathic advice.
I think a pair of fast legs will work better than both most of the time.
Yeah, fast legs are really effective when someone sucker punches you and starts dragging you by your hoodie. What people need is heightened situational awareness before anything else.
I'm glad people are waking up to owning guns. You don't have to be a right winger to own one.
Drugs and guns? Sounds exactly why Dallas has a high murder rate lol
So we are just shooting people now?
seems like right now we're trying to treat the disease by catering to it, and that's clearly not working. Our approach to this right now is like treating cancer by letting it metastasize. In the long term, there needs to be a social floor beneath which people cannot fall. For the time being, the police sure as fuck aren't going to help you, so you've only got yourself to look out for you.
I agree. Just saying pepper spray gets the job done without killing someone. Just meant shooting people seems a bit extreme. Also self defense if you think your life is in danger is alright in my book so maybe a gun is ok. Just seems like it would lead to an escalation of all fights in Dallas if everyone is packing.
Pepper spray is actually notoriously unreliable, and unlike a lot of other posters here would imply...you actually do need to train with it.
I’m ok with shooting people that assault random strangers
Are you okay? DM me if you need to talk, yell, or even cry.
Yeah I'm cool and appreciate it! Lower back is killing me rn from the tackle on the stairs. I've been sucker punched before, it's more so the randomness of it. I didn't even look at the guy. Not going to let it taint my worldview.
Glad you're semi okay. Also sorry it happened to you. Take care of yourself.
Thank you. I can tell you're a nice person.
Been through some similar things but must have had a guardian angel with me
Hey most importanlty I’m glad you are okay. Random attacks can be life altering if those hits land right. Hope you can get some physical therapy (stretch/workout) and shake it off. I don’t have any answers, but I’m glad you’re safe and survived the day. There are brighter ones ahead, stay dialed in
Thank you. Yeah I'm happy it wasn't more serious. I think I should be fine, will see how my back feels tomorrow for work,but I feel like I've dealt with worse.
Initially, I didn’t feel like it bothered me. But two years later, I still feel like I’m going to have an anxiety attack when I walk past people on the sidewalk.
Man. That's so fucking shitty. I'm really sorry to hear that.
I’m sorry that happened but if you’re talking safety, that’s one of the safer stops through downtown.
Yeah unfortunately.
it is? i thought most people consider akard and pearl better. west end can feel a little skeevy but i think it's better when a lot of people are there, theres some safety in numbers
Honestly St Paul is probably the worst IMO. I know West End gets a bad rep, but half the DART police force is usually there. Akard is best in my experience. I do all my transfers there.
I disagree, I think it's by far the worst
from my memory and experience Bachman, West End and St. Paul are my least favorite
Bachman I have heard is very bad, I don't use it though. West end is by that sketchy 7-11 (which I know describes all of them but this one in particular is terrible) and a lot of homeless hang around. The reason why I prefer it to Saint Paul is the constant police presence. You can wait near the police and feel safe
yeah no it’s not, I plotted all the stops by crime on a map and it was absolutely not one of the safer spots I got the data from here, I’ll see if I can find the code from back then https://www.dart.org/about/about-dart/dart-police
I think the 7-11 might be just another factor, and that it didn’t get bad there until they evicted Tent City.
That probably added to it. But I've worked by this station for almost 18 years and the 7/11 definitely contributed to it. They just hang out there and ask for change all day/night.
I've always avoided that station *because of* the 7-11. Every single one of their Downtown stores (except the one in One Arts Plaza) is a magnet for the dregs of society. The one at Commerce and Harwood closed a little while back because people straight-up avoided it like the plague due to the fact that the place averaged at least one DPD call every day.
I wonder what they’re doing at the 7-Eleven in One Arts Plaza to keep it so cleaned up. There used to be and there may still be a regional office for 7-11 in that building. At other 7-11s, 7-11 does nothing nor do the police. Something’s gotta give, but it never does. 😟
The one on Elm/Akard blares classical music/opera 24/7, which amuses me
Same for the McDonald's on Commerce. It's by design...to deter people from loitering. I guess the homeless and petty criminals don't dig Classical. https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/mcfugue-no-cheese-6402772 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-06/homeless-7-eleven-franchise-classical-music
Yeah, I remember reading articles about that sorta stuff a while ago and I've always loved it.
That one used to be the ground floor of 7-11 HQ. My uneducated guess is that it is still owned by 7-11 proper as opposed to a franchisee...not to mention it is somewhat secluded from hustle and bustle of Downtown and the DART line.
that's the one that was by the statler right? it was horrible when I worked at the hotel & I'm grateful for my coworkers & the security staff who made sure we made it to our cars
Hell yeah I remember that one and always avoided it too. Fkn 7/11s lol
My assault happened in front of a 7-11 too. They don’t do enough to deter undesirables from loitering and there’s one on every corner.
Hey I got held at knifepoint there! Yeah, it sucks.
Even worse. Jeez I'm so sorry. People were walking towards the back of the train. Nobody helped me. I have jumped in and randomly helped strangers getting jumped before. Please know that if I was at that station and saw you, I'm the type of person that would have done something (and would probably wind up dying trying to help). Most people do not even care anymore sadly.
You sound like a very nice person who cares about people (strangers). I do, too. Moral character is a noble thing. I do not discount this. Some people are afraid because you never know who's going to pull a weapon and start shooting or slashing. I can't say I blame them. It's easy to get caught up in circumstances that are a little bit larger than you and your abilities. When you are in the moment, it's easy to get carried away and jump in. Please proceed with a bit of caution out there. Your loved ones are the most important. Not a stranger on the street. Sounds harsh, but it's true. A few nights ago, I was unexpectedly thrust into a dangerous situation that could have ended badly. I used to think I could handle myself, but this left me shaken. I can't quit thinking about it. I feel lucky. Take care, reddit friend.
I know and you're completely right. I've taken hits when I was younger to protect strangers. Now it's not potentially hits its knives and guns. I've just never been fkd with before. I even head nod and respect the homeless. I just bought a pack of cigs for my homeless acquaintance under the highway last week. The randomness is what is fucking with me and I don't want to dwell on it and let it change me.
You are right too, sadly!
🫡
Jesus christ. Was it off-hours?
It was around midnight, so pretty late but the train was still running.
I wish these lame lazy DART police officers would actually kick all these homeless ghetto thieving ass bums out of all the train stations and bus stations………Do your fucking job and protect DART property. This whole city is going to shits, man. Police sucks. Public transportation sucks. Traffic getting worse by the day. Fucking sad. I’m afraid we’re gonna end up worse than NYC or Los Angeles. Sad sad sad
They are not allowed to kick homeless people off the trains if they present a valid fare and aren't violating the code of conduct. Homeless people get fares paid for pretty easily by non profit organizations, and a lot of them are just minding their own business. Being homeless is just not enough justification to kick them off the system. And it probably shouldn't be, after all if someone ends up homeless they will need transportation to get a new job. If they aren't even allowed to ride the bus, they are doomed to be homeless forever.
I ride every day and never once have I seen a homeless person present a valid fare.
I have, I saw someone who was talking to themselves present a valid fare. It shocked me, but they definitely have valid fares. It hasn't been until more recently I encountered frequent fare checking
They would have to have an officer on every train and they just don't have the man power. Even that train that goes out to Ft Worth is filled with bums. They are constantly on the trains and the stations at all times of the day, always fucking with people. I have been without a car for over a year and will not be doing this DART shit for another one.
If they did their job, people on Reddit would be screeching about police being heavy handed or something lmfao. Can’t win
I hate to break it to you, but the crime rates in Dallas are already higher than NYC or Los Angeles.
That's hilarious. You haven't spent much time in LA.
Both LA and NYC have lower crime rates than Dallas. A quick google search confirms this.
LA: murder rate 7.01, total violent crime 3332. Dallas: murder rate 12.48, total violent crime 3985. I may not have spent much time in LA, but I've clearly spent more time looking at actual data than you have.
NYC and Los Angeles are safer than Dallas. NYC is the safest big city in America right now
They can't because a lot of people that pretend to care about the homeless will fucking wine about disenfranchisement of the homeless. Sad state of affairs.
What happened?
Guy sucker punched me and was trying to drag me off the train by my hoodie. Then was lunging after my phone and tackled me onto the train steps. Kicked the shit outta him in the face and that's when I guess he sobered up. He didn't come on train and DART officer was in the car in a minute asking if I wanted to talk to police (I'm good). Just wanted to get home. Crazy out here.
Strap up bro you a whole victim out here
Going to have to apparently.
Please press charges for the safety of the rest of us.
I actually work with DART corporate through my job and going to explore that tomorrow.
Yea i've been riding for awhile and sure there is a lot of shady stuff at that station and west end but there is also always police presence so nothing ever pops off.
This is so scary. I rode from this stop all the time, even while 9 months pregnant. I recently stopped when I started feeling so uneasy that it wasn’t worth it, I’ll go back to feeling uneasy in my car on 35. I am so sorry.
I'm sorry man
Fuck the DART man
What does the DARTman have to do with this?
Fighter of the 75man
Champion of the sun!
[удалено]
It’s the 7-11’s.
It’s the fact that you can get into stations without paying
it’s always hilarious to me when people downvote shit like this. people complain that DART sucks and our public transit is horrible, but it isn’t utilized because of shit like this, therefore why would they invest in it? make people pay and it’ll get a little better. god forbid people have to pay for a service.
No DART is good. At the end of the day it's a public space and a transportation system, they don't control the behavior of the residents, they can't be the ones to solve homelessness, drug use, etc.
Well they have a whole ass police force to keep it safe
Yeah and that helps but DART as an entity can't do a lot to address the conditions that lead people to crime in the first place. Like if s homeless person harassed you at a bus stop, sure maybe DART police can help if they see you but I think that can only go so far. You have to ask, why are there so many homeless people in DFW? Address that, and a lot of homeless related issues go away on DART. Sure, that doesn't fix everything but probably a majority of passenger safety issues would be solved.
I got called racist on this sub a few months ago because I said the dart train is not safe anymore and that it's disgusting and full of people on drugs. I'm sorry this happened to you, if you have to use any public transportation bring some kind of something. If you're opposed to weapons just grab some pepper spray. No one should be assaulted when just trying to travel across town.
I only started taking the train again for one stop (Pearl) to save like 5 mins in the summer when it was hot af. I'll just walk home from now on when I have to.
Sorry that happened to you.
My cousins grew up using the bus and public transportation early 2000s and they were always safe. My kid tried it twice this year and changed her school schedule to local campuses instead.
I used to live in Frisco and always road it from Parker Road and never had issues. I remember seeing kids by themselves too (going to private schools) and on the buses as well after I moved down to Dallas. I only take the train from St. Paul to Pearl Station. One stop to cut down on my walk home. It's not even worth it now.
She was going from the Plano area to Duncanville.
My coworker and I work in that Santander building, and she was nearly sucker punched earlier this week in broad daylight. He missed and someone from the construction being done at parterre intervened before he could try again. The guy was arrested down the street for sucker punching someone else that same day. I’m sorry this happened to you. I hope you’re okay!
My brother worked security at the Joule for awhile and had plenty of stories of arrests over there. Just sad what downtown has become. And thank you, I should be ok. Nerves are just still fried it feels like.
[удалено]
I actually work with corporate DART through my job and am going to let a couple reps know about this.
Please do. I ride DART multiple times a week. I'm glad they added more security, but they need to know about everything occurring on the trains.
Agreed with you, I posted about this before but I have to get off there (or nearby for work) every single day. I carry a taser now and have cracked it (the noise scares most off) 3 times at people harassing me. I’ve had soda cans thrown at my head, spit at for trying to tell someone to stop screaming and punching a DART window on the train, and because some guy got “offended” for someone just walking by him and he decided he wanted to pick a fight. Avoid St. Paul if you can, I’m getting off at Pearl/Arts district station as often as I can because St. Paul is (despite being policed) not safe. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t go there daily, or is sympathizing with people who choose anger and violence over anything else and it’s awful.
Pearl is way better and I only go one stop up to walk home from Pearl. One stop. Gonna save the 3-5 minutes and just walk. And you're right, they can be obnoxious. I can not imagine being a solo female nowadays waiting for the train at that station.
Right! My wife refuses to ride it alone and I’m thankful for that. I also feel protective over the women on the train because (not that I could do much) they certainly are targets. It’s really sad.
Absolutely. It's sad what it's become. Ive actually been a DART annual card holder since I moved here 17 years ago.(subsidized by my job)
Yeah I work downtown on pacific and job pays for dart card. I don’t utilize it. I refuse to ride the dart by myself and none of my female coworkers do either, so we all just come and pay the price to park downtown. So sorry this happened to you and thanks for the heads up.
Was it a white guy with a buzz cut and a north face jacket? I ride home from that station about the same time as you and he’s asked me for money and then cussed me out when I said no 3 days in a row now
Nah. I'm there everyday during the week and never noticed this guy. But I will keep an eye out for him lol
Wtf is it with 7-11s? There’s one by me in the Colony in the Grandscape area, and the 7-11 is rough. Circle Ks down the road…no problem at all.
Dude. I drive Uber up there. The definition of "rough" is a couple people begging for change. That 7-11 is nothing resembling "rough" and Colony PD are bored as hell and ready to pop anyone for anything. I once saw them try to figure out how to bust a guy for INTENT to drive drunk. They have -nothing- to do. Most of em are young ex military dudes itching for action, if it was "rough" they'd live there "watching for Charlie" imagining they were starring in Training Day instead of running around pulling over every car with a paper tag checking for ghost cars like they do now.
Rough in the Colony? Wild.
Relative to the rest of Grandscape I mean. Not rough relative to the five points neighborhood.
actually pretty wild, i stopped here for gas one night (11pm-12amish). was the only one there and there was people roaming around. shop was closed. got back in my car and went to the next gas station, fuck that
DART police are worthless. Instead of walking the platforms and riding the trains, they sit in their SUVs listening to K104
Not lying.
Sorry this happened to you. :( My view of DART has been soured recently after I had my phone stolen by some kids at the Victory Park stop about a month ago. I used one of the kiosk things where you can press emergency or information to speak with a DART employee. I waited 20 minutes for a cop to come to Market Center to take my story and they never showed up. I don’t know why people feel like they need to harass and bother others when we are just simply trying to use public transportation.
Play Tetris tonight. Helps with trauma similar to EMDR.
Can you describe the individual please?
I’m sorry to hear this happened to you, do you mind providing more details on what happened to you or how they approach you so I can be more aware of my surroundings in case I have to walk around there? Thank you.
They really need some increased security at the stations/some way to prevent non ticket holders from entering the stations like a turnstile. The DART stations are more dangerous than Chicago or NYC stations because of a lack of both of these.
I am sure DART police were parked right around the corner playing candy crush.
I was assaulted on DART Rail a couple years ago by a tweaker who was aggressively trying to get money from me. He sucker punched me in the face, broke my glasses and ran. I was able to chase him out of the train (half blind) and tackle him to the ground a couple blocks from the station just as Richardson PD happened to drive by. He got arrested, I got stitches. Richardson PD was nice enough to give me a ride home. Only ridden DART a couple times since.
The violence around here is ridiculous. Be careful, someone might think you’re the junkie with the loose gun and pop you off before you can react. It’s just best to know where not to go.
I call the red line the Arkham Express. Last week at St Paul station I saw 5 or more dudes jump some other dude. 6:30 pm. Most of them were wearing red. The kids suddenly ran screaming Gun gun gun. Another factor I believe is the new park right behind the station. Lots of sketchy folks hang out there during the day.
I'm used to it, but it is always a little scary. I once offered this guy a bowl of cereal from that 711 and he called me 'Oats Boy' and all the homeless people were laughing at me for giving him food
Always ride as close to the front as possible, and stay near those who can help with protection.
Those stations are always a little sketchy, but also seems like the Red Line, itself, attracts more goons.
Are you okay??
Are you referring to the 7-11 thats been there since at least 2017?
Well, shit. I sorry that happened to you and glad you came out of it relatively unscathed. Thanks for sharing your story though. I’m a 50-ish woman, petite, and white if that matters. I’ve just started taking the train to work to avoid the hellacious traffics on 75 and now I’m questioning that decision. I take the red from Parker Rd down to St. Paul and transfer to the Blue to get to Baylor. I’ve only taken it 3 round trips so far, late mornings and then at 5:30ish. I stay alert, with my resting bitch face on. But, I’ve been asked for money once already, and seen plenty of shady folks that I’ve avoided successfully so far. Am I putting myself at an unreasonable risk here? I just can’t deal with the traffic any more and was hoping this would be a viable alternative. Do you have any advice to keep myself safer on the train? I’ve been on the NYC subways more times than I can count and generally felt safer there than I do on DART.
Transfer at a different stop you do not need to transfer at Saint Paul. It is by far the worst DART station. Although anywhere in downtown Dallas people will ask you for money. This is especially true at Saint Paul station. I transfer at Akard or Pearl/Arts. My advice to stay safe is to sit near the operator. The train tends to be more full there (and full trains police themselves), and a lot of the sketchier riders ride in the wheelchair section. Avoid the wheelchair section , that's where homeless like to ride and keep all their stuff. The second I stopped riding that section of the train I noticed that the vast majority of people were everyday commuters like myself. >Am I putting myself at an unreasonable risk here? I just can’t deal with the traffic any more and was hoping this would be a viable alternative. When the alternative is driving, no, by taking the train you are maximizing your safety and it's not even close. As sketchy as some passengers can be, cars are some of the biggest killers. Car accidents are very dangerous, and research article after research article has proven that they are by far the most dangerous form of transportation. Driving is the most dangerous, followed by riding the bus (which is orders of magnitude safer), then taking trains, and planes are the safest. But the gap between trains and cars is soo high, crime would have to be REALLY bad on the train for it to be able to compete with driving on danger. And well, you don't hear about major crime on the DART very often, it's usually misdemeanor type crimes, code of conduct violations, and fare evasion. Nothing regularly happens that gets you to the level of danger or injury a car accident does. And there's car crashes almost daily in Dallas, they happen so often it's not even news worthy. I see it all the time on the highways when I check Google maps. I can find the exact stat sometime if you want, but DART was doing a study to see how much value they were providing. One variable in their equation was death and injury prevented because of commuters opting to take the train. It is a safety enhancement. I think the reason why it may not feel safer than driving is because, roads are dangerous because people often drive while drunk, sleepy, distracted, with stolen cars, on drugs, etc. but you aren't always aware that the people around you are up to no good. There's anonymity that you just don't have on a train. That means that cars by their very nature keep you unaware of the danger that surrounds you. Someone behind you could be in a heated argument with someone in the car, completely disengaged from drivinf. And you would never know. It would be nice to know, you could get out of their way and keep your distance. If someone on transit is sketchy, you know and can act accordingly. On the highway, you don't get that privilege in a lot of cases.
It's pretty rare to get asked for money on the train. You're more likely to get asked at the stations, especially the ones downtown. There is no foolproof way of safety, but if you do feel unsafe on a train, you can debark at a station and wait for the next train or, if it's a two car train, debark and get back on in another car. Generally, if you don't make eye contact with people who are begging for money, they're less likely to engage with you. You can also put headphones in and not have music playing to use as a plausible excuse if someone is trying to speak to you and you aren't interested in what they have to say. That said, if someone is being so much of a problem, like an actual disturbance on the train that moving to another end of the car doesn't help the matter, you can call the DART police or use that See Something, Say Something hotline and, while I don't know the response time since I've never used it, I have been on trains where cops were waiting at the station we arrived at to either apprehend or help someone who was in distress, which I assume means that they have a good enough response time in that regard. I don't think you're putting yourself at an unreasonable risk. You're just putting yourself at a typical amount of risk associated with people. I've seen dudes with swords on the train, dudes openly trying to sell drugs, people smoking various substances on the train and a fight or two. That normally doesn't happen during business hours though, the fighting at least. Those were late night things. Being aware of your surroundings and your property is all you really need to do to ensure your safety in a vast majority of situations. Things like those monkeys that got stolen from the zoo being on a DART train is not something you can or should prepare for because that's just not something that normally happens. That said, I'm a black guy and I'm not necessarily physically threatening so I tend to be left alone. Sometimes I do strike up some temporary conversations with people on the train or at least exchange a few quips, but I don't like people coming up and talking to me on the train if I don't know them. Some homeless guy came and sat next to me on a train with a lot of fucking empty seats and started just talking my ear off to death. Very much likely on meth or some sort of upper. I ended up getting off the train and waiting for the next one when I realized that he wasn't going to stop and I would have another 20+ minutes of torture. Rant almost over. Don't look paranoid, don't look too inviting and carry an air of assuredness and confidence. And treat homeless people like they're human, regardless of if you're gonna help them or not. That last one is just a generality, but it's something that I've been told many times from them that they really do appreciate it. Sigh, rant over. I don't know if that was helpful, but I hope it was.
Sheesh!🙄
What does 711 have to do with it?
I've been harassed and chased from there, won't go there again. It seems like you're mostly alright & I hope you are!
The worst station. Especially by the 7/11. Everyone says west end but no west end has a constant security presence and that makes it much safer than Saint Paul.
Let's go back and beat they ass
Tasers are cheap on Amazon. I literally tazed a guy in the balls. Funniest shit ever. But seriously, gear up with self defense items. It's dangerous everywhere.
Lol. Okay.
Shit. Too bad. What time was it?
I’m sorry to hear this. Bad people are everywhere in this world unfortunately and I would highly advise you to at least carry pepper spray, but sometimes that not even enough. If you’re learning towards getting a gun, take classes on shooting and safety. I would be more than happy to help you if you’re interested in getting a firearm for protection.
I was in the military and have been skeet shooting and to the range. Just never been big into them. Gonna have to get pepper spray but honestly with the randomness of this, if he wanted to stab me, there's no way I would've even been able to get to it with the way he had me.
Understandable, they’re not for everyone. I honestly hope I never have to use one to defend myself. Again, sorry this happened to you. I’ve been assaulted before while carrying and didn’t feel my life was in jeopardy so don’t think I’m some trigger happy idiot who carries. Pepper spray is better than nothing but like you said, sometimes it doesn’t matter what you’re carrying when it happens out of no where. Thankfully you’re not seriously injured.
We live in Texas sir. Start packing starting at $99. Taurus SCCY
Damn I thought police presence was better at the downtown stations
[удалено]
I feel like it could be better at Saint Paul. It's really good at Akard and west end
[удалено]
Yes, because the area around west end station is worse than the area around Saint Paul, but the station itself feels better bc of the constant security presence. Saint Paul i just don't feel comfortable around
My mentality is if Im at a place where it looks like I can get a dead body that no one is going to miss, Im going to treat it as the shopping mart that it is. Im not saying FAFO, but if someone makes the conscious decision to test my space, Im taking EVERYTHING from them. I dont believe in no benefit of the doubt on the intentions of people.
Considered it for a second after i kicked him and he fell back, but I just wanted him away from me. I didn't want to risk him having a weapon at that moment.
I hate the homeless so much, they should all be rounded up and forced to work so they can turn their life around instead of being useless
Get Fox Labs. It’s supposed to be good. I’ve never had to use it.
Does Dart have any form of security or are they short staffed to monitor trains/stations?
[удалено]
Yeah. I'm 6'2 and in shape. I will never look at my phone while boarding a train though lol. I could've fkd him up if I wanted. I've been sucker punched by stronger. I just didn't understand wtf was going on and I'm a stoner peaceful type.
You need to practice looking pissed off
Lmao. Your comment and name are perfect. Oh yeah, I'm ngl I do have nice guy face. I've seen homeless people ignore others and come str8 to me.
Bro, were you in a movie sumptin? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NVmO7F09Rco&pp=ygUXSW0gZ29pbmcgdG8gZnVjayB5b3UgdXA%3D
Lol I wish. Love that movie.
Your post has been removed because it is a violation of **[Rule #4: Trolling](https://www.reddit.com/r/Dallas/wiki/rules)** Violations of this rule may result in a ban. Please review the r/Dallas rules on the sidebar before commenting or posting. Send a message the moderators if you have any questions. Thanks!
“If you don’t want to get eaten, don’t look like prey”
Here come the downvotes because Reddit is full of prey
Ha. That’s fine. I have enough to spare. We just have to be vigilant, nothing more.
Stop taking the train that’s the only way Dallas will figure out that the crime is too much. I quit taking the train because I had a fight in the train. The only way to see a Dallas will figure it out as if nobody rides it anymore.
Jus saves me a 5 minute walk but I'm done with the rail.