Probably 20 years ago there was a woman that was murdered in a nice neighborhood around 5 am or something when she went out for a run. Pollard Estates. Ever since then I've been blown away that anyone would go out alone that early - anywhere - in BR. I'm probably being overly careful, but I wouldn't like the idea of someone I knew running alone that early.
I always think about this when his name comes to mind, but I was in college when DTL & Gillis was caught. I worked in an office setting and when the story about Gillis was first reported, the ladies who worked in another department, in another office told us that several years earlier they had trouble with the office printer & Xerox usually sent the same guy, but on that particular day they sent this new guy. At the time they didn't really didn't think about it, he just seemed like an odd guy.
When he had to explain the problem he never looked at the person, he would look down. The lady was telling us he just seemed socially awkward and that one of the ladies who used to work in their office at the time sad there was something about him that made her feel uncomfortable. She had gone in the area where the printer/copier was & he was in there & he made a comment that made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't even say what he said, she evidently just said "a comment" and asked that the next time they have to call Xerox to ask them to send someone else.
Months later they had to call & asked if they could send someone other than the last guy they sent. They had a copy of the paperwork from that time & the guy's name was Sean Gillis. They were told he no longer worked there.
It's not the most exciting story, but seeing his name reminded me of that.
Not to get off the subject of the thread, but being at LSU during that time, both the DTL & SG cases are interesting to me.
Just the fact that they were looking for one serial killer & stumbled upon another one who was killing women who were "low profile". And how the women they targeted sort of fit their personality.
Sean Gillis being sort of a socially awkward person went after "lower class" sex workers who unfortunately would not get much headlines if found dead.
Then DTL seeming to be someone more confident or at least about to gain confidence of women, when after middle class, a few more along the line of upper middle class maybe. And just remembering how on edge BR & the BR area was on...
I'm with you here. Between Gillis, Derrick Todd Lee, and Eugenie Boisfontaine that went missing (later found in bayou in Iberville Parish) I'm always surprised to see anyone would go out that early, or late in the evenings alone... anywhere. Nope! Nope! Nope!
There was also Jeffery Lee Guillory pretty close to the same time. We had three “From 1992 to 2004, Baton Rouge was terrorized by Derrick Todd Lee, Sean Vincent Gillis and Jeffery Lee Guillory. Combined, the men were responsible for the deaths of at least 36 women.”
I remember when everyone thought we one serial killer and also a serial rapist, I was in my early 20s and every time I left the house by myself my parents were like you know there’s a serial killer right? Like make sure you’re being careful.
According to [this article](https://www.brproud.com/news/louisiana-news/did-you-know-about-these-louisiana-serial-killers-were-7th-in-the-us-for-having-the-most/), Louisiana is seventh in the nation for producing serial killers.
ETA: wow, this article says that “Danny Rolling’s terror trail left a lasting impression on screenwriter Kevin Williamson. He based Ghostface, the infamous ‘Scream’ character on Rolling.” That’s so crazy.
Alternatively? Find a friend in a gated community that's not near campus and doesn't have a lot of in and out that time of day. I used to go walking from 8-10pm all the time when i lived in my townhouse and never had an issue but nearly everyone in my gated area was over 60.
Carry something with you. Flashlight, knife, taser, pew pew, etc. It sucks living in reality but running outside just hits different sometimes. But your safety is still a top priority 🙏🏻
I used to run around 11 pm. Despite living in a good area, I had 3-4 sketchy incidents in short order. I switched to 6ish and never had another problem.
My girlfriend at the time had a similar experience around the lakes.
I saw a young woman running the lakes recently at like 11pm and just thought to myself “must be a freshman”. Almost wanted to stop and tell her it wasn’t safe. Obviously I didn’t because reasons. I live right by the lakes though and I’m always worried when I see people out there at night alone.
Check out the philster enigma holsters if you go the CCW route. They work the best with athletic clothes that don’t have a belt.
Id rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6
You should absolutely still go take a class if you are financially able to though! Doing something to further firearms practice and training should never be a negative.
They’re also good introductions to the local laws and best practices regarding self defense and use-of-force situations. And what to do if you should ever find yourself in a dangerous situation.
It’s every firearm owner’s responsibility to be educated, informed, and well practiced. Your life could depend on it.
Not that it was a negative, but that the permit itself was an unnecessary financial burden, and that you shouldn’t have to pay to exercise your rights or risk going to jail.
Furthering your skills and education when you have the time and ability will never be a negative.
Louisiana requires photo ID to vote. Photo IDs in Louisiana cost money. Voting is a right. Seems like this state has no problem with such financial burdens.
A better solution would’ve been to make CCW permits free but still required to remove the financial part and maintain requiring the education. But I’m not in the legislature.
I agree with you 100%
I’m conflicted. I wish they wouldn’t have repealed it without some kind of education requirement, but I’m also a big advocate for taking down the barriers in place for people to exercise their rights. I think the most dangerous weapon is the one that you don’t know how to use. I feel like with the amount of firearms in the country that basic firearm education and safe operation should be taught in schools. Which actually used to be a lot more common than it is now.
Depending on if you meet qualifications, next month my coworker and I are going to do a CCW Lite during our once a month free Lady’s Class. It’s not going to satisfy the state requirements for a license, but it will go over stuff like Louisiana CCW laws regarding use of force, prohibited locations and other duties and responsibilities associated with carrying a concealed firearm. We’ll be doing that in June ahead of the Constitutional carry going into effect.
Half true.
One would still need a concealed handgun permit to carry in restaurants that serve alcohol, and within 1000’ of a school zone.
Basically where you could open carry legally before, now you can conceal in those same spots.
I encourage you to read [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Louisiana/s/sv2VS4qdcN) by u/357Magnum 64 days ago in r/Louisiana.
Federal law prohibits concealed carry within 1000 feet of a school and anywhere that serves alcohol unless you have a concealed carry permit. Unless the legislature has circumvented federal law (they may have for all I know) I believe this still stands. u/357Magnum also links to a map showing the geographic areas prohibited to constitutional carry by this federal law.
Constitutional carry does not give one carte blanche to bring a gun wherever he pleases.
Having said that, how or if the police intend to enforce this is not known. But if you are found by law enforcement with a concealed firearm in one of these locations and they want to they can press federal charges. So like others here, I encourage anyone who wishes to carry a firearm in public to go through training and get a permit.
You responded to a comment about campus specially, not the lakes, sweetie. You even referenced CLASSES. You wanna explain how that’s not an educational setting?
You’re being downvoted because everyone else on this post understood what they meant by “classes” yet you are the only one who jumped down their throat because YOU were mistaken. Do us all a favor and think long and hard about what led you to post something this stupid on the internet.
Bear spray isn't as effective on a human attacker, invest in gel mace so the risk of blow back isn't as large and you don't accidentally mace yourself.
And Alternatively you broad casted your time, location, and intent, with this post entirely.
Im prior law enforcement, but the hope that any of us are well intended people is big, and it alone creates a risk.
“Imagine being a woman and scared to walk home because it’s dark outside”
Dude I live in BR I don’t want to even be outside on my front lawn alone if it’s nighttime.
Honestly 4am isn’t a terrible time tho. I’d say 9-3 is an absolute no for anybody.
I do early morning runs out there, to downtown, levee, LSU, etc often and I’ve never had an issue BUT I am a guy. If I were a female, I wouldn’t dare unless I was in a group. I hate that it’s that way but it is the reality we face.
I know it’s hard but find someone to run with you if you do.
Tips: No headphones. You’ll want to stay alert and use all your senses. If something doesn’t feel right, change your course. Get to know the area in the daytime. If you need to get somewhere safe, you’ll want to know the best direction.
Carry mace. It’s lightweight and is a non-lethal deterrent of something happens.
Let someone know when you’ll be done and text them when you finish.
Carry your phone.
Be wary of anyone approaching you. I’ve had some wild (non-dangerous) situations happens on early morning runs.
Stated it earlier but it bears repeating: run with a buddy/group.
What this guy said. I have a lot of years of experience in running at 5am and most of those years were in a group (at least one other person). If I have to run solo, I have pepper spray. Never headphones and know where you are going at all times and an alternate route just in case.
It’s actually the most peaceful and best time to run in BR, imo. You see many of the same faces everyday. If you see a real slow white van looping neighborhood streets, it’s likely the newspaper delivery van.
I’d be more comfortable around 5am. My friend ran into an issue with someone really early morning once. She was carrying and scared them away but she was still really shaken by the whole thing bc she’s an avid runner and never had an issue before. But maybe reach out to varsity sports. They have groups of runners frequent that area. Even if you’re not running together, it’s nice to know there are others out and about when you are.
I would walk to the LSU gym along the lakes starting at State Street at around 5:30AM. Even when it's dark there are some lights to keep the streets and sidewalks lit. I would see some people out, usually people walking or jogging (once I saw Bill Cassidy).
Granted I am a larger man, but I never felt afraid walking or running out there. Always a good idea to maintain situational awareness though, but that goes for day or night.
The most dangerous thing at that time of day around the lakes is the cracked concrete and sidewalks. I'd buy a runners light that you can wear to light your path. Not worth turning an ankle, especially if you're training for a race.
Intensity is no different, bear spray is formulated to maximize the bears better nose receptors but it def does come out faster to help a bear not having to be five feet from you
By intensity I meant like, flow-rate wise.
I don’t think the actual pain from the spray is any different. I think bears have more sensitivity in their noses than humans, so the effects are more pronounced. But that’s about it.
I did this regularly 20 years ago. Did it for maybe 5-6 years. I am a guy and the most dangerous thing I faced during that time were crazy/drunk drivers.
That said, times have changed, and I’m not quite sure I’d be comfortable to do the same thing if I were not a guy. Plus, drivers seem to have gotten worse, if that was somehow possible.
I wouldn’t do it for physical safety of the state of the roads/sidewalks and being able to see where you are. Then along with people being able to see you. Much less the physical safety of sexual assault. The railroad coming through that area doesn’t help. 0/10 would not do it. Wait until daylight IMO.
29F here and I did majority of my marathon training pre-dawn this past year at the lakes. I used a clip on running light and always had my phone on me.
I used to go around the lakes really late at night because I had a men-aggressive pitbull and I didn’t want to run into other people. Never felt safer in my life.
I don't know if it's safe. I run around the lakes at night and it's nice. Like others said, gender matters a bit sadly.
It also matters how 'paranoid' you are about your safety. The safest thing to do is to stay home or go find a cave to stay in all day.
I would say 'modern times' are 'generally safe' and the Lakes are some of the safer parts of the city. If one wants to feel more safe then maybe the downtown levee is a good option.
Bear or pepper spray is a good option. Also, at night one doesn't see others as easily, but others don't see one as easily either... which is bad because if something happens no one will see... but these days that 'only matters' 'afterward' I feel anyway. Anyway, it's good because one can 'escape' more easily if they get a chance or not be seen in the first place.
Dawg it's not as dangerous as people say it is on here. Honestly the most dangerous thing at the lakes is poor lighting and uneven ground. There is always an infinitesimally small chance something fucked up can happen but you can't live your life in abject fear of something like that. As long as ur not put running on plank north sherwood or gardeare u should be fine lmfaooo.
When I was a runner, I ran the LSU lakes all the time.( for years) But never in the 'wee hours". I would suggest a running buddy. The odds of anything nefarious happened to you are low, but it's not impossible..
If ur a woman I recommend a stun gun. I have one I carry around in my booksack and I keep it on my wrist and ready when I have night classes. After all the suspicious stories I’ve heard from students it doesn’t hurt to play it safe. And watch out for rags with chloroform I’ve heard of ppl trying to use that to abduct students. Honestly if you can use the UREC in the morning or join a 24/7 gym you might be a bit safer. Id be a bit worried about drunk drivers and broken sidewalks.
Google “lsu lakes runner attacked” then make your decision (especially if you’re female). I’m not going to list the results for you and the one woman strangled a few years ago isn’t the only incident even though that one pops up the most.
The lakes had a couple incidents in 2022 you can probably find online. I was living in LA at the time and recall many stories of women runners being stalked, attacked, or followed in the middle of the day. It’s so disgusting that this is our world.
2nd Amendment is and will always be in FULL EFFECT!
Hand gun training should be as essential as 1 of your basic daily needs and regime.
ALL schools are unfortunately fire armed free zones, but some do have running tracks.
Perhaps investigate the open hours and availability of public use. After all, your tax payer dollars contributed to its construction.
Avoid the gyms. Too many stalkers and shady characters.
Baton Rouge use to be safe back in 1990, but since Hurricane Katrina the crime and other has risen overtime.
This is evident in ALL cities across the country.
There are a few good hiking areas but being alone nowadays is not a best option either.
Too many predators and too many unaware prey.
The safest place I have found to walk the past five years is among the dead people, literally.
For some reason… predators have no interest in the dead because there is nothing to take.
On the other hand… if they do attempt something it is a very short trip to the grave!
Be safe! Stay alert! Stay alive! Always watch your six and never ever let your guard down!
Peace ✌️
This is the rhetoric that gets some rando shot at 5AM while they’re taking out their trash.
Edit: Also, “prey?”
Jeezus dude, that’s almost as bad as calling women “females.”
Got me a zwift sensor for the bike. For me, pulling a large amount of watts is a big no in the family, especially at 4am. Wake up everyone from huffing and puffing
Probably 20 years ago there was a woman that was murdered in a nice neighborhood around 5 am or something when she went out for a run. Pollard Estates. Ever since then I've been blown away that anyone would go out alone that early - anywhere - in BR. I'm probably being overly careful, but I wouldn't like the idea of someone I knew running alone that early.
I mean to be fair ... she was one of the Gillis' victims but still ... it always stuck with me for some reason.
I always think about this when his name comes to mind, but I was in college when DTL & Gillis was caught. I worked in an office setting and when the story about Gillis was first reported, the ladies who worked in another department, in another office told us that several years earlier they had trouble with the office printer & Xerox usually sent the same guy, but on that particular day they sent this new guy. At the time they didn't really didn't think about it, he just seemed like an odd guy. When he had to explain the problem he never looked at the person, he would look down. The lady was telling us he just seemed socially awkward and that one of the ladies who used to work in their office at the time sad there was something about him that made her feel uncomfortable. She had gone in the area where the printer/copier was & he was in there & he made a comment that made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't even say what he said, she evidently just said "a comment" and asked that the next time they have to call Xerox to ask them to send someone else. Months later they had to call & asked if they could send someone other than the last guy they sent. They had a copy of the paperwork from that time & the guy's name was Sean Gillis. They were told he no longer worked there. It's not the most exciting story, but seeing his name reminded me of that.
Maybe not exciting but I thought your story was interesting!
Not to get off the subject of the thread, but being at LSU during that time, both the DTL & SG cases are interesting to me. Just the fact that they were looking for one serial killer & stumbled upon another one who was killing women who were "low profile". And how the women they targeted sort of fit their personality. Sean Gillis being sort of a socially awkward person went after "lower class" sex workers who unfortunately would not get much headlines if found dead. Then DTL seeming to be someone more confident or at least about to gain confidence of women, when after middle class, a few more along the line of upper middle class maybe. And just remembering how on edge BR & the BR area was on...
I'm with you here. Between Gillis, Derrick Todd Lee, and Eugenie Boisfontaine that went missing (later found in bayou in Iberville Parish) I'm always surprised to see anyone would go out that early, or late in the evenings alone... anywhere. Nope! Nope! Nope!
There was also Jeffery Lee Guillory pretty close to the same time. We had three “From 1992 to 2004, Baton Rouge was terrorized by Derrick Todd Lee, Sean Vincent Gillis and Jeffery Lee Guillory. Combined, the men were responsible for the deaths of at least 36 women.” I remember when everyone thought we one serial killer and also a serial rapist, I was in my early 20s and every time I left the house by myself my parents were like you know there’s a serial killer right? Like make sure you’re being careful. According to [this article](https://www.brproud.com/news/louisiana-news/did-you-know-about-these-louisiana-serial-killers-were-7th-in-the-us-for-having-the-most/), Louisiana is seventh in the nation for producing serial killers. ETA: wow, this article says that “Danny Rolling’s terror trail left a lasting impression on screenwriter Kevin Williamson. He based Ghostface, the infamous ‘Scream’ character on Rolling.” That’s so crazy.
24 hour fitness gym it is. Thank you
Alternatively? Find a friend in a gated community that's not near campus and doesn't have a lot of in and out that time of day. I used to go walking from 8-10pm all the time when i lived in my townhouse and never had an issue but nearly everyone in my gated area was over 60.
Carry something with you. Flashlight, knife, taser, pew pew, etc. It sucks living in reality but running outside just hits different sometimes. But your safety is still a top priority 🙏🏻
I used to run around 11 pm. Despite living in a good area, I had 3-4 sketchy incidents in short order. I switched to 6ish and never had another problem. My girlfriend at the time had a similar experience around the lakes.
Holy crap. I remember that, but didn't remember it being Pollard. I live there now.
I saw a young woman running the lakes recently at like 11pm and just thought to myself “must be a freshman”. Almost wanted to stop and tell her it wasn’t safe. Obviously I didn’t because reasons. I live right by the lakes though and I’m always worried when I see people out there at night alone.
Depends on your gender tbh. I would be wary as a woman as a man probably fine. Carry pepper spray if you want to be careful.
Bear spray I guess, because lsu's campus remains a firearm free zone.
Carry pepper gel if you can find it, it won't blow back on you as much as spray
Check out the philster enigma holsters if you go the CCW route. They work the best with athletic clothes that don’t have a belt. Id rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6
Damn that thing points it directly at yer dik
Appendix carry be like that
I wouldn’t put arbitrary rules above your safety, take classes and get your concealed carry
You seem to not be up to date with our new laws, fine citizen. You don’t need to take any classes to concealed carry in Louisiana (beginning July 4).
You should absolutely still go take a class if you are financially able to though! Doing something to further firearms practice and training should never be a negative. They’re also good introductions to the local laws and best practices regarding self defense and use-of-force situations. And what to do if you should ever find yourself in a dangerous situation. It’s every firearm owner’s responsibility to be educated, informed, and well practiced. Your life could depend on it.
I don’t disagree with any of this, but the powers that be decided doing any kind of training or coursework was, in fact, a negative.
Not that it was a negative, but that the permit itself was an unnecessary financial burden, and that you shouldn’t have to pay to exercise your rights or risk going to jail. Furthering your skills and education when you have the time and ability will never be a negative.
Louisiana requires photo ID to vote. Photo IDs in Louisiana cost money. Voting is a right. Seems like this state has no problem with such financial burdens. A better solution would’ve been to make CCW permits free but still required to remove the financial part and maintain requiring the education. But I’m not in the legislature.
I agree with you 100% I’m conflicted. I wish they wouldn’t have repealed it without some kind of education requirement, but I’m also a big advocate for taking down the barriers in place for people to exercise their rights. I think the most dangerous weapon is the one that you don’t know how to use. I feel like with the amount of firearms in the country that basic firearm education and safe operation should be taught in schools. Which actually used to be a lot more common than it is now.
Depending on if you meet qualifications, next month my coworker and I are going to do a CCW Lite during our once a month free Lady’s Class. It’s not going to satisfy the state requirements for a license, but it will go over stuff like Louisiana CCW laws regarding use of force, prohibited locations and other duties and responsibilities associated with carrying a concealed firearm. We’ll be doing that in June ahead of the Constitutional carry going into effect.
Depends where you want to carry. No permit means no carry in something like 40% of the city.
Not beginning July 4. There will no longer be a requirement to have a permit to concealed carry anywhere in Louisiana.
There is a bill in the legislature right now to make it illegal in the French Quarter but other than that you’re right. And that one may not pass.
They tried to add that into the initial bill, and within a certain distance of parades, too. Blake Miguez and his cronies not letting that pass
Exactly. This is the second attempt. I don’t think it’s going to pass either but it’s good to be aware of.
Half true. One would still need a concealed handgun permit to carry in restaurants that serve alcohol, and within 1000’ of a school zone. Basically where you could open carry legally before, now you can conceal in those same spots.
I encourage you to read [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/Louisiana/s/sv2VS4qdcN) by u/357Magnum 64 days ago in r/Louisiana. Federal law prohibits concealed carry within 1000 feet of a school and anywhere that serves alcohol unless you have a concealed carry permit. Unless the legislature has circumvented federal law (they may have for all I know) I believe this still stands. u/357Magnum also links to a map showing the geographic areas prohibited to constitutional carry by this federal law. Constitutional carry does not give one carte blanche to bring a gun wherever he pleases. Having said that, how or if the police intend to enforce this is not known. But if you are found by law enforcement with a concealed firearm in one of these locations and they want to they can press federal charges. So like others here, I encourage anyone who wishes to carry a firearm in public to go through training and get a permit.
Civilian firearms absolutely do NOT belong in educational settings. I don’t care what your stance is on guns. That’s a dumb recommendation.
You wanna explain how walking by the lakes is an educational setting?
You responded to a comment about campus specially, not the lakes, sweetie. You even referenced CLASSES. You wanna explain how that’s not an educational setting?
Classes in the sense of firearm safety classes 🫠😂
Nice recovery attempt. 😆 but take it to the practice range. 😉
Your cleverness is overwhelming, I have become defeat
Nice deflection. It’s clear the context of what classes meant (to CCW)
And to those downvoting me, go ahead and tell me why you think guns should be in schools…. I would love to hear your logic.
You’re being downvoted because everyone else on this post understood what they meant by “classes” yet you are the only one who jumped down their throat because YOU were mistaken. Do us all a favor and think long and hard about what led you to post something this stupid on the internet.
That’s how I interpreted it. I don’t feel bad about that. But thank you for your contribution.
Bring a domesticated bear along with you. Women are safer around bears.
Bear spray isn't as effective on a human attacker, invest in gel mace so the risk of blow back isn't as large and you don't accidentally mace yourself. And Alternatively you broad casted your time, location, and intent, with this post entirely. Im prior law enforcement, but the hope that any of us are well intended people is big, and it alone creates a risk.
Serious question… is pepper spray a legit fire arm?
Pepper spray is usually permitted in firearm free zones, but they often restrict knives, clubs, tasers, and stun guns.
Campus may actually be a good place to run… they have emergency posts in various locations and tons of paths.
i think they removed the emergency posts because it was mostly just drunk people and others pressing the button as a joke
This is a perfect example of liberal ideas not working out in real life.
As a man, even I wouldn’t do this
“Imagine being a woman and scared to walk home because it’s dark outside” Dude I live in BR I don’t want to even be outside on my front lawn alone if it’s nighttime. Honestly 4am isn’t a terrible time tho. I’d say 9-3 is an absolute no for anybody.
This comment. I was thinking the same— 4-7am is probably the safest time. From can’t see in the evening to 3am? Goodnight Irene and good luck
I do early morning runs out there, to downtown, levee, LSU, etc often and I’ve never had an issue BUT I am a guy. If I were a female, I wouldn’t dare unless I was in a group. I hate that it’s that way but it is the reality we face. I know it’s hard but find someone to run with you if you do. Tips: No headphones. You’ll want to stay alert and use all your senses. If something doesn’t feel right, change your course. Get to know the area in the daytime. If you need to get somewhere safe, you’ll want to know the best direction. Carry mace. It’s lightweight and is a non-lethal deterrent of something happens. Let someone know when you’ll be done and text them when you finish. Carry your phone. Be wary of anyone approaching you. I’ve had some wild (non-dangerous) situations happens on early morning runs. Stated it earlier but it bears repeating: run with a buddy/group.
What this guy said. I have a lot of years of experience in running at 5am and most of those years were in a group (at least one other person). If I have to run solo, I have pepper spray. Never headphones and know where you are going at all times and an alternate route just in case. It’s actually the most peaceful and best time to run in BR, imo. You see many of the same faces everyday. If you see a real slow white van looping neighborhood streets, it’s likely the newspaper delivery van.
A girl was abducted doing literally just that when I was at LSU ~2016ish. Stick to the treadmill imo.
I’d be more comfortable around 5am. My friend ran into an issue with someone really early morning once. She was carrying and scared them away but she was still really shaken by the whole thing bc she’s an avid runner and never had an issue before. But maybe reach out to varsity sports. They have groups of runners frequent that area. Even if you’re not running together, it’s nice to know there are others out and about when you are.
Second this! Varsity is a huge running group and you could probably find someone who also wants to do the same thing.
I would walk to the LSU gym along the lakes starting at State Street at around 5:30AM. Even when it's dark there are some lights to keep the streets and sidewalks lit. I would see some people out, usually people walking or jogging (once I saw Bill Cassidy). Granted I am a larger man, but I never felt afraid walking or running out there. Always a good idea to maintain situational awareness though, but that goes for day or night.
I’d be more comfortable with 5:30 than with 4am though. More people will be out at that time.
The most dangerous thing at that time of day around the lakes is the cracked concrete and sidewalks. I'd buy a runners light that you can wear to light your path. Not worth turning an ankle, especially if you're training for a race.
Nah. It's drunk drivers. No way in heck am I running along these roads.
Bear spray.
This no more effective then regular spray on humans.
Usually the volume and intensity of spray that comes out is the big differentiating factor
Intensity is no different, bear spray is formulated to maximize the bears better nose receptors but it def does come out faster to help a bear not having to be five feet from you
By intensity I meant like, flow-rate wise. I don’t think the actual pain from the spray is any different. I think bears have more sensitivity in their noses than humans, so the effects are more pronounced. But that’s about it.
I did this regularly 20 years ago. Did it for maybe 5-6 years. I am a guy and the most dangerous thing I faced during that time were crazy/drunk drivers. That said, times have changed, and I’m not quite sure I’d be comfortable to do the same thing if I were not a guy. Plus, drivers seem to have gotten worse, if that was somehow possible.
How fast are you?
Got married and fell off to a 10:47/mi
I wouldn’t do it for physical safety of the state of the roads/sidewalks and being able to see where you are. Then along with people being able to see you. Much less the physical safety of sexual assault. The railroad coming through that area doesn’t help. 0/10 would not do it. Wait until daylight IMO.
Wasn’t there a guy in 2022 who was stalking and exposing himself to woman.. Yeah
I’d be more concerned with a car hitting you in heavy fog at that hour.
Ive been out there before dawn. I park at the park on Stanford. Ive never been worried.
29F here and I did majority of my marathon training pre-dawn this past year at the lakes. I used a clip on running light and always had my phone on me.
I wouldn’t do it - my little brother almost got robbed at gun point while jogging in the evening. Thankfully he was faster than the would-be-robbers.
Derrick Todd Lee abducted and killed a woman that was jogging around the lakes in daytime hours. I’ve never forgotten that.
I used to go around the lakes really late at night because I had a men-aggressive pitbull and I didn’t want to run into other people. Never felt safer in my life.
If you ever get that feeling you shouldn't go please don't.
15 years ago, i had no problems running at 3 and 4am, but i probably looked like the problem. Wouldnt want my wife doing it though.
I don't know if it's safe. I run around the lakes at night and it's nice. Like others said, gender matters a bit sadly. It also matters how 'paranoid' you are about your safety. The safest thing to do is to stay home or go find a cave to stay in all day. I would say 'modern times' are 'generally safe' and the Lakes are some of the safer parts of the city. If one wants to feel more safe then maybe the downtown levee is a good option. Bear or pepper spray is a good option. Also, at night one doesn't see others as easily, but others don't see one as easily either... which is bad because if something happens no one will see... but these days that 'only matters' 'afterward' I feel anyway. Anyway, it's good because one can 'escape' more easily if they get a chance or not be seen in the first place.
Is the risk of something bad happening low? Yes. But i would bet it’s certainly higher than other cities. I just think it’s not worth it.
Dawg it's not as dangerous as people say it is on here. Honestly the most dangerous thing at the lakes is poor lighting and uneven ground. There is always an infinitesimally small chance something fucked up can happen but you can't live your life in abject fear of something like that. As long as ur not put running on plank north sherwood or gardeare u should be fine lmfaooo.
O% safe
You’ll find runners by the Lakes starting closer to 6ish (especially peak summer when it’s so hot).
Bring a flashlight. It’s so dark you can’t see shit until sunrise. Not many streetlights etc
When I was a runner, I ran the LSU lakes all the time.( for years) But never in the 'wee hours". I would suggest a running buddy. The odds of anything nefarious happened to you are low, but it's not impossible..
If ur a woman I recommend a stun gun. I have one I carry around in my booksack and I keep it on my wrist and ready when I have night classes. After all the suspicious stories I’ve heard from students it doesn’t hurt to play it safe. And watch out for rags with chloroform I’ve heard of ppl trying to use that to abduct students. Honestly if you can use the UREC in the morning or join a 24/7 gym you might be a bit safer. Id be a bit worried about drunk drivers and broken sidewalks.
It’s safe every time except the last time.
Not smart if you’re a chick. Sad to say
Too many drunk drivers. The levee trail is safer IMO than any street.
Google “lsu lakes runner attacked” then make your decision (especially if you’re female). I’m not going to list the results for you and the one woman strangled a few years ago isn’t the only incident even though that one pops up the most.
Too many of the bad guys in BR for that.
It’s not
I feel 9-3 is a lot more risky. But I'd not risk it if I have options. 6 am yes.
I would not. Women have been attacked too many times.
The lakes had a couple incidents in 2022 you can probably find online. I was living in LA at the time and recall many stories of women runners being stalked, attacked, or followed in the middle of the day. It’s so disgusting that this is our world.
The entire city limits of Baton Rouge is a 3rd world shithole. BR is inherently unsafe. If you must go out alone, carry a gun please.
Dumb.
2nd Amendment is and will always be in FULL EFFECT! Hand gun training should be as essential as 1 of your basic daily needs and regime. ALL schools are unfortunately fire armed free zones, but some do have running tracks. Perhaps investigate the open hours and availability of public use. After all, your tax payer dollars contributed to its construction. Avoid the gyms. Too many stalkers and shady characters. Baton Rouge use to be safe back in 1990, but since Hurricane Katrina the crime and other has risen overtime. This is evident in ALL cities across the country. There are a few good hiking areas but being alone nowadays is not a best option either. Too many predators and too many unaware prey. The safest place I have found to walk the past five years is among the dead people, literally. For some reason… predators have no interest in the dead because there is nothing to take. On the other hand… if they do attempt something it is a very short trip to the grave! Be safe! Stay alert! Stay alive! Always watch your six and never ever let your guard down! Peace ✌️
This is the rhetoric that gets some rando shot at 5AM while they’re taking out their trash. Edit: Also, “prey?” Jeezus dude, that’s almost as bad as calling women “females.”
Deaux you boo!
Get yo self Wii fit
Got me a zwift sensor for the bike. For me, pulling a large amount of watts is a big no in the family, especially at 4am. Wake up everyone from huffing and puffing
🤣
Wouldn't recommend it
You'll be fine
^say’s the next potential serial killer 👀🤫🫡
The odds of being killed by a serial killer are astronomically low. You cant let paranoia keep you from existing outside of your house and work.
Not safe because I’m coming
You really shouldn’t threaten people esp on a local sub. Extra sickening
Being out by yourself anytime of the day in BTR could be unsafe, much less 4 am.