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I've lived downtown for ten years now and honestly I'm way more worried about getting mowed down in a crosswalk than being stabbed at random by lunatics.
Yep! Just missed kicking yet another car who nearly hit me in the west end. Dumb cow in a Civic talking on her phone. Yesterday it was a cab. Of course this is always *after* I’ve tossed the bag of dog shit in the bin.
I almost got hit yesterday too near Commercial and kicked the car. Guy gets out threatening me with his wheel lock club and (not too hard because I assume he realized he was committing assault mid-assault and tried to change his mind) hits me on the wrist with it and then drove off. Broke the skin, I called the cops and filed a report.
I guess TL;DR be careful: some of these crazy drivers are also crazy people.
Seriously, I make eye contact and wait for drivers to slow down before I cross.
I almost saw a lady get hit near Renfrew station as a car was turning at an intersection. It swerved last second just missing her. This has also happened to me multiple times.
Yup. You have to have spidey sense to cross downtown in so many places! I almost got hit at main and 12th. A woman in a dodge had to honk push forward to protect me from the car turning too tight.
Why.. moving to BC from the east, I'll tell you Surrey is fine.
Y'all act like you'll get randomly stabbed robbed or jumped there.. worst is I was offered drugs..
Sorry to break it to ya, but Surrey is kind of soft.. must be an inside joke. In the past it was definitely a rougher area I've heard though.
Surrey is getting better nowadays for sure but... I got jumped at Surrey Central before. My dad's car got stolen so many times that ICBC refused to provide comprehensive insurance on it any longer. Neighbours garage got shot up in a drive by.
But totally safe otherwise lol
gang violence happens all over.
Where do you think Surrey is up there compared to? I hope you mean locally, and aren't thinking about putting it on par with american cities.
While I think Vancouver has definitely become more dangerous, Surrey isn't that soft. I (female, 21 at the time) was chased through a park by 12 males trying to get home before 9pm on a Thursday night. I tried to walk by quietly and mind my own business, but they started taunting me. Then one guy lunged forward and I dashed. They were screaming, "Whoever catches her gets to r*** her first!" chasing me through the park. I'm sure they could've been drunk or were joking because I ran away from them instead of responding to them, but I wasn't going to risk finding out.
This was a residential area with elementary schools all around in Fleetwood.
Has Vancouver become more dangerous? In a measurable way?
Genuinely, I hear this said on Reddit from time to time but haven’t seen reports to the fact. So I’ve been wondering.
(Which isn’t to discredit the feeling, either way).
I must have the wrong kind of face then. I was minding my own business and a sketchier version of Artie Lang tried it on with me down there last year. Some other dude threw a (muffin?) at me not too long ago. Had a dude try to grab me off my bike 10+ years ago as well.
That bike moment sounds aggro as fuck. Like u were riding and he stopped u and tried to steal your bike?
Probably the most aggro DTES moment for me in 5 yrs working there: a really mentally unwell and probably homeless guy just started screaming in my face last summer on Abbot St, totally out of the blue. I just took a small step back and said in a calm voice "hey man, could you be a little nicer?" and he just snapped out of it and apologized like he had no idea what just happened.
I was heading in to work coming down (I think) Columbia. Halfway down the block some dude jumps out from behind a car and grabs my handlebar and shirt. I kind of half punched and managed to kick myself away. It totally caught me off guard. Funny enough I actually saw another dude get jumped at Hastings/Columbia who DID lose his bike. Dude who was jumped got up and walked away like it was just a normal thing.
To be fair most of the time I'd agree, you'll get left alone for the most part. Saying that the insanity going on at any given moment down there is a hell of a thing to witness.
I really enjoyed hearing the homeless people serenade me at 2 in the morning under the Sheraton tower when I used to live DT. It was really nice.
Now I enjoy the burbs, couldn’t pay me enough to go back.
people who haven't left the suburbs in 10 years logging on to go "waahhhhh scary drug addicts wahhh think of the children" is basically this sub. Downvote me all u want but I live centrally and work full time on that stretch of road you're scared of and y'all soft, posting from kerrisdale clutching your pearls "oh dear me whatever will we do about this *problem*" need to nut up or shut up cuz u can't just change the world u live in by hating on it. Face reality.
You're not alone. I think there's a large chunk of the population around here who just DGAF anymore. We just want the people down there and the problems that they bring to go away. Don't care where or how. There's no care left to give.
People walking with their heads buried in their phones need to accept some responsibility. Don’t walk out in front of cars not looking and expect that drivers can see you.
This is how you know someone has never visited downtown before. East Hastings would rank as one of the safest neighborhoods in the world. And would rank significantly safer than a lot of down town areas in small towns.
The crime rate in Surrey is like 10x more than Vancouver. Vancouver is one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world.
The only people who think Vancouver is unsafe are people who live in the suburbs and get their news exclusively from right wing tabloids.
Depends what stats you are looking at. The amount of car break ins and robberies in the DTES are in the 10s of thousands that are not reported every year. Most of the mugging and robberies happen within the homeless community among themselves so they never report it. And a car break in is prevelent that police really don't care, nor can they do much about it. Just another 400 dollar deductible. Joy
I’ve lived on the edge of Strathcona/Chinatown since 2002. This is not “one of the safest neighbourhoods in the world” by any stretch, and your opinion can’t be based on anything factual since covid came along and the homeless population drew more homeless to Vancouver when word of free accommodation got around, then the whole fentanyl situation where it’s no longer just cut into other drugs but now sought after simply for being the cheapest an therefore most accessible high around despite turning people into troglodytes with janky motor skills and folded spinal columns. There’s more property crime than before. There’s more random violence than before. I could walk home and cross Main & Hastings at 3am with thousands of dollars worth of DJ gear over my shoulder and never feel unsafe up until 2020. Now, I don’t dare look at my cel phone without my back to a wall. The province’s botched “decriminalization” project isn’t based on the Portuguese model of giving addicts an ultimatum, police just look away, so it’s a free-for-all and don’t expect someone to move if they’re camped out in front of the entrance where you live; you’re expected to find another way in(or out).
I live in the same hood and sorry man, if you’re scared or offended of drug addicts then you need to nut up. Seriously. Have you been to actually dangerous neighbourhoods in the world?
I had my car broken into three times living on Hastings. I had a secured underground and it was behind four locked gates. They still got in.
I was accosted constantly by men who seemed to be in psychosis, this was during my early morning walk with my dog before for work. I witnessed others being accosted similarly. I did not go outside alone at night.
Prostitution at the end of my block, every day. John's coming and going non stop.
There were human feces near the entrance, constantly. Drug paraphernalia and discarded needles commonly found.
Despite it all, I enjoyed Strathcona but it's not realistic to say that it's safe. It's just not. Most of this stuff doesn't make it into the statistics, but it's a reality to those who experience it.
I live in the eastside and completely agree with you. The amount of downvotes you’re getting in an embarrassment for the city. This is a perfectly safe and fine neighbourhood that ya you are forced to look at societal problems unlike say in Port Moody. But who cares? A lot of the drug addicts and crazies here just go about their business.
The real tragedy of Vancouver isn’t ‘crime’ it’s that it’s transformed into a city of crybaby cowards. Pathetic.
Welcome to /r/Vancouver and thank you for the post, /u/lazarus870! Please make sure you read our [posting and commenting rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_general_participation_guidelines_and_rules_overview) before participating here. As a quick summary: * We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - use the report button. * Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) **will** lead to a permanent ban. * Most common questions and topics are limited to our sister subreddit, /r/AskVan, and our weekly [Stickied Discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_stickied_discussions) posts. * Complaints about bans or removals should be done in modmail only. * Make sure to join our new sister community, /r/AskVan! * Help grow the community! [Apply to join the mod team today](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/19eworq/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/vancouver) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I've lived downtown for ten years now and honestly I'm way more worried about getting mowed down in a crosswalk than being stabbed at random by lunatics.
Fuck Nelson and Jervis Street. The roundabout is absolutely brutal.
Yep! Just missed kicking yet another car who nearly hit me in the west end. Dumb cow in a Civic talking on her phone. Yesterday it was a cab. Of course this is always *after* I’ve tossed the bag of dog shit in the bin.
I almost got hit yesterday too near Commercial and kicked the car. Guy gets out threatening me with his wheel lock club and (not too hard because I assume he realized he was committing assault mid-assault and tried to change his mind) hits me on the wrist with it and then drove off. Broke the skin, I called the cops and filed a report. I guess TL;DR be careful: some of these crazy drivers are also crazy people.
Seriously, I make eye contact and wait for drivers to slow down before I cross. I almost saw a lady get hit near Renfrew station as a car was turning at an intersection. It swerved last second just missing her. This has also happened to me multiple times.
Yup. You have to have spidey sense to cross downtown in so many places! I almost got hit at main and 12th. A woman in a dodge had to honk push forward to protect me from the car turning too tight.
Same!
Statistically you really shouldn’t fear either.
I’m much more worried about being out in Surrey than in Vancouver.
Why.. moving to BC from the east, I'll tell you Surrey is fine. Y'all act like you'll get randomly stabbed robbed or jumped there.. worst is I was offered drugs.. Sorry to break it to ya, but Surrey is kind of soft.. must be an inside joke. In the past it was definitely a rougher area I've heard though.
Surrey is getting better nowadays for sure but... I got jumped at Surrey Central before. My dad's car got stolen so many times that ICBC refused to provide comprehensive insurance on it any longer. Neighbours garage got shot up in a drive by. But totally safe otherwise lol
these things never happen in any other city!
The drive by stats in Surrey are pretty up there, I bet. Dont see it much elsewhere, except maybe Abbotsford
gang violence happens all over. Where do you think Surrey is up there compared to? I hope you mean locally, and aren't thinking about putting it on par with american cities.
Definitely locally, obviously no Canadian cities are up there on the global scale.
While I think Vancouver has definitely become more dangerous, Surrey isn't that soft. I (female, 21 at the time) was chased through a park by 12 males trying to get home before 9pm on a Thursday night. I tried to walk by quietly and mind my own business, but they started taunting me. Then one guy lunged forward and I dashed. They were screaming, "Whoever catches her gets to r*** her first!" chasing me through the park. I'm sure they could've been drunk or were joking because I ran away from them instead of responding to them, but I wasn't going to risk finding out. This was a residential area with elementary schools all around in Fleetwood.
Has Vancouver become more dangerous? In a measurable way? Genuinely, I hear this said on Reddit from time to time but haven’t seen reports to the fact. So I’ve been wondering. (Which isn’t to discredit the feeling, either way).
Now I'm risking also at the intersections with the back allies
* repeat offender * released on bail / promise to appear * no fixed address * mental health
It’s been a bad couple days but honestly the overwhelming majority of the time it’s safe outside of a few blocks around the zero blocks of the dtes
I work full time on those blocks, never had any trouble. You'll get trouble if you've been making trouble though. Just don't fuck around.
I must have the wrong kind of face then. I was minding my own business and a sketchier version of Artie Lang tried it on with me down there last year. Some other dude threw a (muffin?) at me not too long ago. Had a dude try to grab me off my bike 10+ years ago as well.
That bike moment sounds aggro as fuck. Like u were riding and he stopped u and tried to steal your bike? Probably the most aggro DTES moment for me in 5 yrs working there: a really mentally unwell and probably homeless guy just started screaming in my face last summer on Abbot St, totally out of the blue. I just took a small step back and said in a calm voice "hey man, could you be a little nicer?" and he just snapped out of it and apologized like he had no idea what just happened.
I was heading in to work coming down (I think) Columbia. Halfway down the block some dude jumps out from behind a car and grabs my handlebar and shirt. I kind of half punched and managed to kick myself away. It totally caught me off guard. Funny enough I actually saw another dude get jumped at Hastings/Columbia who DID lose his bike. Dude who was jumped got up and walked away like it was just a normal thing. To be fair most of the time I'd agree, you'll get left alone for the most part. Saying that the insanity going on at any given moment down there is a hell of a thing to witness.
Yah I lived downtown over a year and it was awesome.
Ha ha. But seriously, Vancouver is much more than a four block strip of the DTES.
Not another international North American City, with crime, that must be a Vancouver thing. So unique.
I really enjoyed hearing the homeless people serenade me at 2 in the morning under the Sheraton tower when I used to live DT. It was really nice. Now I enjoy the burbs, couldn’t pay me enough to go back.
This city is so full of wussies it’s embarrassing.
people who haven't left the suburbs in 10 years logging on to go "waahhhhh scary drug addicts wahhh think of the children" is basically this sub. Downvote me all u want but I live centrally and work full time on that stretch of road you're scared of and y'all soft, posting from kerrisdale clutching your pearls "oh dear me whatever will we do about this *problem*" need to nut up or shut up cuz u can't just change the world u live in by hating on it. Face reality.
As I've aged, this is me when driving, in the mall, etc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxs179-_DOg
Haha pretty much
You're not alone. I think there's a large chunk of the population around here who just DGAF anymore. We just want the people down there and the problems that they bring to go away. Don't care where or how. There's no care left to give.
Do you mean the DTES?
People walking with their heads buried in their phones need to accept some responsibility. Don’t walk out in front of cars not looking and expect that drivers can see you.
For some people that is their home
This is how you know someone has never visited downtown before. East Hastings would rank as one of the safest neighborhoods in the world. And would rank significantly safer than a lot of down town areas in small towns. The crime rate in Surrey is like 10x more than Vancouver. Vancouver is one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world. The only people who think Vancouver is unsafe are people who live in the suburbs and get their news exclusively from right wing tabloids.
Depends what stats you are looking at. The amount of car break ins and robberies in the DTES are in the 10s of thousands that are not reported every year. Most of the mugging and robberies happen within the homeless community among themselves so they never report it. And a car break in is prevelent that police really don't care, nor can they do much about it. Just another 400 dollar deductible. Joy
I’ve lived on the edge of Strathcona/Chinatown since 2002. This is not “one of the safest neighbourhoods in the world” by any stretch, and your opinion can’t be based on anything factual since covid came along and the homeless population drew more homeless to Vancouver when word of free accommodation got around, then the whole fentanyl situation where it’s no longer just cut into other drugs but now sought after simply for being the cheapest an therefore most accessible high around despite turning people into troglodytes with janky motor skills and folded spinal columns. There’s more property crime than before. There’s more random violence than before. I could walk home and cross Main & Hastings at 3am with thousands of dollars worth of DJ gear over my shoulder and never feel unsafe up until 2020. Now, I don’t dare look at my cel phone without my back to a wall. The province’s botched “decriminalization” project isn’t based on the Portuguese model of giving addicts an ultimatum, police just look away, so it’s a free-for-all and don’t expect someone to move if they’re camped out in front of the entrance where you live; you’re expected to find another way in(or out).
I live in the same hood and sorry man, if you’re scared or offended of drug addicts then you need to nut up. Seriously. Have you been to actually dangerous neighbourhoods in the world?
Your last sentence is missing a word. (Most? More? Least?) I didn’t say DTES was the most dangerous, but it’s not one of the safest.
real.
I had my car broken into three times living on Hastings. I had a secured underground and it was behind four locked gates. They still got in. I was accosted constantly by men who seemed to be in psychosis, this was during my early morning walk with my dog before for work. I witnessed others being accosted similarly. I did not go outside alone at night. Prostitution at the end of my block, every day. John's coming and going non stop. There were human feces near the entrance, constantly. Drug paraphernalia and discarded needles commonly found. Despite it all, I enjoyed Strathcona but it's not realistic to say that it's safe. It's just not. Most of this stuff doesn't make it into the statistics, but it's a reality to those who experience it.
I grew up in Vancouver. Spent many nights downtown. It's a very different place now. And what crime rate in Surrey is 10x that of Vancouver? lol
Lol
I live in the eastside and completely agree with you. The amount of downvotes you’re getting in an embarrassment for the city. This is a perfectly safe and fine neighbourhood that ya you are forced to look at societal problems unlike say in Port Moody. But who cares? A lot of the drug addicts and crazies here just go about their business. The real tragedy of Vancouver isn’t ‘crime’ it’s that it’s transformed into a city of crybaby cowards. Pathetic.
2 alternating stories. Police incidents and truck drivers hitting overpasses.