I saw you as I was walking my dog. When I looked back and saw you getting ready to break into my truck, I knew there was nothing I could do. When you are a girl and you realize that there are two guys about to rip you off, you end up succumbing to the feeling you had in grade school when the bully is stealing your lunch money and all you can do is hand it over. Everything about that situation was not right, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I’m sure you didn’t know it was my truck. I bet you were surprised when you found some snow chains, a few stinky dog toys, and some beach blankets in the box you stole out of my truck. Sometimes it sucks being a girl. I hope those chains come in handy, sport. 
I, Anonymous
Girl Powerless
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@52.
A woman who is powerless to stop two men from stealing from her truck is just as powerless to stop them from stealing her purse and/or raping her. Being in the position of feeling powerless and shutting down is the situation that must be avoided not this one particular incident. Reread my post in that light and hopefully you’ll get it.
@51, you don’t have to confront someone from 3 ft away. You ever heard of yelling?
On concealed carry, as I posted earlier it is legal as long as you have a CPL, which is quite easy to get. Unfortunately WA CPL doesn’t get much reciprocity.
@49 Situational Awareness is knowing what is going on around you and using that information to make decisions. In this case, parking in a well lit heavily used area. And walking ones dog in such an area. If there was no one around to help stop a car break in, why should you assume there would be anyone around to stop anon from being raped or mugged?
This could have been much MUCH worse, and unless Anon makes some changes to her behavior there is a distinct possibility that bad shit can happen in the future.
Why are you so defensive about people offering constructive criticism?
why is everyone being such an ass?
Fuck off. Have you never heard of the concept of choosing your battles? Enjoy that beat down you eventually bring on yourself through your abject stupidity.
Good question, olekzap. I think the woman who saw her truck being broken into did what she could under the circumstances, which was, avoid confrontation with two, count ’em, two potentially dangerous men. They didn’t get anything of value and she and her dog weren’t harmed. The situation could have turned out so much worse if she’d tried to play Super Woman.
Wow…spend a lot of time in dark secluded alleys do ya? It’s hard to think that someone could break into your truck, in Seattle, without you being an earshot away from someone…anyone! Thieves are cowardly as it is. All you would have to do is scream RAPE and they lose their shit… Before you bore us all with your victim crying, please take a self defense class and shut the fuck up!
@58 Instead of flinging insults try reading what I said. And responding to it. If she was powerless to do anything to stop two men from breaking into her car, how can she stop something worse from happening? She couldn’t call 911? Couldn’t scream for help? Couldn’t run to a nearby 24 hour grocery/restaurant and get help?
Instead she stood there watching passively while a crime was committed against her property. Unless she changes her behavior she will be just as powerless next time when someone wants to commit a crime against HER.
No one is blaming anyone here, we are just pointing out that watching and writing anonymous letters to the editor may have worked in this situation, but major behavior modifications need to be made so that next time she has more options (aka isn’t
‘powerless’), b/c next time that might not be enough.
@58 Instead of flinging insults try reading what I said. And responding to it. If she was powerless to do anything to stop two men from breaking into her car, how can she stop something worse from happening? She couldn’t call 911? Couldn’t scream for help? Couldn’t run to a nearby 24 hour grocery/restaurant and get help?
Instead she stood there watching passively while a crime was committed against her property. Unless she changes her behavior she will be just as powerless next time when someone wants to commit a crime against HER.
No one is blaming anyone here, we are just pointing out that watching and writing anonymous letters to the editor may have worked in this situation, but major behavior modifications need to be made so that next time she has more options (aka isn’t
‘powerless’), b/c next time that might not be enough.
@54:
“A woman who is powerless to stop two men from stealing from her truck is just as powerless to stop them from stealing her purse and/or raping her.”
1) When a woman is about to get raped, she has to fight to stay safe. When a woman witnesses her truck being ripped off, she can stay safe by doing nothing.
2) Are you saying that all crimes are equally difficult to stop?
“Being in the position of feeling powerless and shutting down is the situation that must be avoided.”
Sometimes this is true, sometimes it is not.
“… not this one particular incident. Reread my post in that light and hopefully you’ll get it.”
Yeah, I re-read your post @42, and this post is more than a clarification; it contains a new point. You made no attempt @42 to link fighting having your truck ripped off to fighting off a rapist. Reread your own post and hopefully you’ll get it.
@55:
“@51, you don’t have to confront someone from 3 ft away. You ever heard of yelling?”
Yes, I have heard of yelling. I have also heard of running, which men usually do faster than women. What if this guy(s) ran after her? Ever been chased by someone bigger and stronger than you who was possibly armed? You think anon should have risked this for the worthless items taken from her truck?
@55:
“@51, you don’t have to confront someone from 3 ft away. You ever heard of yelling?”
Yes, I have heard of yelling. I have also heard of running, which men usually do faster than women. What if this guy(s) ran after her? Ever been chased by someone bigger and stronger than you who was possibly armed? You think anon should have risked this for the worthless items taken from her truck?
@56:
“@49 Situational Awareness is knowing what is going on around you and using that information to make decisions.”
You have completely ignored my question about how anon having a cell phone would have helped her here (granted, the question was not originally asked of you- but you responded to it), but thanks for defining “situational awareness.”
“In this case, parking in a well lit heavily used area. And walking ones dog in such an area.”
That’s a good general policy, but not always realistic. Anyway, some people rip off vehicles at pretty brazen times and places. You are also wrongly assuming that people would intervene to help anon had she been attacked in their presence.
“If there was no one around to help stop a car break in, why should you assume there would be anyone around to stop anon from being raped or mugged?”
I’m not assuming this.
“This could have been much MUCH worse”
True. Like maybe if anon had acted in the way you and others here suggest she had.
“and unless Anon makes some changes to her behavior there is a distinct possibility that bad shit can happen in the future.”
Right. Anon will decrease the odds that bad things will happen to her in the future by unnecessarily confronting men who are committing property crimes.
“Why are you so defensive about people offering constructive criticism?”
I’m not being defensive and you are not being constructive. I am being critical and you are giving terrible advice.
I understand that:
1) Anon was passive here while being victimized;
2) You are encouraging anon to be more assertive for her own good, as you believe that an assertive person is less likely to be victimized than a passive person.
Where we differ is that:
1) I think that even an assertive person has to sometimes refrain from asserting themselves, especially where they have nothing to gain and something to lose by being assertive.
2) I think it is nearly impossible for an adult who shies away from physical danger to change into the type of person who confronts and intimidates thieves on the street, so all these “suggestions” are a thinly disguised way of rubbing anon’s nose in her lack of assertiveness.
@63 What part are you not grasping? Suggesting remedies to stop this (being powerless to stop a crime being committed against oneself or ones property, you know the title and subject of the piece) from happening is exactly what I have been talking about this whole time. Am I really going to have to lay it out for you, can’t put multiple posts together?
*sigh*
And yes, I am comparing the two. If Powerless cannot see any options when they are not in physical danger, then they are even less likely to see their options (and thus be able to act on them) when in actual physical danger. Not only would powerless’s options be more limited but the fear will make decision making even harder.
And you say sometimes?!? When will shutting down ever be a good idea? Fight or Flight is an instinct we have for a reason (even though sometimes you have suppress it! LOL). Shutting down neither allows you to deal with the problem (either through thought or action) nor get out of the dangerous area. Shutting down is pretty much a horrible course of action, and am having a hard time seeing when it would be the right thing to do.
As I have said a couple times already, one of the best things Powerless could do is be better aware of her surroundings. Both what is going on around her at the time, but also the area. Obviously she doesn’t need to park where she is parking, and even more importantly walk her dog at night there. And whereever she walks her dog at night she needs to have a plan and preferably take a buddy as well. Where are the well lit streets with high traffic? Where are the closest 24 hour groceries/restaurants? Plan a route taking these in consideration. Take a phone, take some pepperspray or even better a gun (train on how to use both). Find someone else nearby that also has a dog and walk with them.
Why are you so against all of this? Why should Powerless be less prepared to handle herself in the future, and thus more likely to be a victim… AGAIN?!?! What is your purpose here?
@65 My comment was in response to you saying that to confront them she would have to have her pistol hostered and that pulling out would be hard to do in time. I was pointing that no, actually you don’t have to be close so that on the off chance when you yell HEY ASSHOLES GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY TRUCK THE COPS ARE ON THEIR WAY they decide to charge you (really? how often does that happen) you have a decent amount of time to pull out your weapon.
@66 I don’t where you come from but here, if you dial 9-1-1 on any phone it will connect you to emergency services, including the police.
@66 I don’t where you come from but here, if you dial 9-1-1 on any phone it will connect you to emergency services, including the police.
OK, Anc, ya got me.
Anon: Sorry about your truck and stuff. It’s a pretty big shit sandwich you had to swallow, but you did the right thing.
Too much revenge fantasies running amok, Rambo.
I’m a tiny girl, and I would have beat the unholy shit out of them.
We can’t take that crap as a society, or the bullies win. Stand up for yourself. At least scream at them and chuck some rocks… they’re not going to stick around with some chick screaming and bringing attention to them.
You do not need to be a victim – your size and gender are irrelevant in a world of modern technology. Police officers just like you take down criminals just like them every day thanks to pepper spray, tasers, and firearms. Those tools are available to you as well.
@50
Not sexually intrigued by femme girl with truck/chains/dog.
Am femme girl with truck/chains/dog (see photo).
Just pointing out that the “it really sucks to be a (little helpless grade-school) girl” comment has NOTHING to do with being robbed, and EVERYTHING to do with reframing the violation as little and cute.
Anyone who has actually been violated, robbed or threatened, and felt helpless to defend themselves knows that it is not little, cute or girly.
It fucking sucks and can be humiliating.
Hence the scorn.
Three things:
— her truck, an extension of herself, was violated.
— the miscreants took about $5 worth of thrift store merchandise.
— no one knows what two miscreants, who cannot respect the sanctity of another’s truck, might do in a stressful situation.
The basic question becomes, do you want to potentially risk your life for $5 worth of thrift store merchandise? Considering you have no idea what the other two will do if challenged?
@77:
“@50 Not sexually intrigued by femme girl with truck/chains/dog. Am femme girl with truck/chains/dog (see photo).”
OK, we agree that some guys dig femme girls who have trucks/chains/dogs. You’re still not explaining how by being such a girl while not fighting thieves, anon is “sexualizing” her getting ripped off. There are plenty of guys who get turned out by helpless females, but this is independent of whether the female victims engage in any traditionally butch things, and it’s not anything that anon is responsible for.
“Just pointing out that the ‘it really sucks to be a (little helpless grade-school) girl’ comment has NOTHING to do with being robbed, and EVERYTHING to do with reframing the violation as little and cute.”
It “sucks to be a girl” getting ripped off by a guy like it sucks to be a guy getting ripped off by a guy twice your size or carrying a weapon. Being a woman does have something to do with being ripped off (side note-anon was not robbed, as robbery must entail intentional use of force or fear while knowing the victim is present). The fact that you may be hard to rip off does not change the fact that women in general are easier to rip off than men, so anon isn’t “reframing” anything; you are.
“Anyone who has actually been violated, robbed or threatened, and felt helpless to defend themselves knows that it is not little, cute or girly. It fucking sucks and can be humiliating.
Hence the scorn.”
So what’s going on, here? Are you projecting onto anon some anger you feel towards yourself for something that happened to you? It’s really not up to anon to get revenge for whatever happened to you. I’ve been robbed and I think anon did the right thing here.
@ 75:
“You do not need to be a victim – your size and gender are irrelevant in a world of modern technology. Police officers just like you take down criminals just like them every day thanks to pepper spray, tasers, and firearms. Those tools are available to you as well.”
Not everyone wants to walk around carrying weapons, and not everyone should- cops are trained professionals, unlike anon. Plus, use of deadly force to protect property is usually illegal.
“The bad men stole my chains and my beach blanket, and now I feel like a little school girl. It sucks to be a girl.”
That’s called “paraphrasing,” not “projecting.”
Recognizing that women feel victimized in ways men don’t have to worry about is somehow sexist now? I don’t get it. Should we all pretend that everyone’s color blind now, too, and that black people who talk about receiving different treatment because they’re black are just internalizing racism and that the way they feel is all in their heads?
Refusing to admit that as a 5-foot tall girl, I might be in more danger confronting a couple of dudes than a 6-foot tall guy might does not change the reality that the guy probably stands more of a chance than I of getting out of that situation unharmed because of his size and gender.
This girl did the right thing. The crazy high fuckheads running around this town? You do not confront two guys. Not by screaming at them and sure as hell not getting near them physically. I wouldn’t. I’ve had the shit kicked out of me, and it’s not worth it. To save someone’s life or from major injury, maybe, but not for a small amount of property.
A female friend of mine was driving her car on Broadway in the middle of the day, some fuckhead ran up to the car while she was at a red light and smashed in her window with a hammer and then ran away. Just because he was insane. He was running down Broadway, just smashing shit with this hammer. Fucked up shit happens and the best thing to do is stay out of it.
Seriously, how many of you fake tough guys writing in would have done anything different in this situation?
She should get into hand-to-hand combat with two dudes to protect a set of snow chains and some dog toys? Give me a break.
And why are you assuming that her dog is some kind of crazy attack dog? Most dogs aren’t that dangerous or intimidating.
@ 72, 78, 82, 83, 84:
Aaahhhhh. I was begining to worry that only poseur tough guys and delusional (as in: any woman should feel comfortable fighting any man) chics were responding here.
Your “I’m a powerless girl who cant stand up for myself” attitude is exactly what keeps women looked at as pussies. Stand up for yourself, call the cops, punch them in the face. Do something instead of this “take my things because im a powerless girl who can’t stand up to two men.” Im a woman, I am tiny as can be, and that has never stopped me from stomping a man into the ground for disrespecting me or my things. Grow up and do something for yourself to show you your not weak and you’re just as capable as any to take care of yourself.
@80 “Not everyone wants to walk around carrying weapons, and not everyone should- cops are trained professionals, unlike anon. Plus, use of deadly force to protect property is usually illegal.”
Not everyone WANTS to do alot of shit that life requires us to do. Nor does anon have to be an untrained shooter. Earlier I posted links to a class schedule at a local range. As to cops being professions… hah. Got any cop buddies? Ask them how often they go to the range when they aren’t qualing. Were anon to go every couple of weeks to ladies night she’d have more gun time than 3/4s of the force.
And I have already answered the ‘use of deadly force to protect property’ argument already. I don’t care to repeat it, so please just go back and reread our discussion.
I’m not going to carry a gun, because I will not kill someone. I wouldn’t escalate this situation.
People asked me why I didn’t kick a mugger’s ass the one time I was…because he had a knife? and I was sitting in my car while he was standing over me? and because I had exactly zero rational thoughts at that moment?! For me, flight wins out over fight.
@87:
“Not everyone WANTS to do alot of shit that life requires us to do.”
Are you saying that life requires everyone to walk around armed?
“Got any cop buddies? Ask them how often they go to the range when they aren’t qualing. Were anon to go every couple of weeks to ladies night she’d have more gun time than 3/4s of the force.”
It’s not just about practicing taking shots at an immobile inanimate object, cowboy. It’s about having the right mental profile to deal with pointing a gun at another person in a stressful and dangerous situation. Anon doesn’t seem to have that profile and I am highly skeptical that this is something which can be easily changed, as much as that may annoy or disgust all the tough people posting here.
“And I have already answered the ‘use of deadly force to protect property’ argument already. I don’t care to repeat it, so please just go back and reread our discussion.”
Yeah, I read your so-called “answer”:
“you confront them about breaking into your truck, if they decide to attack instead of run, then you shoot them.”
Your cartoonish expectations make a lot of assumptions:
1) That anon won’t just freak out and shoot the thieves before they confront her.
2) That the thieves won’t freak out and try to escape, but run near Anon to get away because the location of the truck boxes them in, leading Anon to shoot someone who is not actually a threat to her.
3) That Anon won’t legitimately use force in self-defense but still get wrongly convicted of manslaughter.
4) That the thieves won’t have their own guns and beat Anon to the draw (not directly related to the “use of deadly force to protect property argument” but still somewhat relevant).
5) That Anon won’t choke under pressure and proceed either to miss or to fail to shoot at the targets, after which they may attack her.
Or maybe it’s just my imagination that in the real, sloppy, unpredictable world of gun violence, scenarios like above five are just as prone to happen as the scenario where Anon successfully shoots the bad guys only after they turn to attack her person.
@86:
“Im a woman, I am tiny as can be, and that has never stopped me from stomping a man into the ground for disrespecting me or my things.”
Yeah, and I’m sure all the guys you stomped were bigger/stronger than you and also really trying to hurt you.
“Your ‘I’m a powerless girl who cant stand up for myself’ attitude is exactly what keeps women looked at as pussies.”
Wrong. My mom, sister and wife are all strong women. I doubt any of them would confront a sketchy guy breaking into a vehicle to steal 10 bucks worth of stuff. Would you like to know why? Because being strong is different from being stupid, as often as these two things may be confused in our society. What keeps “women looked at as ‘pussies'” is guys’ failure to acknowledge the female strength that is right in front of them. This failure will not be rectified by women getting beat up by needlessly confronting male criminals.
“Do something instead of this ‘take my things because im a powerless girl who can’t stand up to two men.'”
Jeez. Would you hold a guy up to such strong standards? What if you had a little brother who had been in Anon’s situation?
“Grow up and do something for yourself to show … you’re just as capable as any to take care of yourself.”
Taking care of yourself includes avoiding danger.
I’m sorry this happened to anyone, and I’m DOUBLY sorry that folks are blaming the person who wasn’t even bitching so much as just reporting the facts. No way would I confront someone breaking into my vehicle. I’d just call the police afterwards. It’s not worth confrontation no matter the gender or size of the one being robbed. There is small consolation in knowing someone has a crappy life and is so desperate they’d steal from anyone. When I think of the percentage of thefts due to drug abuse like meth and heroin, I blame Nancy “just blame the addict Reagan for making it very hard to get help in this country.
Yeah, because when you are a guy it sooooo easy to simply assume the action-hero pose and go deliver a beat down to two criminals whenever you need to. Right?
Dumbass. Blaming it on “tough to be a girl” when it is really just “welcome to everyone’s life except Mike Tyson.” And even Iron Mike can be shot or stabbed.
43: “And I know some tiny women who would be more than capable of handling that situation, even if it came to blows.”
No you don’t.
I have taught unarmed fighting techniques for decades. In that time, I have met precious few women who could truly fight, even if they trained very hard at it and had some fancy black belt or ring experience. And a woman who could take on two grown men in a street fight, where those men want to hurt her? I *never* met that woman.
You are mistaking watching some gal throw a spitfire temper tantrums at a party or bar, where guys sensibly backed off rather than deal with the legal hassles of showing a woman what it means to really fight. Women get a pass for acting out against men in those situations, and can expect everyone to stop (or even attack) a guy who hits or even yells back at her.
Take away the crowd and make the stakes real, and that woman will find out what a real punch delivered in anger can do to human facial bones. And women’s bones are more delicate than men’s.
“It isn’t about being a girl, you did the right thing. If a person wants to mug you, you give them the wallet. If someone is stealing from you, even if you’re a massive football player, I would say play along.”
Does this go for forcible sodomy and rape? after all, if you go along, you might well have a better chance of survival. I am of course being facetious, but it belies the flaw in the “roll over and show your belly” mindset. That same mindset, by the way, allowed terrorists to strike the very heart of America. Isn’t that enough reason to re-think it?
you should’ve queefed a beefer
Riiiiight, She TOTALLY should have taken two guys on for a fucking bath towel and snow chain.
She made the AWESOME call of not keeping expensive shit in her car, and the SMART call about not taking on two drug addicts alone. If you don’t have your life savings in the car, why should you risk your ass?
It sucks to see your shit get broken into though.