Sighs, as someone this has also happened to (not in Baltimore but in a really nice neighborhood in Berkeley, California) the primary lesson I drew was to never assume a group of young boys is unthreatening. Clockwork Orange was a cautionary tale, as far as I'm concerned, and 2+ boys is enough to freak me out now. As soon as I see a group approaching, I cross the street and start scanning for the nearest place I can duck into should they follow. Whenever possible I don't carry valuables while walking, but, I do try to be sure to carry cash so I don't piss them off and get shot, raped, or otherwise injured out of boredom, anger, or malice. When I was robbed at gunpoint by 15 year olds I had nothing on me and they seemed insulted by that. Carrying a 20 in an empty pocket is now a kind of reflex - better to have something to hand over than my life, just in case.

Please quit

Wait. Baltimore has tourists?

The city government itself owns roughly 10% of the vacants. The rest are privately owned, but behind all the various LLCs are a few big money institutions squatting on property for speculative reasons. Institutions with lobbying power. Like Hopkins.

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Sounds like the ground of kids that have been carjacking people at gunpoint.

I think so but I'm not sure. I know A Tribe Called Run uses the track at Poly but again I don't know the schedule there either. It's been a while since I've run down that way.

Sorry for your luck man. Welcome to Baltimore.

So sorry this happened to you, and very glad to hear you're OK. Sucks that we can't let our guards down.

Do you mind if I ask where this was?

So this is open Monday-Friday?

Kindness and politeness are signs of weakness in this town

Waverly Park https://maps.app.goo.gl/Rqj6KNz2NaXw8UqD6

>a group of children...
>
>I was passing them

Rule 1: If you see a group of kids - especially boys - you don't stay on the same sidewalk with them. Jaywalk or go into a store and pretend to look for something to buy (or just go into an open building if you can). There is safety in witnesses.

These kids know they can commit crimes, be out all hours of the day and night, and they will receive no consequences - not by the justice system, not by their parent, not by anyone. You did the right thing by not putting up any resistance. Always assume that these kids - no matter their age - are armed. Did you not hear about the guy killed by the 14yo squeegee kid?

Rule 2: Unfortunately, you can't just take a leisurely night time stroll, even if you live in the county. If you were getting off work when this occurred, start taking a Lyft or Uber home. If you just wanted to get some exercise, invest in creating a home gym (stationary bike, treadmill, elliptical, whatever you can fit inside your space). I wouldn't walk at night unless I had a dog who needed to go potty and no backyard to do it in.

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At nighttime, I don't trust anyone in this city. I'm always on alert when I walk by someone. Even during the day I don't let myself get too oblivious to my surroundings. I certainly don't smile at strangers. It's just the unfortunate necessity in a city like this. You did the right thing giving them your phone.

By the way, nobody has said this, but just take care of yourself this week. Traumatic experiences like that have a way of seeping deep into your body and even if you don't feel like you're in shock or are traumatized, you might have already internalized a lot of stress. Just go easy this week, don't put too much pressure on yourself to be your best self. Give yourself time to heal.

Nah. I’ve been robbed by teens at gunpoint and been robbed by adults at gunpoint. The kids are way scarier, they don’t always understand the consequences of their actions… and comparing both robberies, the kids were way less controlled and more aggressive.

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Clearly…….. “used to teach first grade in west Baltimore” 🤔

Yeah no. They’re very much still kids. That’s the part you need to keep in mind because children are irrational.

From the looks of it, that spot is usually booked solid. Do they take reservations?

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Fuck them kids! Your safety is paramount. These situations can easily be life or death

Spring Cafe, Tia's (the water ice place), and Jerk Taco were great additions IMO

Bummer that the North Avenue Market didn’t survive.

Station North/Old Goucher has the best nightlife in the city, IMO, for those not into the Fed/Canton/Fells scenes.