Pretty freaked out-Tacoma woman run over in attempted kidnapping

[aronoiiel]

This totally freaks me out as this is the street I wait for the bus on and often walk. I had a white van follow me the week this happened to. Police said there wasn't much they could do about it as they didn't do anything threatening I don't walk at night ever around here and I'm always on the phone to someone when I walk the long stretch to the bus but that never guarantees anything. Just totally freaks me out.

http://tacoma.komonews.com/news/721613-tacoma-woman-run-over-attempted-kidnapping

[Kissu & Aara]

Would freak me out too. can you get some pepper spray?

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[aronoiiel]

Dunno where to get it around here I've never seen it in person really. Thinking about a small can of bug spray or something I mean anything in the eyes is gonna hurt. That and I always have my beating stick, umbrella, which the handle looks like a sword hilt so that helps lol. Freaks me out it happened the same week as the whole incident with the van though. Two different cars and more than one creeper makes for a skittish community

[Austinville]

A friend, who is a police officer, told me rather than pepper spray, get wasp spray. It can be sprayed from a longer distance away from the threat than can pepper spray.

[aronoiiel]

A friend, who is a police officer, told me rather than pepper spray, get wasp spray. It can be sprayed from a longer distance away from the threat than can pepper spray.

That's really interesting cause a comment left on the news site said the same thing. Guess I know what I'm picking up tomorrow at work. I just hope they catch this monster before someone gets killed

[Kara]

I used an alarm thing around my neck when I lived alone in the city (DC) and had to take the bus everywhere, and in some cases the lines stopped running and I had to walk almost 10 blocks alone after midnight. If I yanked on the necklace thing a piercing alarm sounded. My grandma got it for me. Now that I have lived in CA for over 10yrs she sent me pepper spray for Xmas this year, unfortunately she doesn't recall that I live in the country and commute in a car to a rich neighborhood for work, and the only work I do outside of that is in peoples homes, but Grandma wants me to be safe:)

Talking on the phone is very smart thing to do, and I wish I would have had that option back in the day. I did however walk in the side and sort of middle of the road sometimes, when having to pass by alleys and bushes along a sidewalk.

Keep your eyes open, and sending safe thoughts your way!

[Tams Teeko and Keeta]

Try not to worry too much. An alarm would be a good idea. Here we can ask the local police station and they either sell them or advise us where to go. You could look online too.

I was always told by my dad (also in the police) that it isn't a good idea to be on the phone for 2 reasons. It increases the chance that someone will jump you for your phone. And, it means you are distracted. Its much easier to sneak up on a person whose ears are occupied by phone or music etc than it is to sneak u on someone who is fully alert.

Totally understand how you feel. I worked in Faliraki for a summer and it was (typical) the summer when a lot of bad things were happening there. I had to go home at silly o clock alone so I used to either carry a corkscrew or a key. Simply palm it so the key sticks through you fingers and doesn't move when pushed. I wouldn't have thought twice about swiping someone with it.

Try to just relax and get on with your days. I got jumped by a horrid man when I 16 on a very safe cycle path at 5 o clock on a very sunny day. (i got lucky...he fell over as well and scraped his...erm...delicates...on the floor...needless to say I got to my feet faster and was out of there). I spent years looking over my shoulder and being on edge. And it just doesn't help. You end up not trusting anyone! And in this girl's case...the 'anyone' saved her life.