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posted 11/23/09 03:41 PM | updated 11/24/09 09:34 AM
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Today's Mugger Prefers the Pickings at a Bus Stop

By Michael van Baker
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There is a downside to the King County Council restoring all our bus service: It may mean more muggings. Seattle Crime says robberies are up 19 percent in Seattle, and I have noticed a remarkable amount is occurring at bus stops all over the city. [UPDATE: A bus stop mugging occurred the day I posted this.]

Just recently, a babysitter was mugged waiting for the bus in the Central District, a man was robbed at gunpoint at a Greenwood bus stop, and a man was jumped at Third and Pike downtown. That's all in the last month or so. Earlier than that, and you get bus stop crime on Lake City Way and Roosevelt.

That's about five minutes' worth of looking--I didn't have to dig much harder than typing "bus stop," "mugging," and "Seattle" into the search box. While some people have been mugged by someone walking up behind them, the man in Greenwood was held up by people in a passing car.

The only lesson I can draw from this is that if you're alone at a bus stop at night, no matter where you are, you're a sitting duck. Keep the whistle and mace handy, and don't flash your iPod or cell phone. These seem to attract the wrong kind of attention. Last but not least, use OneBusAway to keep your waiting time to a minimum.

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