I (F/20's) used to commute to Chicago for work- sometimes walking to the train late at night by myself after a long day at work- I recognize that wasn't always 100% safe, but it was no Seattle. I had the same homeless guy that I'd smoke a cig with every day in Chicago, and the same friendly faces of those who had fallen upon misfortune that I'd say hi to every day. We would always get so excited to see each other outside of our normal meeting area, and stop to shoot the shit. I never felt the kind of fear I felt when I moved to downtown Seattle (I lived alone around 4th and Pine). I realized very quickly I needed to not acknowledge people in Seattle. It broke me coming from the midwest where you have small talk and that awkward smile with everyone you pass. I quickly bought pepper spray and eventually slept with a taser next to my bed for the first time in my life. Now that I'm out after losing my job to COVID, I'm relearning what it's like to talk to strangers again. It's weird af.

During my year living in Seattle, I was humped twice in broad daylight, offered a foot job, followed home, jacked off to in a park on my lunch break by some guy in a bush, watched my elderly neighbor cleaning up needles and human excrement from our place with tears in her eyes as I begged her to stop and frantically called the landlord, every walk to work I'd get screamed at for not acknowledging sexual advances (I eventually started working from home because I couldn't take the stress of the 15 minute walk to work), my apartment building was shot at, and the day I was packing my car to move three months ago? Guy tried to sell me heroin, then tries to break into my car 3 times as I was packing it up, then tried to get into my apartment, and asked me to take him with me on my trip and wouldn't accept no. I begged him to just leave the area so I didn't have to call the police. He didn't leave. Seattle PD laughed and asked what I wanted them to do. I didn't know- I just wanted to pack my car and get as far away as possible from Seattle. I ended up leaving my apartment a mess and packing my shit up as fast as possible (shoutout to my amazing landlord for not charging me and understanding the situation). The guy waved to me as I drove away from my former life and home. That is my final memory of Seattle.

I don't understand how that's so normalized. I'm in shock that anyone accepts that daily. I'd tell these stories to colleagues where I was literally assaulted in broad daylight in the middle of a crowded sidewalk and friends would just laugh and be like "YEP that's Seattle for ya". I'm torn daily- what is the answer? What do we do? I empathize with the horrors of addiction, but jfc I was so excited to lose my job to COVID and have a reason to leave Seattle. Good news is that I quit smoking in Seattle because I felt so incredibly unsafe smoking outside though, so there's that.

Sorry this is a long venting response comment, but it's mindboggling. I didn't realize how constantly on edge I was until I left.