I got several questions like this after my last post on safety tips. So I figure i'll share some more of my real life horror. But go into this with a open mind.
I've never been mugged but I've come close to it a number of times, yes. My first was before I left my hometown. It was actually pretty stupid on my part, but it was a lesson im glad I learned then and not later.
I was in a small town, out at night with a friend. We thought it would be cool to walk to the park AT NIGHT. So we did. The park was NOT well lit and the moon wasnt out. The only light came from a volleyball court where some high schoolers were playing. Needless to say it was pretty far away, maybe 60 feet off. And them screaming meant they wouldnt hear us anyway.
Well, we decided to sit in the swings which were a nice 7 feet from the street. It was pretty much empty and we were chatting and swinging. Just enjoying the peace. For awhile.
I felt watched so I kept glancing around. my friend did too. She nudged me and quietly whispered, "You see that near the tree?" A HUGE gumball tree was nearby. (I dont know the real name... Its a tree that stands like 50 feet up and drops spike covered 'seeds' that weve always called gumballs because the spikes stick them to anything nearby.) Under the tree there was 3 figures.
I was muttering fuck under my breath cause I could tell they were looking at us... With dark hoodies on and up we couldnt see their faces either. We did have one saving grace.
Dogs.
We were both dog owners. She had two with her (shepard mix and a medium sized stout terrier that belonged to her mom and I had my pit with me). I pretty much had nothing but a oversized baby that was trying to crawl in my lap to swing too.
Needless to say though, our friendly dogs werent so friendly once they saw we werent happy. The guys were starting to head towards us and we probably had no chance of out racing them to the crowd and no car nearby to duck into since we walked. My friends shepard picked up first, jumping from where she was laying and glaring at them. They stopped for a minute, pretending to look at the volleyball game and even pointing at it.
We really werent convinced. Our moods showed. All three dogs were watching them now. The Terrier who'd been sitting in my friends lap let out a playful roo. She wasnt a guard dog and had never been threatened. In fact she thought all humans were treat machines. But once they started towards us again she stopped wagging her tail. We were scared shitless and she knew that wasnt how we should feel.
But keep in mind, this was the small town everyone knew everyone. People waved and called out before getting close to you and knew your name. It wasnt exactly cold either, no reason to have a hood on if your wanting a "Friendly chat."
They were about half way towards us and the shepard starts growling. The second she started growling the terrier walked to sit next to her barking. My pit picked up next but he just stood next to me, ears back. I assumed he was just scared.
Neither of us were ready for what happened next. The guys were barely 15 feet away and all three dogs lunged, dragging us out of the swings and nearly to the ground. They were snarling, straining on their leads and showing teeth. The guys werent expecting it either and had jumped back nearly five feet.
My friend didnt miss a beat and pulled her shepard in, holding her by the collar. From that far away, they probably thought she was ready to unhook a trained guard dog. They backed off but we could see their hands in thir pockets and glancing back at us.
We watched and they got into a beat up van with no plates that had been hidden behind a old building at the park. Once they were long gone the dogs settled and so did we.
My friend didnt have a cell and mine had died so we went over to the volleyball game to ask for help.
We borrowed a cell, called her father who worked as a volunteer police officer for the area as well as a prison guard for the county. He arrived just as a patrol card did to take our statements. Apparently those guys werent new to the police. They didnt know who they were but they'd been in the area awhile.
Her dad told us that there had been atleast 12 muggings in the park in the last few months, and a missing girl from the area and a few guys in the hospital. That was why the volleyball court was lit up since the kids had called in permission for their weekly games.
Being high schoolers, we didnt exactly read the paper... So we were shocked and felt super stupid...
Scary to think, we could of ended up missing too just because we didnt know the area was being cased by muggers and who knows what else. We were stupid kids and our saving grace had been some loving dogs that neither of us ever thought would be willing to fight.
My friend still has her shepard as well as a few hound dogs. But her trouble hadnt ended there...
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