Les Jones: That Den of Crime, the Mall

September 22, 2006

True Crime > That Den of Crime, the Mall

Tennessee Values Authority has a different take on the unfortunate attack on Natalie Haslam at West Town Mall.

This is why nobody goes downtown anymore...er, wait...
Seriously, not to make light of Natalie's experience, but this is the kind of story that Simon usually tries real hard to keep out of the news and usually does, until someone of this stature is the victim. I recall too many conversations with people who talked about how unsafe downtown was even though crime statistics for the West Town Mall parking lot far outperformed anything that was believed to be happening in downtown.

Since the mall doesn't have graffiti, steaming sidewalks, and homeless people everyone assumes it's safe, but criminals go where victims are.

Posted by lesjones | TrackBack

Comments

Interesting. I assume that the "Simon" in question is the Simon mall chain.

That explains much. The Simon Mall in NH that I frequent has signs up proclaiming that (among other things) weapons of any type are forbidden).

Fortunately, in NH (live free or die) their sign amounts to little more than wishes...

Posted by: Jay G at September 22, 2006

When I was at UT in the early 90s, my neighbor had a job as an undercover security guard at one of the department stores there.

Would always come back with weird tales of sodomites in the bathrooms, purse snatchers in the food court, and drug dealers in the parking lot.

I've never thought it - or that neighborhood - was safe (is the Central Park still across the street??? Now, thats some good eating).

Posted by: countertop at September 22, 2006

Jay: yep, that's them, and I'm pretty sure the mall here has signs prohibiting carry. Bastards.

Top: I think the Central Park is gone. There's been a massive construction project that devoured some businesses on that side of Kingston Pike.

Posted by: Les Jones at September 22, 2006

Les,

I heard the perfect expression to cover that: You can get out of jail. You can't get out of the morgue.

Fortunately, in NH (or MA for that matter), all that sign means is that if, for whatever reason, they noticed I had a gun, they could ask me to leave the premises. They can't have me arrested unless I refuse to comply.

And the only way they're going to notice I have a gun is if I am forced to defend myself, in which case the last thing in the world I'm going to give a hairy rat's patoot about is the Simon fucking mall...

Posted by: Jay G at September 22, 2006