First, I am allowed to have my own thoughts and fears regarding my livelihood. While being hit by a car may be more common here than being stabbed, it doesn’t completely eradicate the possibility of being assaulted, nor does it make anyone’s fear of such less legitimate.

Second, I am scared because there have been countless random stabbings, slashings, and assaults in my neighborhood this summer. Just last month, two people were brutally stabbed in front of the deli I go to every day, and two people were slashed in front of the target two blocks away in a highly populated area in broad daylight. The EMS worker story is scary because the woman was simply doing her job and administering aid when a random person decided she needed to die. So even if these incidents are “rare,” they still occur and they should be viewed as frightening to everyone in the city.

Third, I think it is insensitive and obnoxious for you to compare your above listed scenarios when the woman who’s comment thread you responded to openly stated that someone attempted to push her into traffic. Please be more compassionate.