31
May
Welcome To Nottingham
For those of you unaware, the city of Nottingham (Yes, as in ‘Sheriff of’, and no, you can’t see it from Hadrians Wall, thanks Mr Costner) has some issues with gunfire. Mainly there’s rather a lot of it.
Personally I think Manchester is much worse (and the gun problem, fnarr) and is indeed the only place I have ever heard an illicit gunshot. A good ten years ago now I was in a decent hotel, which however was a little close to Moss Side. Heard a bang about 10 at night and didn’t think too much of it, (real gun shots don’t sound like gun shots in the movies) and then found out the next morning that some gangster type had met his end only 3 streets away.
For my transatlantic viewers, do you spend most of the time in the states ducking flying bullets, or is it another media over-exaggeration?
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May 31st, 2007 at 3:12 pm
“[I]s it another media over-exaggeration?”
In plain American, youbetcha. And I live in Chicago and take public transportation, sometimes late at night.
Of course if it gets too late I’ll take a cab. And there are certain areas of the City into which you, me — no one — should go without an escort, preferably a local. These precautions are merely prudent and have nothing to do with “bullets flying,” although, naturally, they have to do with crime avoidance. This should not be surprising: One can get hit ‘upside the head’ in “Old Blighty” as well.
May 31st, 2007 at 3:25 pm
For sure. S London is not a place you want to visit without a bullet proof vest on. However, the occasional impression given of the US is that it’s like the wild west only minus the horses. I didn’t think it’d be the case, but it’s always interesting to hear from people on the ground.
May 31st, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Definitely the Media. I’ve never heard a random gunshot before. But I wouldn’t suggest walking around the city alone at night or anything…. actually… there were shots fired in a dorm last weekend here. or so I hear. I don’t even know the truth.
My fellow CA (community assistant) said she gave a tour to a family with a very over protective mother. The mom wanted to know what kind of security we had if a guy from, “that street over there” shot my son playing basketball. Sheesh. It just doesn’t happen like that around here.
May 31st, 2007 at 7:46 pm
I could go out on my street at night and be safe, but over in Bremerton that is another matter. All told though, we do not have bullets flying in my area. Down where our son lives in CA they have heard close gunfire and seen an arrest. It really isn’t like the wild west here in WA though. Scrape up the money for airfare and come visit!