WARNING to those who run LATE on the Chicago Lakefront path

Sad story and a reflection of our society.

This is one of the reasons I no longer run at night, instead of getting up 5 in the morning to run - there are just simply no thugs that early in the morning.

It was REALLY dicey around North Ave last night. I went through there at about 8PM, and was verbally harassed by several groups. Not the usual "run Forrest run" type of stuff...genuinely scary, hateful, racially fueled, etc. Groups of teens were literally looking for trouble....any reason to start something.

I saw that guy who took a swing at the cop, then promptly get taken down. I didnt hear about the shooting though, but wow. I thought these areas were safe in the evenings...apparently not. Is this going to last all summer, or was there some kind of event down at the beach?

People that are in gangs are ridiculously stupid and immature. If they only knew how stupid they appear.

stuck with e-Harmony.com wrote:

People that are in gangs are ridiculously stupid and immature. If they only knew how stupid they appear.

If only you knew how stupid you appear.

Cowardly punks. That's all they are, cowardly punks who travel in packs. Mayor Daley should have his cops out in force and just wail and taser the living crap out of those punks. If that was all happening on a Monday night, what will it be like on the weekend?

Here is what will really happen: Mayor Daley will deny that there is a problem and do nothing. Any reaction would be admitting that there is a problem. He is doing his best to keep people away from Chicago.

I just e-mailed the alderman and asked for specifics on what is being done about it.

They know exactly where the trouble is coming from, the question is, are they going to do anything about it?

The gang problem got much worse when Obama left the city.

Lakefront runner wrote:

I just e-mailed the alderman and asked for specifics on what is being done about it.

They know exactly where the trouble is coming from, the question is, are they going to do anything about it?

Thanks for doing that. If you wouldn't mind posting the response (assuming you get one, which of course is a BIG if) that be great.

I've lived in Chicago for 5 years now, and last night was one of the first times I've felt truly unsafe.

Wow, I ran through there last night, just before 8:00pm. It was absolutely packed last night from North Ave. to Fullerton. And yes, there were some less than appealing folks out last night. We got a few remarks last night, but nothing more than the usual stuff about the length of our shorts, our sexual preference, etc. I will be sure to be more on my guard as I often run along the lake much later in the evening during the summer. Fortunately, I often run in a group, and these clowns are much less likely to mess with an entire group, cowards that they are.

Check out the comment section in the article. The guys were baiting the cops and their girlfriends were standing there with video phones hoping to catch the cops putting a hand one of them so they can hit the ghetto lottery.

how is that path early in the morning? i will be traveling there on business next week. i'll be staying hear cermack road. is this safe for a woman at around 6am on a saturday morning?

stuck with e-Harmony.com wrote:

People that are in gangs are ridiculously stupid and immature. If they only knew how stupid they appear.

If gangbangers were worried about looking stupid and immature they wouldn't wear pants that hung down past their asses would they?

oceanspray wrote:

how is that path early in the morning? i will be traveling there on business next week. i'll be staying hear cermack road. is this safe for a woman at around 6am on a saturday morning?

Cermak? Where on Cermak?

You'll be fine in the morning. Are you kidding? The "people" who are causing the problems are sleeping it off by then.

Actually, I think their clothing is kind of interesting. Their activities, however, are not.

This is what happens when a city fails to price out the animals.

yeah but there's always public transportation

Saturday morning is probably the very best time to run on the lakefront. There will be lots of other runners and cyclists out there, and like another poster said, the idiots who are causing these problems will be sound asleep. And the weather will be better in the morning than in the afternoon as it's been extremely hot for the past few days. You should be totally fine.

oceanspray wrote:

how is that path early in the morning? i will be traveling there on business next week. i'll be staying hear cermack road. is this safe for a woman at around 6am on a saturday morning?

If you have been reading LR lately you would know that a woman should never ever run alone.

But if you do, wear a fanny pack with a snubbed nose .38 packed inside.

I had problems probably around 7. Was tempoing by Oak St beach with a group (and fell off the back a bit...I'm just starting back at it) and some ...young gentleman... stood there trying to play chicken with people who went past and was gonna put his shoulder into me... It was close enough I had my fist cocked back ready to stick him, but that probably would have wound up with me getting shot like that other dude. Fortunately when I went back through there it was with a group of 5 of us.

This POS was doing this with a group of cops probably 100 feet away.