GainesvilleMoms.com

This just happened this morning, I just wanted to make sure all of you are aware. This is SO sad!!!

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080521/NEWS/745957...ile_Plantation_trail

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Suzy Richardson,

This is such a scary thing. It reminds me why I don't like going out alone -- nowhere is really safe.

I know what you mean. I don't live in a bad neiborhood but it is not the best either. I live in the back and my daughter's bus stop is in the front, it is a 1 mile walk. She is going into the 7th grade and I have already left for work when she leaves. Things like this just drive my CRAZY!!!!

every man, woman, and child needs to learn some kind of self-defense! I worry about my wife and daughters non-stop, and will until all of them get their black belts!

Talk about scary, I run that trail on a regular basis, I know exactly where it happened! and I usually have my son in a jogging stroller, I can't imagine how scary it would be if that happened let alone to have him with me. I guess I am running with pepper spray from now on!

quote:

Originally posted by Nathaniel Hensley:
every man, woman, and child needs to learn some kind of self-defense! I worry about my wife and daughters non-stop, and will until all of them get their black belts!

I so agree with you on this! Ironically enough, just last night I had a dream about my daughter and I taking self defense classes....I think I'm going to take this as a big sign!

Pepper spray is also an EXCELLENT idea. but no one should ever be defenseless. Especially as parents, it is our moral obligation to protect ourselves and our families. this can mean pepper spray or self defense courses, or it can mean vigilance and careful behavior. However you approach it, make sure you don't ignore it!

How disturbing! I hope the woman will recover quickly, although it will take a long time for the emotional wounds to heal.

I tend to be in the "it won't happen to me" mentality, but in reality it can happen to anyone. It's a wake-up call that I (and all other women) need to be more careful. Thankfully I recently got a treadmill, rather than jogging in our neighborhood (but that was mostly because of the loose dogs I've seen).

So, I wonder what happened with the other woman who came to this woman's aid. I wanted to know a little more about that, like did she come running up after the assault was already over. How scary! I always see lots of people out really early in the morning when it's still dark.

I think now how stupid I was running alone at night all over campus when I went to UF. I see young girls out now running alone at all times of the day and night -- I just want to pull over and tell them what a bad idea it is. Safety first for sure!

When I lived on campus, there would be girls out jogging by the woods really later, after 11 p.m. It always made me nervous for them. Anyone remember Tiffany Sessions?

Even though I carry a gun when I walk (I have a permit for it), I do not walk alone after dark or early in the morning. It's simply not wise nor is it safe. Do an Internet search on the crime stats with regard to the increased levels after dark. We all need to THINK defensively. Pepperspray, guns, self-defense are nice, but not being out alone after dark is perhaps the best way for us to stay safe. God bless the woman who was attacked. It was NOT her fault and I do hope when the man is caught, the court will not be as leinent with him as they are with other criminals (this circuit has a horrible record when it comes to lenient sentences; I've worked in the system).

The scary thing is, this man attacked her in daylight--in the morning! I live in a bad neighborhood and beg my husband to move daily (tough luck with the housing market so bad) but this just shows me that it can happpen ANYWHERE! I saw on the news today that the second woman ran up and thought the man was trying to help the injured woman and he just casually walked off. My hairdresser was attacked in the middle of the afternoon a couple weeks ago by a young black man demanding money while she was in her car picking up her son from a friend's house--he is still at large. I for one am tired of women being a target and looking over my shoulder and worring about being hugely prego and even more defenseless...sometimes being a woman really sucks!

I live on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and I jogged at 3pm for a month then just gave it up after watching a horror movie which always seems to occur in the middle of nowhere.It's so scary.I hope they catch the guy that did it,there are way to many joggers in gainesville to target.I wish they would all run in groups.

quote:

Originally posted by RaisingBoys:
I think now how stupid I was running alone at night all over campus when I went to UF. I see young girls out now running alone at all times of the day and night -- I just want to pull over and tell them what a bad idea it is. Safety first for sure!

I totally agree.

Our neighborhood is right next to Haile so we travel through their frequently. We often see women jogging or walking by themselves. Too many times there is a false sense of security and the attacker was counting on that.