Posted: 3/22/2003 11:00:42 PM EDT
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I know of a school district that is cancelling, at great cost, a student group trip to Washington D.C. This cancellation is because of the war, resultant alert status, and how the students were scheduled to visit high profile places in D.C. The trip was to occur in about 3 weeks. Is D.C. safe for students and why? |
| DC is just as "safe" now as it was before the war. I think the cancelations are a conglomeration of safety issues and avoiding a travel nightmare. There are a lot of protests and such going on in DC, which would pretty much make travel as a school group a nightmare, seeing as they'd want to see the heavy hitters of the monument world. Right now, you can't even get w/in a block of the White House. |
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Quoted: .....Maybe I just live in my little sheltered Island state but Isn't DC also one of the murder capitals of the nation? Is DC still open for tourists? The gov't said that you should precede on what you normally do, but the tours thru the White House, the Capitol building, and I think the Pentagon(?) is closed until further notice. |
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Quoted: I know of a school district that is cancelling, at great cost, a student group trip to Washington D.C. This cancellation is because of the war, resultant alert status, and how the students were scheduled to visit high profile places in D.C. The trip was to occur in about 3 weeks. Is D.C. safe for students and why? I believe since the war started, many tourist spots have closed.... |
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Quoted: DC is safe if you stay in the Capitol, Mall, and White House area… There are other places in DC only a fool would go, you would be safer as an American in down town Baghdad today. You mean SE isn't safe? Say it ain't so!! There are areas that the Post office will not hand deliver mail to, you need to go to the post office to pick it up. Of course these areas are where the bad guys like to lay thier heads. |
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Really only SE is unsafe for people who are not black or very ethnic hispanic. Everywhere else in DC is safe. Don't buy in to the hype. I have lived around here all my life. I think trips are being cancelled because of the transit to get here, not because of the city they are going to. |
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No one really knows. Thus far, the anti-war protesters have been just a nuisance. In three weeks they could be much worse or (more likely) completely gone. However, don’t forget that two of the four hi-jacked airliners on 9/11 were apparently going for targets in downtown D.C. Also don’t forget that when the terrorists failed in their first attack of the WTC, they returned!! It’s naïve beyond belief to think the terrorists won’t at least try to hit D.C. again at some point in time. I also worry that the presence of the anti-war protesters may actually make it easier for them to pull something off. On the other hand, the increased police presence in the mall area probably makes it safer than ever from normal street crime, which was not much of a problem in that area anyway. From what I see on the local news, most D.C. crime continues to be black on black in traditionally high-crime neighborhoods. Anyway, IMHO, going about your business doesn’t equate to wandering around in a “condition white” stupor – the potential is there. My personal view is that some stupid class trip isn’t worth the remote but very real increased risk at the present time. FWIW |
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Quoted: Really only SE is unsafe for people who are not black or very ethnic hispanic. Everywhere else in DC is safe. Don't buy in to the hype. I have lived around here all my life. I think trips are being cancelled because of the transit to get here, not because of the city they are going to. What parts of DC do you work in? SE in general is not a nice area. Most sections of NE are equally as run down and dirty. A little slice of NW is nice, and SW is mostly business and little run down areas. Hype about DC? If you aren't in a business district, rich NW or around the mall, you'll be taking your life in your own hands. Have you ever been to parts of DC at night, you know 3 or 4 AM? How about you head down to MLK and Malcom X and see how long you last. PS. All the thugs are armed. I mean all. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Really only SE is unsafe for people who are not black or very ethnic hispanic. Everywhere else in DC is safe. Don't buy in to the hype. I have lived around here all my life. I think trips are being cancelled because of the transit to get here, not because of the city they are going to. What parts of DC do you work in? SE in general is not a nice area. Most sections of NE are equally as run down and dirty. A little slice of NW is nice, and SW is mostly business and little run down areas. Hype about DC? If you aren't in a business district, rich NW or around the mall, you'll be taking your life in your own hands. Have you ever been to parts of DC at night, you know 3 or 4 AM? How about you head down to MLK and Malcom X and see how long you last. PS. All the thugs are armed. I mean all. Would a school trip be around these areas at 3am or 4am? FWIW, my dad and I have worked in many areas in DC since 1985 doing air conditioner, restaurant equipment maintenance and refrigeration. Some places are definitely sketchy. Never had work in SE, but again how would this apply to the topic at hand? Barring them visiting Frederick Douglas' house at 2am how does this apply? Secondly, the likely spots to hit for a school tour would be the Smithsonian's, the monumnents and places like the Post Office Pavilion, Union Station, etc...all of these areas are easily traversable by foot at any time of night. I have gone to night spots in many neighborhoods that may or may not be considered dangerous. In high school THE place to buy beer was right over the WW bridge up 295 in Anacostia. I'm still here as are all our friends and all their brothers and sisters... I also had tracks meets 4 times a year right up MLK Blvd at one of the high schools there. Meets usually ended around 8pm-9pm. Heard gunshots, no big deal. I've heard gunshots every time I've travelled to NYC. BTW run down and dirty does not danger make... Avoid SE PERIOD. DC is neither any more, or less, dangerous than SF, LA, NYC, Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore, etc, etc, etc......unless of course you are: 1) Dealing or buying drugs. 2) Looking for trouble. 3) Are a police officer. 4) Out after the hours of other reasonable people. Again, how would this apply to a group of kids who would likely stay in NoVA and take daytrips to DC? |
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DC is entirely safe for gangbangers, drug-dealers, and gun-grabbing politicians. [:D] Okay, seriously. I don't know that much about DC, but I do know that there are lots of closer places to go sightseeing where there isn't any increased risk from terrorism, violent peace protesters, or ordinary street crime. |
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DC is neither any more, or less, dangerous than SF, LA, NYC, Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore, etc, etc, etc Sorry but that is flat wrong. Most places in DC outside of the government areas are not safe. Most of the areas inside the cities you listed are safe except for certain bad areas. DC is ass backwards from most cities most of it is bad areas except for certain safe areas. For example Atlanta occupies a huge area that only a small portion of which is bad. DC occupies a small area most of that small area is bad news. |
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Quoted: DC is neither any more, or less, dangerous than SF, LA, NYC, Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore, etc, etc, etc Sorry but that is flat wrong. Most places in DC outside of the government areas are not safe. Most of the areas inside the cities you listed are safe except for certain bad areas. DC is ass backwards from most cities most of it is bad areas except for certain safe areas. For example Atlanta occupies a huge area that only a small portion of which is bad. DC occupies a small area most of that small area is bad news. [bs] Maybe YOU feel scared while there....please tell us how long you lived here in DC or around DC? My mom's family has been here since the 50's, my dad got here in '74. Do you just visit or have you actually lived here? "MOST"? All of Georgetown? All of the Mall area? The areas directly adjacent to Union Station? The area in and around the Convention Center, which has GREAT ethnic food. Adams Morgan? The area right around MCI Center with several great bars. All of the waterfront area down where Spirit of Washington boards. My point is that EVERY one of the cities I listed has it's bad areas. None of this applies to a school trip, for if it did they would have NEVER scheduled any trips here in the first place now would they? Think about what has CHANGED that made them cancel the trip. Danger to air transit....possible chem attacks at major metro centers. DC will always be status quo for danger, as will Atl, B-more, SF, LA, NYC, etc, etc, etc. Think about your assanine answer before disparaging a city that has a lot of history to teach kids, that can't be taught from a textbook. [url]http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dcmap.htm[/url] Doesn't look like "MOST" to me..... |
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The business part of DC is relatively safe IMO. II work in DC and you just have to be aware. I ttook my wife and one of my daughters to the Rally yesterday at the foot of the lincoln memorial - it was a lot of fun. Here's my daughter - i smudged her face [:)] [img]http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid56/pf1052d51b7cf68edec4f867fd7f05bce/fc744c5a.jpg[/img] (hope imagestation shows pic) |
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I lived there for 30 years. Once the sun goes done, NO, DC is not safe, and that has nothing to do w/ the WAR! DC has MAJOR issues, however it has gotten slightly better since Marion(Crack head) Barry was not re-elected. As long as you stay our of S.E., and you leave before night fall you will be OK. Knock on wood, all the time I live there I never had any serious problems. Unfortunaly, I can't say that for some of my friends. I know several people, very close friends, that were held up at gun point and robbed, but lets not forget Guns are illegal in DC. Naturally the Perps were never found, shocking!!!.....Don't get me started on that topic. Hence, I now live in VT! |
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Quoted: I lived there for 30 years. Once the sun goes done, NO, DC is not safe, and that has nothing to do w/ the WAR! DC has MAJOR issues, however it has gotten slightly better since Marion(Crack head) Barry was not re-elected. As long as you stay our of S.E., and you leave before night fall you will be OK. Knock on wood, all the time I live there I never had any serious problems. Unfortunaly, I can't say that for some of my friends. I know several people, very close friends, that were held up at gun point and robbed, but lets not forget Guns are illegal in DC. Naturally the Perps were never found, shocking!!!.....Don't get me started on that topic. Hence, I now live in VT! How many school trips do you see in DC after the sun sets? [;)] They did NOT cancel a trip because the knew the sun would set. They cancelled it because of the threats to transit (planes, etc) and because DC will be a MAJOR target of attack if there is ever to be one. DC was at the same level of danger pre-9/11, it is at the same level of danger post 9/11. Because DC has SE should not preclude a school trip to see the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the National Zoo, the Lincoln Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, the White House, the Post Office Pavilion, the Smithsonian's, the Capitol, the Mall, Mt. Vernon (outside DC but a likely stop), etc, etc, etc Seeing the historical places charges kids up like nothing else....I love to see the kids enjoying their trips here. Maybe they will learn to appreciate their history and learn to respect it -- not cast it aside at the earliest conveinence. |
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As long as we are talking school trips in daylight, you should be ok. It depends on where the hotel is. Also there have been several shootings at the national zoo, the last one I recall involved 2 murders. I also am under the impression they closed the US Capitol to the regular school tours and also the White House. SE is not the only bad part of DC just the largest. There are many areas within wlaking ditance of Union Station that are plain dangerous after sundown. For that matter you can walk the wrong way for a few blocks near most tourist areas and find yourself robbed for sure or worse. It is a VERY small city size wise. It lead in murders per population for years. Someone is shot and killed almost every night. It's not an exageration. Personally I would not go into DC unarmed. You have to travel through too many shady areas. Since the brilliant leaders have essentially banned all guns there, most people are out of luck and can easily fall victim to the thugs there. |
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The DC area, like all areas has good and bad areas. The tourist ares are generally OK assuming you are visiting during the day. Heck I was at the Pentagon today (actually in Virginia) and they are still giving tours...course some of the guards now have submachine guns... |