2008 Woodie Awards
Debunking "Tacompton"
Beth Murdock
Issue date: 2/9/07 Section: Opinion
"Like, oh-my-God-you-guys, Tacoma is so sketch." If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that sentence, all my financial aid woes would be history. It's the sort of sentiment that we like to toss into conversation to make ourselves seem like we know something of the world. We've walked these mean streets and are therefore edgy and cool. Notice my use of the word "we." I include myself in this critique. There's nothing I want more than to be considered edgy and cool, except maybe a boyfriend or a lifetime supply of yams.
Suburban, middle-class, white girls like myself are brought up to believe that urban areas like Tacoma are gritty, dangerous places filled with unsavory characters. Our society is constantly reinforcing the idea that we should view such areas with the utmost suspicion, avoiding them and their inhabitants whenever possible. At the very least, we should only venture out when equipped with some form of protection such as a man, a club, or a very large dog. My roommate used to try and convince me to carry her pepper spray with me whenever I went running down by the waterfront. I told my father about these conversations because I found them amusing, but instead of laughing, he offered to buy me some mace of my own.
I often go for walks in town by myself, occasionally on a particular errand but often just for some fresh air. On a recent sunny Saturday afternoon, I decided to walk down 6th Avenue. I had a vague notion of doing a little thrift store shopping. Along the way, I encountered, among other things: two somewhat lecherous men taking a smoke break outside of a tattoo parlor, a used condom and an angry, shouting, homeless man. Although I found it necessary to adjust my steps so as not to collide with these obstructions, I didn't feel terribly threatened by them. They certainly weren't menacing enough to dissuade me from future trips to 6th. Truth be told, I don't consider it a proper sunny-day walk if I don't get accosted or yelled at by at least one homeless person. Once, in my hometown of Atlanta, a man insisted on reading my friend and I a poem and then demanded a donation of four dollars. I gave him two.
Suburban, middle-class, white girls like myself are brought up to believe that urban areas like Tacoma are gritty, dangerous places filled with unsavory characters. Our society is constantly reinforcing the idea that we should view such areas with the utmost suspicion, avoiding them and their inhabitants whenever possible. At the very least, we should only venture out when equipped with some form of protection such as a man, a club, or a very large dog. My roommate used to try and convince me to carry her pepper spray with me whenever I went running down by the waterfront. I told my father about these conversations because I found them amusing, but instead of laughing, he offered to buy me some mace of my own.
I often go for walks in town by myself, occasionally on a particular errand but often just for some fresh air. On a recent sunny Saturday afternoon, I decided to walk down 6th Avenue. I had a vague notion of doing a little thrift store shopping. Along the way, I encountered, among other things: two somewhat lecherous men taking a smoke break outside of a tattoo parlor, a used condom and an angry, shouting, homeless man. Although I found it necessary to adjust my steps so as not to collide with these obstructions, I didn't feel terribly threatened by them. They certainly weren't menacing enough to dissuade me from future trips to 6th. Truth be told, I don't consider it a proper sunny-day walk if I don't get accosted or yelled at by at least one homeless person. Once, in my hometown of Atlanta, a man insisted on reading my friend and I a poem and then demanded a donation of four dollars. I gave him two.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
anon
posted 9/12/08 @ 11:22 PM PST
observe the crime rates at bestplaces.net...about the same between compton and tacoma...washington has one of the higher crime rates among states (but is more commonly observed farther east)
Joe La Sac
posted 10/08/08 @ 6:49 PM PST
I liked this article, Beth. Fear of Tacoma is alienating only to those who are fearful of it.
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