Bad vibes when walking through the city centre

[ECCOnoob]

I know what you mean about feeling vulnerable.

I doubt many of my age (early 60's) would consider visiting the city centre of an evening. Not just Sheffield....ANY city centre.

 

I honestly cant understand it. This sensitivity and seemingly culture of fear is upsetting.

 

My mum and stepfather are both well over 60. My mother has regular nights out down town with her fellow "girls" including several well known bars on west street and towards the theatres and never complaints of such vulnerability.

 

Similarly my stepfather who again is well over 60 and on a double knee replacement goes out for monthly real ale booze ups around shalesmoor, kelham island and then up into the centre for a curry and he again has never given impressions of such "vulnerability"

 

Isn't just the same anywhere. You act sensibly, don't walk down unlit passageways and if there are any signs of trouble or fighting keep out the way. That would apply anywhere from Hampshire to Merseyside.

 

To seemingly exclude one's self from an entire urban environment based on what "might" happen or what is perceived as being unsafe seems a bit extreme to say the least.

[Allen]

I honestly cant understand it. This sensitivity and seemingly culture of fear is upsetting.

 

You'll understand it when you are older.

The knowledge that you no longer have the fitness and ability to defend yourself should the situation arise is upsetting.

[*_ash_*]

I've always felt Sheffield City Centre is a dump after about 5pm. Supposedly the 5th biggest city in the country and it basically shuts down at 5.

 

I agree here. I went to Birmingham last year and found it very different to how I thought it would be. I felt happier walking around to my hotel late at night than I would here.

 

It tend to get it around the delerict places or industrial places that surround the city centre, but not every day. Typical areas include Nursery Street up to the old market, just past the train station heading out towards the ice rink, the area around Eyre Street heading down towards the Moorfoot building

 

I think (in line with the above) and places like Leeds and Manc, that it's the layout that makes the difference. Sheffield TC is quite spread out, with small pockets of busy places, unlike the others, or London.

 

I've also noticed that the students (for probably cash reasons, or because it's said that young people aren't drinking like they used to) don't go out any more in the early evening. They all order their taxis at 11pm-midnight.

[Tommo68]

I always thought we were the fourth, but that maybe just in England.

Just in England.

 

London >birmingham > Leeds = Manchester > Sheffield

 

Just in order of size some would put manchester lower in the list but take in the whole MBC thing and manchester is bigger, with a much better city centre than sheffield.

 

But there are other much smaller cities that have better centres than sheffield Norwich is a good example I'm sure there are others.

.

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[*_ash_*]

I honestly cant understand it. This sensitivity and seemingly culture of fear is upsetting.

 

Is it sensitivity though ECCO?

 

You're a logical man/woman.

 

The way I see things, in one of the last times that I went to town, I walking walking home from uni and got 3 blokes trying to mug me, the leader with a knife. After that, I drove there, and had to pay too even in the evening.

 

Neither of these things particularly encourages me to go there, especially when I have options to stay at home and buy online, or work online. I'm not afraid of going, but it just seems like a no brainer.

 

I'll give you another example, this was the last time I went to town a couple of months ago, my old housemate who now lives all over the country texted me to say he was in town for the afternoon (it was a Sunday), so I went and we went to the Surrey/Graduate (I think it is still called, opposite the Library). We ordered food and within 10 minutes were approached by a couple of Scottish blokes trying to eat our food. They said they were hungry and to be fair they looked pretty bad, so I said ok, have it*.

 

They then sat with us, asked for cigs, etc. until I had to say do you mind leaving us? - we haven't seen each other for a long time and we're chatting. What niggled me was neither even said thanks. No manners, I would have thanked someone. I just can't be bothered with all that. That ruined the afternoon, I don't like people hassling me or pestering me. Next time they (he+Mrs) will be invited to my house.

 

 

*I will add, they weren't nasty, they were quite nice chaps, but certainly heavy drug addicts

Edited March 11, 2015 by *_ash_*
added a bit for clairty

[PPC_Appeals]

I always found walking through Sheffield City centre left me with a kind of empty feeling

[stressconsul]

My partner and I are in our sixties. We go to town most Saturdays for film or theatre and a meal. I also go alone to meet friends in pubs and restaurants. Sheffield seems very safe to me.

[ECCOnoob]

You'll understand it when you are older.

The knowledge that you no longer have the fitness and ability to defend yourself should the situation arise is upsetting.

 

What are you talking about "when im older"

 

I have given you two examples of people very much OLDER than me who never have a problem with feeling safe in town. My mum and stepdad certainly would not be in a position to defend themselves but they don't feel such intense fear that they bar themselves from going into a city centre or even around Central London.

 

If society has really become so fearful because of what they perceive might happen or some knee jerk reaction to what the television manipulates into war zone city centres then frankly we have a serious problem.

 

---------- Post added 11-03-2015 at 11:39 ----------

 

Is it sensitivity though ECCO?

 

You're a logical man/woman.

 

The way I see things, in one of the last times that I went to town, I walking walking home from uni and got 3 blokes trying to mug me, the leader with a knife. After that, I drove there, and had to pay too even in the evening.

 

Neither of these things particularly encourages me to go there, especially when I have options to stay at home and buy online, or work online. I'm not afraid of going, but it just seems like a no brainer.

 

I'll give you another example, this was the last time I went to town a couple of months ago, my old housemate who now lives all over the country texted me to say he was in town for the afternoon (it was a Sunday), so I went and we went to the Surrey/Graduate (I think it is still called, opposite the Library). We ordered food and within 10 minutes were approached by a couple of Scottish blokes trying to eat our food. They said they were hungry and to be fair they looked pretty bad, so I said ok, have it*.

 

They then sat with us, asked for cigs, etc. until I had to say do you mind leaving us? - we haven't seen each other for a long time and we're chatting. What niggled me was neither even said thanks. No manners, I would have thanked someone. I just can't be bothered with all that. That ruined the afternoon, I don't like people hassling me or pestering me. Next time they (he+Mrs) will be invited to my house.

 

 

*I will add, they weren't nasty, they were quite nice chaps, but certainly heavy drug addicts

 

In view of the first part of your post, I can understand why you may feel the way you do. To have an attempted mugging with a knife is a horrible situation which would put anybody off. Thankfully these incidents are rare.

 

As for what happened in the Graduate, I do feel that this was brought on by yourself. I certainly would not have allowed anyone to pester me and I would have dismissed the (nice people but drug takers) lowlifes instantly. If they attempted anything like they did with you or carried on I would immediately called the Management to remove them. Engagement in the way you did and (perplexingly) leaving your meals to them because they looked hungry made you an easy target and allowed them to carry on.

 

Drunken idiots occur everywhere and a quick dismissal or involvment from the staff would have solved it. I would have let it ruin my afternoon nor allow it to put me off going out in any city.

 

I have never had any such experiences whist out in the city.

Edited March 11, 2015 by ECCOnoob

[smiggs]

I like wandering around Sheffield between 6pm and say 10pm, it's eerie quiet and kind of peaceful. After around midnight on a Friday and Saturday when the bars start kicking out you get a few idiots wandering around off their heads, but they're more a danger to themselves than us. You get idiots in any city centre after dark, there's nothing special about Sheffield.

[*_ash_*]

In view of the first part of your post, I can understand why you may feel the way you do. To have an attempted mugging with a knife is a horrible situation which would put anybody off. Thankfully these incidents are rare.

 

That's not necessarily the part that was bad though ECCO! It was the aftermath and dealing with the police but ultimately the CPS that caused me the grief. I wouldn't bother reporting it if there was a next time. The CPS let them all off even though the police said it was cast-iron. I'll never give any criminal defenders the chance to pull that on me again.

 

As for what happened in the Graduate, I do feel that this was brought on by yourself.

 

Yes, I thought that after.

 

I certainly would not have allowed anyone to pester me and I would have dismissed the (nice people but drug takers) lowlifes instantly. If they attempted anything like they did with you or carried on I would immediately called the Management to remove them. Engagement in the way you did and (perplexingly) leaving your meals to them because they looked hungry made you an easy target and allowed them to carry on.

 

I know what you mean, how it carried out would make it less perplexing, but I don't want to write the full story - it would be boring. It was just the incident as a whole itself that I didn't like.