<p>I went to orientation yesterday and while I was in Austin I did see lots of homeless people. I'm from Houston and i've never seen so many homeless in one area, not even in downtown Houston. I've heard that some homeless men harass girls walking alone. I saw atleast 6 together on that shopping strip by Dobie center. I'm just wondering if this is a problem, especially for girls, and if I should try to be accompanied with a male when walking by.</p>
<p>I’ve never seen them come onto campus, but it’s not uncommon to see them bordering campus. They have a few favorite spots on the drag and elsewhere. It shouldn’t be too hard to avoid them.</p>
<p>You don’t need a male as long as you have pepper spray. I doubt they’d actually start following anyone, but mace or pepper spray should teach them to leave you alone.</p>
<p>I believe that they aren’t allowed on campus (this is what I’ve heard… I’m not sure if it’s true), so if you want to avoid them while walking down guadalupe, walk on the campus side of the street. This is what my girlfriend would do. And if we were together walking on the drag, she’d have me walk on the inside so they’d be closest to me. But they don’t bother me that much. The usually just ask for money… or if I’m carrying a to-go box, they ask for my food.</p>
<p>You people make it seem like they are a virus. You people should respect them.</p>
<p>bmsa91, some people don’t want to be arround homeless people because they make them feel unsafe and there have been times where Iv’e had friends (mostly females) stalked and followed around by homeless people.</p>
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<p>Are you kidding? These “drag rats” ARE a virus, a bad one at that. Many of them are perfectly capable twenty-somethings who choose their transient lifestyle and demonstrate NO respect for others’ property. My experiences with them include top-of-the-lungs, expletive-laced screaming in my face, panhandling and subsequently leaving graffiti right outside my doorstep, stealing mail from the outgoing mailbox (caught in the act!), and peeking inside cars in my complex (less than a week later, THREE got broken into, along with a residence). In addition to their disrespect for people and property, they should be arrested for animal cruelty–you think the dogs they peddle around with are healthy? </p>
<p>To the OP, there’s enough car and pedestrian traffic on Guadalupe that during all but the late nighttime hours, these homeless people shouldn’t pose a personal threat. The best thing you can do is walk with a group late at night. Violent crime may not be a problem in west campus but that doesn’t mean that some of these homeless people won’t take advantage of an opportunity. Their presence is quite rare on campus, fortunately, but their perpetual habitation of west campus is the main reason I’m counting the days until my lease ends…</p>
<p>I am not trying to be rude in saying that I want to avoid them, i’m just looking out for my own personal safety. I have no experience dealing with beggers and I don’t know how i’d act in a situation if I was a walking down the street and a homeless man was following me harassing me for food or money. I’ll carry pepperspray, no doubts about that… </p>
<p>but the whole point of this thread is about safety, not putting down others because of their misfortune (as is often the case) or personal choice. I’ve only heard that they harass girls especially, and I was only wandering if bystanders or campus police are around to help. </p>
<p>At UT, if a girl approaches a male student they don’t know to escort them down a street with homeless men, would he most likely do it?</p>
<p>I don’t remember seeing any homeless people on campus. They are across the street on Guadalupe, and plenty of them. I’ve only been bothered by one. While it was uncomfortable, it was not dangerous. But then, I’m a tall strong looking guy and people don’t tend to give me problems. </p>
<p>TMT90, as a male student on campus, I wouldn’t hesitate at all to walk a lady home or wherever. People on campus tend to be not overly friendly in an outgoing way but instead very friendly once you initiate interaction. What I mean by this is don’t expect people to offer or notice to help but if asked most will be quite helpful.</p>
<p>Yeah I noticed that nobody on campus seemed openly “approchable” other than the transfer students at orientation, because we were all just looking around lost together. But everyone looked nice enough. I think another reason I would be afraid to ask someone to walk with me, is because I don’t want to interfere with someone going to class or dinner, or wherever. And I don’t just mean because of the homeless people, but any kind of situation that might require someone else… just for the “safety in numbers” feeling.</p>
<p>If you stop to ask someone a question, they will almost always respond or polietely say they’re in a hurry.</p>
<p>Especially if it’s late, most gentlemen won’t have a problem with walking someone home–even a stranger. There are some guys who aren’t gentlemen, but most UT guys are gentlemen and would do that for a stranger. They also will hold the door open for you EVERYWHERE! Girls hardly ever have to open doors on campus.</p>
<p>I have seen homeless people on campus. </p>
<p>This guy followed me from Kinsolvng all the way to the Union when I was walking to architecture studio early in the morning. I was walking on the side where littlefield and the honors dorms are and he was shadowing me on the other-side of the street. I went on the FAC porch thing instead of my usual shortcut through that alley part behind the Union and lost him.</p>
<p>Also my friend and I were walking to Dobie to see a movie at around 7 pm and we went past Sutton Hall and this guy came out of the doorway in the front (which was really dark - we couldnt see him) and followed us until we crossed the street and ran into Dobie. Freaking scary.</p>
<p>But I have never seen them any deeper in the campus. </p>
<p>Also sometimes they are playing music on the campus side near the coop crossing.</p>
<p>Pepper spray is your friend and it /definitely/ works just dont leave it out in the sun or anything. My friend accidently set it off and lets just say I KNOW it works. </p>
<p>I second the ask people for help. I’m willing to walk someone to a building if you can’t find it if it’s not in the engineering boonies. Or at least draw you a map.</p>
<p>Wow nerd855, that is really scary… and exactly what i’m afraid of. Thats nice knowing that there are people on campus who would be willing to walk with you if needed. I’m sure this is where big muscular guy friends would come in handy… lol. But honestly I don’t plan on walking around at night unless for some reason I have to. If I walk, it will be inside campus, like going to/from the library.</p>
<p>Oh darn I didn’t mean to scare you.</p>
<p>It’s not so bad. I’ve walked from Jester to Kinsoving really late at night dozens of times and I’m still alive. Once you hit the tower/FAC area there are alot of lights. Had to walk from 24th on Lamar to Guadalupe because I was an idiot and got off the bus at 24th instead of 34th at night. </p>
<p>My friend and I sort of have this rule that if it’s late and we’re on the drag we walk on the campus side down Guadalupe. But imo there are more shady people out in the day on the drag than at night.</p>
<p>Don’t walk alone with your headphones in. My friend does this all the time and I tell her but she doesn’t listen to me. =P Also, if you’re walking alone at night hold your pepper spray as you walk, finger ready. When I didn’t have pepper spray I just held my keys. If you are scared, walk behind a group of people or near a group of people. There are students walking around all the time at night. </p>
<p>Walk the way that has the most light. I always go up that steep hill in between business and the classics library because it’s faster from Jester but it’s really really really dark. </p>
<p>And I highly doubt you would never ever walk alone at night. There’s food on the drag, movies at Dobie, events at the Union, you might watch a movie at a friends dorm, a study group might want to meet at the nat science library etc etc. I wouldn’t be scared of walking around at night, just be cautious.</p>
<p>Actually its not a bad thing to be scared. Thats how I get prepared. </p>
<p>Thanks for the tips 
And I know I would walk around at night, just hopefully not too late. </p>
<p>Its exciting yet a little frightening to be living downtown. I’ve always lived in a suburb and now i’ll be in right in the middle of downtown Austin. Its more exciting than anything else though.</p>
<p>Loneranger, I had a scary experience at UT, in the 80s! I was playing video games at the Union one night, towards the end of finals. I talked to a guy who seemed very nice. He offered to walk me back to my dorm since the campus was kind of empty. I said sure. We got about a block from the dorm, in the shadows, when he firmly put his arm around me! I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he was insistent. When he tried to kiss me, I told him I was engaged but he didn’t stop. Wow, was I scared. Thank goodness, someone walked up about that point, and he let me go. It’s weird how I was socialized to be polite - he had told me earlier he planned to go to med school, so as he walked away, I said, “Good luck in med school!” It still bothers and amazes me that I said that!</p>
<p>So, anyway, be careful if a “polite” stranger offers to walk you home, girls.</p>
<p>MTA: When I was a senior, my little sister moved into my dorm (SRD). We parked our car in the dorm parking lot. One day, late afternoon, she went out to the car, and a guy jumped out of the bushes without any pants on! He lunged at her, but she screamed and he ran off. The police interviewed my sister, but never found the guy.</p>
<p>here at cornell…some of the schools are funded by new york which means any NY resident has access to certain services…</p>
<p>the libraries which are open 24hrs have a security guard come around after 12am to check IDs…if you dont have it you will be escorted out, even if you’re really a student!</p>
<p>Very good point. Never allow yourself to be escorted by a stranger who offers - sorry, guys. The odds are in your favor for not getting a perv if you gals are the ones initiating the plea to be escorted. Be aware. Wasn’t there some sicko assaulting women on Dean Keeton not long ago? Sure, UT is large but it seems to have more than it’s fair share of crimes compared to other campuses. </p>
<p>Here’s some links for UT crimes:</p>
<p>[Austin</a> Crime Map - Showing Crime in University of Texas at Austin, TX - Crime Statistics - Crime Alerts - Crime Stops Here](<a href=“http://ucrime.com/tx/university+of+texas+at+austin]Austin”>http://ucrime.com/tx/university+of+texas+at+austin) - this shows a map of crimes on campus and scroll down to read the reports.</p>
<p>[Austin</a> Crime Map - Showing Crime in Austin, US - Crime Statistics - Crime Alerts - Crime Stops Here](<a href=“http://www.spotcrime.com/tx/austin]Austin”>Crime in Austin - Austin, TX Crime Map | SpotCrime) - from the same folks at ucrime, this one shows Austin. </p>
<p>[Campus</a> Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool Website](<a href=“http://www.ope.ed.gov/security/index.aspx]Campus”>http://www.ope.ed.gov/security/index.aspx) </p>
<p>[find</a> registered offenders](<a href=“http://www.familywatchdog.us/Search.asp]find”>Free Sex Offender Registry | Local Sex Predators | Other Types of Offenders | Family Watchdog)</p>
<p>And honestly, I wouldn’t want to be the only girl getting escorted, and would be hesitant to do it unless it were really late and/or I knew the girl already.</p>
<p>That’s just opening both parties up to a whole boatload of potential problems.</p>
<p>True, the boatload of problems work both ways.</p>
<p>Hmm, the above links used to show a short report of the incident and if it was handled by UT or APD. There were lots of lost or stolen cell phones reported and definitely don’t leave your bike unchained. There were several problems with bums bothering and hollering at people and some were even in the buildings. One scared a prof who found him digging around in a fridge in some lab or workroom… like one of the Sci or Music buildings but over in that area. Another incident was a dude kicked back watching tv.</p>
<p>98% of the homeless people in and around campus are completely harmless. Sure, they’ll bug you for change but they’re rarely nasty about it. It’s that small percentage - generally among those in their 20s - who are potentially dangerous in some manner- from being aggressive about money or worse.</p>
<p>Young women alone at night need to be cautious almost anywhere in the world - it’s not a unique problem to UT or even college life.</p>
<p>The worst time of the year is November-January because so many younger homeless types travel through Austin during the winter season. Many are from California and the Pacific NW and are heading for Florida.</p>