It starts out by reporting some short, balding, heavy-set guy in his 50's has been exposing himself to women walking on the W&OD trail around 2:30 p.m. Then it goes on to state, "In light of these incidents, the Loudoun Sheriff's Office reminds residents to take the following steps to protect themselves when using the paths and trails:"
They offer this bulletized list of steps to PROTECT yourself from these incidents:
- Always stay alert and be aware of surroundings...
- Don't wear headphones.
- Walk, run or bike with a partner or group.
- Let someone know when you are on the trail, your route and when you expect to return.
- Walk, run or bike when the path or trail is likely to have a higher volume of foot traffic.
- Avoid using paths or trails when it is dark outside.
- Carry a cell phone.
Anyway, sorry, I couldn't resist. The article just struck me as really odd and humorous.
I'm not saying it's okay for short, balding, heavy-set men in their 50's to go exposing themselves to women on the trail (or for anybody to expose themselves to anybody else on the trail for that matter). I'm also not trying to say that those safety tips offered by the Loudoun County Sheriff's office aren't good general rules for safety. It's just the incongruity between the crime committed and the "steps to protect themselves" from this specific crime.
I hope the ladies that were the victims of this crime weren't traumatized by it and that they find the LCSO's tips to "protect" themselves as humorous as I did.
1 comment:
Let's face it, the humor will likely make the "must do's" stand out in more minds than the same old things re-iterated. I guess there are pluses to running in the base gym family room on the treadmill! ;)
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