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Fear and Hoodies in Magnolia

A rash of robberies has the comfortable community on edge.

Would-be thieves who prowl around Magnolia during American Idol had better watch their backs.
crystal baal
Would-be thieves who prowl around Magnolia during American Idol had better watch their backs.

Last week, the P-I reported that there were 23 burglaries over four months in Magnolia, a pretty routine average of just more than one a week. But the well-heeled community is nonetheless nervous—and watching. According to a neighborhood Web site, sleeplessinmagnolia.ning.com, beware of Magnolia if you are a thief—or even if you're just soliciting for environmental causes, especially on American Idol night. A few excerpts (all sic) from Magnolia's mean streets:

• On 1/22, 8:30pm, we had a young white male with a green hooded sweatshirt knock on our door and ask if we would like to sign up for evironmental action support. He walks with a noticeable limp. It seemed really suspicious...I reported this to 911....

• I saw the same guy around 8:15 yesterday (1/22) on 24th as I was coming home. He was walking away from the neighbor's house after she told him to go away. He didn't come over to us, though I called 911 to report his description and location, and then promptly set my alarm as well.

• We had a young black female come to our house tonight at 8:30 asking us to sign up for some enviromental support group too! I thought it was an odd time to be ringing door bells and we were in the middle of eating pizza and watching American Idol, so I said "no thank you" and shut the door quickly. My 10 year old proceeded to turn on our alarm immediately!

• Last night 1/22/08 around 8:15 pm someone knocked on our door while we were watching American Idol. We weren't expecting anyone and didn't want to be disturbed so we didn't answer and they went away. I thought it was odd to have someone knock on our door at night time. I did not see the person. Today I get to work and my co-worker tells me about all the breakins in Magnolia....What do you think they are jotting down after the rest of you have opened up the door? Clues on how to break in?

• This is precisely why we all need to vote Republican. We need to be able to defend ourselves. The barbarians are at the gates people.

 
  • Wendell 03/16/2008 9:55:00 AM

    I see I'm a bit late to this 'party' but I felt like I had to comment on the post saying in part "OMG...This is so over the top. I've spent years living in Magnolia...and absolutely nothing happens there. Can you imagine what they'd do if they ever set foot in Rainier Beach? lol..." Well..in my younger years I spent time in Magnolia AND Rainier Beach. Graduated from Rainier Beach High School oh so many years ago. :-) I don't think the picture of Magnolians painted by this article is really the full picture!

  • Carly 03/14/2008 1:49:00 AM

    I fuck puppies till they die. :)

  • FUCK 03/14/2008 1:47:00 AM

    BUTT SEX!!!!

  • Mackenzie 03/14/2008 1:46:00 AM

    GO ELBERT!!

  • Mackenzie 03/14/2008 1:38:00 AM

    You don't need to be able to "defend yourself" against strangers knocking at your doors at night. It's reasonable to be suspicious, but if someone was breaking into your house, would you really need to shoot them, rather than calling 911? I mean, that's what the police are there for. The fact the guns are available to every citizen is the reason for all of these innocent people being killed, like the school shootings that have been happening. Sure, the people who do those kind of things are probably unstable, or just not thinking clearly, but is protection against burglars seriously worth losing all of those people?

  • Elbert 02/25/2008 9:41:00 PM

    "This is precisely why we all need to vote Republican. We need to be able to defend ourselves. The barbarians are at the gates people." We have these problems because the Republican Bush Administration has cut Federal funding of state and local law enforcement by more than $2 billion since 2001. Serious disconnect with reality by GOP Cheerleader Terry Newman.

  • Interbayer 02/07/2008 9:46:00 PM

    Someone posing as a Boy Scout came to my door. I could tell he was fake - at least he sure hadn't learned to "be prepared" for my pit bull!

  • Ben"Jammin" 02/06/2008 1:41:00 PM

    OMG...This is so over the top. I've spent years living in Magnolia...and absolutely nothing happens there. Can you imagine what they'd do if they ever set foot in Rainier Beach? lol... I had to post this on their website... [b]Suspicious activity on 2/4 on 34th Ave.[/b] There was a knock at my door when I was watching American Idol. I wasn't expecting anyone so I was suspicious... I peered onto the front porch to see two girls milling about and trying to look into the window as if to see if anyone was home. I was scared to open the door so I asked them what they wanted. They said they were looking for someone named "Cookie." I told them there was no "cookie" here. They left. They looked to be about 10 to 12 years old and were wearing some sort of "police type" uniform. I was really scared! Please keep your eyes peeled for these little thugs!

  • Terry Newman 02/01/2008 10:23:00 PM

    If you want to fix your neighborhoods make the same effort we are willing to make.

  • Big Red 02/01/2008 8:27:00 PM

    Time to set up a guard booth on the Magnolia Bridge to check ID. No blacks allowed either, unless you play for the Sonics.

  • Amused 02/01/2008 7:38:00 PM

    I love the fact that these people are posting their full names and sometimes including complete addresses, phone numbers and alarm status on a public bulletin board. You don't have to be smart to be rich!

  • Mom 02/01/2008 7:14:00 PM

    Would like to see the CD and Valley get this kind of attention. Here, someone comes to your door for contributions, they've got a gun.

  • Terry Newman 02/01/2008 6:43:00 PM

    My quote regarding the Republican voting was taken out of context. This article fails to mention any of the positive things we are doing. We are currently exploring the possiblity of starting a Seattle chapter of the Guardian Angels to patrol our streets and make them safer. I encourage other neighborhoods to consider doing likewise as crime is on the rise citywide.

  • KDS 02/01/2008 1:08:00 AM

    Has anyone thought to call the Seattle-based environmental groups who run door-to-door canvasses? They will happily tell you their canvass schedule. These include Environment Washington, Sierra Club, and Greenpeace. Get on it Mr. Anderson.

  • Magnolian 01/31/2008 5:15:00 PM

    Magnolia is south of the ship canal...but an island unto itself. Neither the P-I story or one in the Times too gave any indication of the silly panic on the white isle.

  • paul crane 01/30/2008 11:42:00 PM

    Ohh my gosh! Quick lets make this front page news, break ins, vandelism, something must be done right now!!!! Oh, it's the Central District. Never mind, it's north the great white north of the ship canal.

  • Dave 01/30/2008 10:49:00 PM

    Yes, we should all vote Republican so we get four more years of incompetent cronies doing their damndest to keep the dimwits among us in a constant state of pants-wetting quivering fear. All this while cleaning out the US Treasury to line the pockets of Republican profiteers and lobbyists. What a great country, where any idiot with an (R) after his or her name can mainline taxpayer dollars at will. Four more years indeed.

  • Sleepless 01/30/2008 10:11:00 PM

    While you've selected a few more general (and perhaps sillier) comments; you've failed to report the real issue: thefts have greatly increased, pets have been injured, thousands of dollars of damage has been done - and while this might not be your direct neighborhood (inference being it doesn't matter to me, so it's silly and I can ridicule it), it does affect Seattle as a whole. It's a serious thing and sooner or later someone will get injured - please don't make trivial peoples very real concerns.

  • Carlo 01/30/2008 7:46:00 PM

    The only "Crime" I can interpret in this article is the fact that they were putting their brains in a garbage disposal by watching American Idol. Wandering the neighborhood at night in mysterious hoodies sound so much more fun. Don't you think?

 

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