Editor:
I’ve read some letters to the editor recently about women in the Metrotown area getting fed up with the neighbourhood because they feel unsafe.
But it’s not just Metrotown. I live in the Highgate area that is part of Edmonds. I moved here because it’s close to SkyTrain and has a lot of shops, good restaurants, plenty of culture and a really awesome recreation centre.
The neighbourhood is also really busy and noisy and took some getting used to. What I haven’t gotten used to is how unsafe I feel walking down some of the streets, especially at night.
Kingsway is OK, I guess, although there are a lot of people wandering the streets who appear to have issues with mental illness. Others seem to be high on drugs.
Edmonds Street is much worse. I have been jostled by men who have said rude things that border on threats.
The worst area is along Arcola behind the little mall. At night, there are guys sitting around getting drunk and harassing people. This is really bad during the summer months. At least the winter weathers keeps some of the creeps inside.
The last straw came around Christmas when a man, egged on by his buddies, came onto me and started making rude and sexual comments. When I ignored him he spit on me and called me a “b***h” and made a comment about my Asian heritage (I’m Taiwanese).
I should be able to walk down a street without getting harassed or feeling unsafe. The government needs more services for people with addictions and mental illnesses.
This isn’t a matter of having more police officers, although that certainly wouldn’t hurt. Someone please do something. In the meantime, I’m looking for a new place to live in Burnaby that feels safer.
D. Yang, Burnaby
