Starting today, the Monon Trail and other greenways in the Circle City are open 24 hours a day. For as long as I’ve jogged and biked the Monon Trail, it would close at dusk for the safety of the public. Most of these trails are not well lit, and some not at all. Now that these paths are open around the clock, you can expect to see headlines of muggings, shootings and other serious crimes increase. I by no means am hoping for that, I’m just telling you that this is a HORRIBLE idea.
A friend of mine who stands 6′ 4″, 200 pounds, was once a collegiate swimmer. I point this out because he can more than take care of himself if faced with a fight. But a few years ago, he and some friends were walking home from the bars in Broad Ripple. They took the Monon Trail because their house was less than a mile away. It was past midnight so it was plenty dark. Perfect breeding grounds for someone to be lurking in the bushes, ready to attack…and that’s just what happened. As my friend tells the story, a young man jumped out of some bushes with a handgun and immediately ordered them to hand over their wallets, watches and other valuables. Now even though my buddy is a big dude, and a couple of his friends were large enough to over power this thug, they knew better. When looking down the barrel of any gun, it’s best to comply.
So let’s fast forward to today. You decide to take an evening stroll on any of our trails after 10:00 p.m. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Crisp cool air, crickets chirping in the distance…and suddenly not one, but maybe two thugs decide to mug you, or worse, rape you. I know I wouldn’t want my wife, mother or nieces out on Indy’s trails after dark. That might sound sexist, but most women are more vulnerable than men…but I’ll include any male family members or friends, because I wouldn’t want them put in this situation. Of course IMPD says to “take the necessary steps to stay safe” . That’s pretty vague. Carrying a gun of your own seems like a necessary step in our violent city…of course with the proper permit and training. There’s an old saying, “Nothing good usually happens after 2 a.m.” Hey, I’m not a fan of big government telling us what we can and can’t do, but we are governed by laws to keep us safe. Allowing the trails and greenways to be open 24 hours a day is announcing to would be thieves and other criminals, “Hey, check out these spots for easy pickings!”.
A few years ago, my father and I were at the Indiana State Fair. It’s been our annual tradition to ride our bikes on the Monon Trail from Broad Ripple down to the fair. The afternoon turned into evening and before we knew it, it was dark out. So we hopped on our bikes and headed home. The Monon Trail was so dark we couldn’t see 15 feet in front of us. I gotta tell ya, it was a little scary. I’m not naive to the crime that takes place on a daily basis here in Indy. Daily shootings and other violence, so yea, probably not the best decision to ride our bikes back, once the sun had set. As we quickly peddled, we saw a figure walking towards us. As we got closer, we could see it was a man. What was he doing out so late?…looking for his next victim? Thankfully, he kept walking past us. But it was a lesson that my dad and I learned that day: The Monon Trail is a beautiful means of exercise and enjoying the outdoors, best enjoyed during daylight.
