I often tease my wife when she reminds me to lock the door, or to shut the door to the balcony, as if she expects burglars to come rappelling down from the roof, or when she calls me to come down and meet her at the Metro Station after dark. I tease her, but I do go.
We live in a safe building in a safe neighborhood in a safe city, I say. Certainly, compared to any city of the same size in the U.S., it’s true. The night time streets of Prague are filled with drunks, rampaging mobs of Italian tourists on school trips and English guys on stag nights, but actual violence is rare.
The Generally Uneventful Invalidovna Metro Station
As far as the neighborhood goes, that’s why we chose it. As soon as Helena found out she was pregnant with Sam, we left the wild streets of Zizkov and settled here, in this quiet, family oriented neighborhood.
This morning, I took Isabel to school, so we were at Invalidovna Metro station about 7:15 a.m. This afternoon, Helena called me to ask if I’d heard the news. At about 7:30 a.m., a guy got on the Metro at Invalidovna, stabbed a man in the neck, and turned and ran off. The victim is in hospital, in critical condition.
The assailant hasn’t been caught yet, but the security cameras got a pretty clear shot of his face, so I expect he will be. Kind of an ordinary looking guy. Young. Pale complected. Looked like short hair, but he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. I wonder if he is from the neighborhood, or works nearby, if he uses that station frequently. Because, if so, I’ve probably seen him hundreds of times. Just a face in the crowd.
I don’t think this means the neighborhood is changing, or that it’s less safe than I thought. I see it more as a reminder that bad stuff can happen anywhere.
Still, I won’t be so quick to laugh at my wife the next time she asks me to meet her at the Metro.
In other news, RIP Terry Pratchett. Thanks for all the books. They are unique and your legacy will last forever.
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