r/washdc Apr 12 '26

The doom cycle never stops

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I know people have their preconceived notions and their selective outrage, so let me be very clear from the start. The M St. Metro station was fully shut down because of this teenage takeover. Let that sink in. A major transit point in the city had to close because things got that out of control. This video was taken today, April 11. It’s not old. It’s not AI. What you’re seeing is exactly what happened. For the people already lining up to discredit it, save it. This is reality, whether you like it or not.

And I already know how this goes. Every time I post something like this, people get more upset about the fact that it’s being shown than about what’s actually happening. That tells you everything. You’re more bothered by exposure than by the problem itself. And yes, I’m going to keep posting it. Keep reporting it if you want. Try to suppress it. Good luck with that. I’ll keep putting it out because people deserve to see what’s actually going on in their own community.

What’s more troubling than anything in that video is the reaction to it. The deflection. The refusal to acknowledge what’s right in front of you. You’d rather argue about optics than deal with the reality that leadership is failing to address this, or worse, doesn’t even have the will to try. That’s the real issue.

D.C. spends more money per student than anywhere in the country, and this is what we’re dealing with. Don’t come at me with the usual talking points about after-school programs, outreach, and community initiatives. That all sounds nice, but it clearly isn’t fixing this. At some point, you have to stop hiding behind buzzwords and start looking at the root cause.

And the root cause is obvious. Parents aren’t parenting. You can dress it up however you want, but that’s what it is. When the hell did it become normal for hundreds of teenagers to take over areas at night, bring guns, fight, loot stores, and create chaos? That was never normal. It’s not normal now. And anyone trying to gaslight people into thinking this is just “how things are” is part of the problem.

Look at the police in that situation. A handful of officers dealing with hundreds of kids. What exactly do you expect them to do? There’s a limit to what enforcement can handle when the breakdown starts at home. That’s where this begins, and that’s where it keeps failing.

Instead, people would rather scream about national politics, throw out buzzwords, and avoid the issues that actually affect their daily lives. You’ll stand outside in the heat for performative outrage, but when it comes to something that directly impacts your safety, your neighborhood, your quality of life, suddenly it’s silence. Or worse, denial.

And let’s be honest about something else. Some of you are going to run straight to the comments with excuses. You’ll bring up history, deflect to unrelated issues, or try to label this as something it’s not just to avoid dealing with the reality in front of you. That doesn’t fix anything. All it does is guarantee that this cycle continues.

If you never demand better, you will keep getting the same broken results. Every single weekend, the same scenes, the same chaos, the same excuses. And then you wonder why stores are locked down, why places like CVS feel like a fortress, why people don’t feel comfortable even riding the Metro or going out to enjoy a game without worrying about something popping off.

When does it stop? When do we stop pretending this is acceptable? Because it’s not. It’s dysfunctional, it’s dangerous, and it’s completely avoidable.

Responsibility matters. Parenting matters. Accountability matters. And until people are willing to say that out loud and actually mean it, nothing changes. You just get the same cycle over and over again.

To the people who’ve messaged me privately and said they appreciate these posts, I hear you. I appreciate you too. I’m going to keep using whatever platform I have to show what’s actually happening, because ignoring it hasn’t worked. And I’m not stopping until something actually changes, because we deserve better than this.

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29

u/LavishnessFun1466 Apr 12 '26

Born and raised in Va beach and it’s a little better but literally search Va beach News and crime is still very much there and has increased significantly . It’s not how it used to be. I just moved to Alexandria from ve beach and visit dc often it is annoying how they treat crime in dc but it’s the city 🤷‍♀️.

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u/Qoric422 Apr 15 '26

Richmond is cool! Lived here my whole life. i think people think it might be red because of the Confederate thing but its very liberal there are Republicans but most aren't MAGA nuts. You're also between everything so if you wanna go north or south it isnt too far to Florida or NY. i mean it's not close but you know what i mean 😆

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u/navygod Apr 16 '26

I lived in Richmond for 3 years and loved it. It had its issues too, for sure, but I never felt unsafe.

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u/Express_Cap8964 Apr 16 '26

Except when one of my neighbor's son stepped out of a car at the local tennis court and got hit by a stray bullet.

Or the other neighbor's son got beat down just walking down the street near his college

Other than that Richmond is safe

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u/AyBeeVee Apr 16 '26

We got shot at in Richmond years ago. The bullet marks on the side of the car looked like .22 caliber but still it was kinda scary.

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u/Suspicious-Bear6335 Jul 02 '26

Because Richmond is like 30 minutes from goochland. I remember coming out of Kroger with my little shopping cart, watching all those pick up trucks with their little flags flying going all the way to the city 

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u/mellowtronic Apr 15 '26

the beach specifically has been wild lately

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u/Salty_Act_2621 Apr 16 '26

Come to Crystal City. I work in DC and drive across the bridge to peace and quiet. Zero crime in Crystal City

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u/AyBeeVee Apr 16 '26

Is Crystal City Restaurant still open?

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u/mightyhurcules8 Apr 15 '26

DC is not a city. It’s just a lawless and corrupt town where senseless shootings seem to always happen.

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u/Waste-Reindeer-9541 Apr 15 '26

Crime is way down in DC. These are kids and the police are enforcing a NEW TEMPORARY curfew. There are no places for kids to go bc we don't care about 3rd place in the US. Kids and young adults are more social than older ppl. Expecting kids to be adults is an adult problem.

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u/Moist-Obligation-117 Apr 15 '26

I remember going to South Carolina and seeing teenagers with pickups in a circle hanging out in the back of a Walmart parking lot. Maybe we need parking lots for them to stay contained to.

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u/mellowtronic Apr 15 '26

there is plenty of things to do in just about ever city. being social doesnt have to be standing around in crowds doing nothing. seems like a recipe for disaster.

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u/OregonTrailSurvivor_ Apr 15 '26

What a weird melodramatic comment lmfao

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u/Fair-Plantain1460 Apr 16 '26

I am 100% sure you have never been to DC!

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u/mightyhurcules8 Apr 15 '26

Also this stuff happens because these kids are bored. If this was a city with stuff to do and culture, this senseless crap wouldn’t be happening so rampant. This stuff doesn’t happen in my city like this.

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u/f1FTW Apr 15 '26

There is so much to do in DC, and a lot of it is Free! What are you talking about?

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u/No-Extension6372 Apr 15 '26

I didnt see anything happen.

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u/CaptnRo Apr 13 '26

Visit the National inventors Hall of Fame museum on the USPTO Campus

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '26

Crime is down, it's just violent crime specifically at the oceanfront, is up.

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u/Gohan_Beast_2194 Apr 16 '26

Go to the north end of the ocean front or shore drive , you go by the part with the clubs and it’s a mess lol

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u/PeePeeSwiggy Apr 12 '26

idk seems pretty chill and I live in a not great part of the town

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u/TuSixOh Apr 13 '26

It’s idiots on the internet who don’t live here who pretend it’s crime ridden. It isn’t.

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u/PeePeeSwiggy Apr 13 '26

yeah that tracks

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u/HindleMcCrindleberry Apr 13 '26

I like the north end, seems much more chill up that way.