Welcome to Vancouver True Crime. I have very special guest Henny and what's the name of your podcast again? It's called Pregame with Henny. Henny sent me a video of kind of unsettling video. We'll get into it. I thought it'd be great to talk to her about, you know, the current situation in Vancouver. She's a young woman, she goes out a lot, you travel a lot. So I thought you'd be able to provide perspective of the environment in Vancouver compared to places that you travel is a crime.
The same is the same kind of considerations when you go out. So. We're going to talk a little bit about the general finest safety in Vancouver. Her experiences, her testimonies of being a young woman in Vancouver and when she travels and and get into her podcast. And thank you Annie for coming on Vancouver true crime. Pleasure to have you. Thanks for having me. So I remember you sent me that video.
You were in Burnaby, right? Where I was trying to metro town, like what point area was that? Yeah. So there's kind of like. Field outside of Patterson Station. So it's just one station away from Metrotown. And yeah, I mean, I guess I decided to lay out on a hot 30 degree kind of day. And yeah, I mean I wasn't really kind of exposed or anything like that. I really had on high wasted shirts.
I had on like a crock top and I just lay out in the field, you know, play some music, you know, eat some watermelon, whatever it is and. Chill. Enjoy yourself out in the park. Yeah, I mean, it's like a rare hot day in Vancouver. I'm going to take advantage of it. So I went out for probably what it was like no more than two hours really. And someone just decided to randomly approach me.
It was in the middle of the day. It was probably like 2:00 PM And yeah, I mean, he decided to approach me and just ask if, you know, if he can massage me. He kind of stood over, you know, wanting to massage me. I mean, I was minding my own business. It was kind of a busy field. I mean, people definitely saw that someone approached me, but. I guess I didn't look like I needed help or anything like
that, which I didn't. But it was just a really uncomfortable situation to be in because he kind of stood over being, you know, asked me a couple times tries to get my attention. After the third time he asked, He kept, you know, repeating like ma'am, ma'am. And so I really turned around. I guess he needed some help or something like that, I don't know. But it's to, you know, look his way.
I guess he could massage me. I said no, forcefully, I said no. And then he just, he looks pretty disappointed, walked away. You know, kind of like strutted off. That's really weird. I mean. And then I went on to the Vancouver True Crime page. I saw that there was an incident in English today and I, you know, send the video in because I don't, I don't know if it's a related. Well, it's it's unsettling,
first of all, right? And generally speaking, right, It's like, I can't imagine, let's just say for a minute, Mark mark the creepers out and hey, ladies, want a massage, right? Yeah, I that that just saying that gives me an icky feeling, right? So yeah, if if I was saying it is icky experience, they must be worse, right? Serious. There was a serious situation. And on English Bay, a woman did get sexually assaulted and that was the precursor to the event,
a man asking for massages. And you know, she unfortunately got sexually assaulted. So I thought, you know, maybe just on the safe of caution because I didn't. I know they have made an arrest, but maybe they could identify that they put 22 together and this guy is a serial, you know what he does? So again, you know, this platform's really about community safety and informing
the public. Yeah, I thought that he did a great thing sending it to me and hopefully it may be if that I thought he says, well, maybe I shouldn't be asking random women for massages, right? So maybe it helped. Yeah. Yeah, you should be doing that. That's, that's a super creepy. Super creepy it is. That's like that's like that's up there with a guy in a van, you know, driving around parks, hey kids, I have lost a puppy or you know, like it has that same getting into that same
territory. Wouldn't you travel a lot? Right. And you're about to go on a trip to Europe. I am. Yes. In the last while, it's like, how many cities have you been to and they'll say in the last couple of years? Summer has probably been the most I've ever traveled, really. So I've been to Los Angeles twice. I went to Montreal and then I just came back from Vegas. Actually, so okay. Now the reason why I asked that because I feel that the safety
in Vancouver has declined. I've been here for a long time, or very long, right? So I've seen many, many different Vancouvers. This is the most unsafe Vancouver I remember in my long memory. So when you travel to other places, every place you have to use precaution and use, you know, use common sense, do you, how do you feel from your perspective, being out in Vancouver, being out to stay in Montreal or even Vegas?
I think the freshest memory I have right now is probably of Vegas, cuz I just came back like just a few days ago in terms of safety. I think that I felt safe in Vancouver for a while, I think after. Probably COVID. I've just noticed a kind of like a decline in safety. I don't know if it could be mental health, probably associated with, you know, Vegas, for example. I do feel safe in Vancouver to a certain extent. I don't think that it's
completely safe. I've been in situations where I just say I'm partying in Vancouver versus in Vegas. I don't think Vancouver has a good nightlife in general. I mean, Vegas has a pretty good nightlife, I would say. And yeah, I mean, like, you know, if you're invited to a table, for example, I mean there's security guards at every table kind of, you know, watching over. In Vegas or or in Vancouver? Yeah, in Vegas.
I don't find many in Vancouver, but to be fair, I just haven't really been partying in. I mean, girl, but I know. I haven't even know when you're just out and about like you know, and a lot of the violence in Vancouver has been random, like you know. And during the day at the grocery store, at the parking lot, when you're in the mall, you know, I'm just saying from the headlines like what like we're when you're talking about nightclubs specifically you
feel? That Las Vegas has a better security apparatus, so to speak, like more security guards. If if something happens, it's quicker to say, hey, I need help. So you know, like with Las Vegas, for example, you know, the tables are right beside each other. There's a security guard or like a bouncer or something like that just in every section, basically. So they're honestly right beside each other. Kind of like the process of getting into the clubs is very complex.
They really pack down, you go through all these metal detectors and whatnot. And you know, and you go like once you go into like let's say through the elevators, there's like another process where it's like, you know, they'll, they'll pat you down again, you know, just to make sure that people aren't really bringing anything in with them. It's it is the men that got, you know, patted down and all that.
A little bit of that treatment I would say, I would say like in in Vancouver, it's just kind of like, OK, quick pat down, you're good to go, you know, experienced, you know, a time at a nightclub in Vancouver a few years back. You know, you think you're having a good time. All of a sudden people start running away and you come to find out cabs in the middle of their dad's floor. So, you know. Yeah. And it's just like that where I think people, you know, I mean,
you never know. I guess you put yourself at risk going, I guess anywhere nowadays, right? But you never know what the who's carrying what or what their intentions are going to places, right? It's not just having fun, like if you're having the intent, other people are bringing knives, you know? What? I mean, yeah, yeah. I'll live there, right? So I mean, I would say there are differences I guess in the way that like you choose to engage
in nightlife, right. So I would say, I would say that makes me feel a little bit. It gives you an unsettling feeling more. Definitely, I would say. See, when I I lived downtown for 10 years and when I was in my drinky stupidity phase, I'm calling. I would get so hammered. I'm talking like just barely can stagger home. I never felt unsafe. You know, I live downtown. And you. You walk stagger home, barely could get my key in my lot.
I'd be the easiest target in the world being like 5-6 seven in the morning. Now I would never do that. You know target is the target on your back, right? So there's like a for me speaking. It just seems like violence escalates fast out of nor. Before I now you know I worked in bars. I was a bartender. I was a bouncer. I 20s. I experienced a lot of nightlife. Generally speaking shit can
happen anytime, right? But there wasn't the level of weapons and intents of go there and then F up everyone else's good time to the degree that I feel that it happens now. And basically what you're saying is that they probably should have more securities in the venues and. I think so. I mean, I think they're as much as it may be difficult for people to trust authority, you know, like I think it is necessary to.
Increase the number of police officers, let's say, or like some kind of security guards, because I feel like if people do see that there is, you know, a police officer, they might be less likely to do something. Right. Yeah. That's like when I live. When I was in New York, for example, there was a cop walking a beat on every block. So if you know it didn't have a sense of OK, you know, no one's going to cause shit.
Right. You know, it's so this simple as that, like what you're saying, right. But a one of the things I want to talk about is online dating because in my opinion, you know, predators use these apps and things like that. Even catfish, I post a lot about stuff and creeps and I get a lot of my followers, oh, this guy, he's doing this or that or he's in and I do a lot of stuff on domestic violence, right. So this is not going to be, we're not going to talk about domestic violence in this one.
However, right, we can talk about your personal safety when you're out and about when you go to nightclubs. And of course be careful of your drink and you just seem like a common sense person, you know, care for your surroundings, that
sort of thing. But a lot of these situations that I report on and I the partner that you choose or don't choose, could have a major impact in your life and if something's gonna happen to you, and in that sort of regard, it might be someone that you invited into your home, right? The the topic of online dating, in my opinion, that's sketchy than what I did it. I would say so.
I think also with, I mean, I don't know anyone really who's not on any form of, or at least on some form of social media platform, right. I think it's really important. To really get to know who you're personally, I think what works for me is because I had an incident actually with a friend who would who's very active on social media, she in real time.
So if we are in a restaurant, she will the 2nd that we sit down, it's like okay, let's take a quick video of this interior, let's take a picture and let's tag the location. So I think that that kind of taught me. I mean a lot because I don't. You never know who's out there. And have a. Confidence of you know, her posting something in real time guy who followed her was like, oh hey, I'm just across the street, let's meet up, you know.
And it's unsettling for sure. It's something that you're. I don't know. I just I think posting in real time is kind of just just, you know, it's okay to not, you know, put all your business out there. You should be mindful of what you put out there on social media. It could be a guy that you rejected online, you know, trying finally gets the opportunity to see where you're at and can show up with ill intentions. You don't know that.
Also sharing locations with with the PR very important as well, informative. You want to communicate with the people when you're leaving, when you're on the way, when you're home, you know you don't want to walk by yourself, especially at night or especially in places that aren't populated, you know. Things like that just to be mindful of. In your circle of friends, you've probably heard of horror stories and planning later on to do a series on online predators
and creepers and stuff. There was one recently. What was it? He was in Saanich. He scammed like 200 grand out of women. But he also was impersonating that. He was a caught, too. There. I posted about that one a little while ago. So yeah, they're out there. They are out there. Yeah. That's the thing. You just don't know. You know, You don't know who's really around you. Your every move you would have felt. Yeah. And they could be pretty obsessive, right?
When, you know, we talked to before we started about trolls. And I have some trolls. I won't really get into it, but but yeah, it's it's that's the creepy mindset about them because I've been doing this and long enough where I've have, you know, a few, a few of them. And it's just like move on, move on like it. But they can't. Like, it's like once they get tunnel vision, it's it's kind of, it's kind of unsettling. Let's talk about personal boundaries. That's how the conversation
started, right. We met. Through you sending me a video cuz someone was violating your personal boundaries. You wanted to go chill in the park and you know enjoy the day. It was one of the first warm days of last midspring and Mr. Creeper kind of ruined, ruined the fun right. So but just in general you know when you're out in the club and you might have a nice outfit on, you're with your pretty girlfriends that's you know, it's unfortunate it's gonna track sometimes.
Toxic male attention and you have to set your boundaries. What's some advice would you say for setting boundaries when you're out and about? I think it just goes back. I'm all for you know, wearing what you want. But with that does also come a little bit of attention. You know, whether or not you seek it, different intentions with, I mean, damn, you can wear like AT shirt and someone has like a weird intention, right? I think you know, not walking by
yourself. I think, you know surrounding yourself with. The core group of people, people that you trust. If I'm out and one of my friends isn't, I'm going to share my location with them. I will communicate with them. Hey, like I'm here. I know you can see my location, but you know, I'm going to probably head back at around this time or whatever. Just so you know, being aware of what's around your drink.
Don't leave your drink unattended for sure, you know, just just be mindful of your surroundings. It's okay to, you know, dads do your thing, but you know, be aware of your surroundings. I think that's honestly. If you're going out to a nightclub, you're surrounded by there is an increase in drugs and alcohol obviously, right. Sure. So yeah, so I think that you know, especially in Vancouver, I think that you know the pat downs aren't as right. I don't know who's coming in
with something. You hear of gang related stuff or random sabbings. You just have to be really aware of your surroundings, I think for the most part. You know, that's good. Common sense advice Okay. This is what I want to ask you. Like, this is kind of like we're back to like kind of the Vancouver situation. So since the pandemic, and this is something actually you brought it up in the last I've almost done an interview every
day for like last two weeks. And almost every single interview, regardless of the different subject, if it's domestic violence or personal safety or other stuff like narcissism, the pandemic comes up, made us crazier. I did. They locked us down. It pitted us against each other. The mask, where's a non mask where the backs and anti vaxxers, you know it could be This Is Us against them and and we've So since then do you feel like you've altered your routine?
Like does he feel like you changed the way you're out when you're out and about just personally? A little bit. I mean I think pretty mindful when I'm on the Sky Train, I guess nowadays or the buses you hear of Brandon stabbings on the bus, it helps that there is a silent alarm I guess on. I'm not sure if there's a silent alarm on the bus. I know there's one on the section like that. Yep. Yeah. I think those are really good to
keep. However, I do think that with all these, like random sabbings on the bus, like I was on a bus yesterday and I haven't been on a bus in a month, all stories coming out and yeah, you know what I'd rather Uber or I'd rather walk like. Buses are not for the faint of heart. Yeah, I'm not gonna lie.
Yeah. Yeah, but you know, I, I, I kind of think that, I mean I've been on situations where the this, there's someone just arguing with the bus driver, the port bus driver, you're, you know, kind of left to deal with it. There's no kind of security guard or anything like that. People are, you know, scared because they don't know if it'll escalate or not. And there's no kind of already on the bus, right. So they'll leave, catch the next bus. So there have been instances of
that. I kind of, yeah. Like I said, I think I'm more aware now when I take public transportation, I don't really, I can't really blast my music. Like if someone sits beside me, I'm kind of lowering my volume a little bit. I don't know what. You just have to be very, very mindful, I think nowadays. So yeah, I definitely altered that a little bit. Cuz he travel? And you probably meet people
there, right? And then if they said, hey, I'm planning to move to Vancouver, what advice would you give that person if you had that conversation when you're out and out traveling? I mean, I just tell them that there's no nightlife in Vancouver, but I mean it is like, I mean, overall I just feel safe at one point. I believe that we can get there again, honestly, if.
If if it's like, I mean I, I talk to my friends, everyone's kind of saying the same thing where it is an issue, you know, like they don't feel safe at night. They do have, you know they could be randomly been bare based, you know what I mean? And it's it's like what do you do or you know some people walk around with pocket knives like what are you going to do really it's just I feel like it's the
safety is declining for sure. There are steps that we can take as a sitting, you know just to make sure that everyone feels safe because I feel like a lot of people don't. No, no. Again, like for about a year. I kind of I started on the start. I started talking about this when it wasn't popular. People would get really mad at me or your fear mongering Okay after a machete attacks and how many bear sprays and major
incident, major incident. For example I interviewed a man to see the police officer for the the Metro Vancouver Transit Authority. She told me when you show the podcast, she's she said they used to have one. Major mental health incident a month. Now they have three to four a day, two to four a day when they used to have one like you know, someone having a drug induced psychosis or something. So this is the reality, and I said this on a few different podcasts.
We're letting a large portion of our population who need mental health, They need a mental health therapy. They need, they have mental health issues. And we're allowing like psychiatric patients really to wander around and do drugs like what can go wrong with that. So that that's that's scary because again, now when I get in there and I don't get in the confrontation with people, if I do, I was pretty good at de escalating. You know, I'm pretty, you know, I was pretty good at de
escalating situations. Now it's like there's nothing really you can really say. So it's just having hyper awareness and avoiding the situation before. It gets worse. And my advice to anybody listening, including yourself, yeah, go and have fun, but don't get really intoxicated in public because that now that's almost like I feel that could be a target to all that chicks wasted. Oh, you know you get like a pack of hyenas now if that makes sense, right?
Of course, yeah. I mean, people feed on the most vulnerable, right? Sure. Well, I appreciate you coming on and sharing your insights and stuff with me. Tell everyone about your podcasts. I'm starting my podcast soon. I'm very excited. I have already invited Mark to be one of my guests, so only people can listen in and, you know, learn more about, I guess you know what my podcast is going to be about. It's a little bit of a surprise.
I'm kind of going to fill it out at first, but I'm sure it'll get the ball rolling once. Well, it took me 10 years to start my podcast. Mine started at the most humblest beginning. I was a stay at home dad. And I was just like, I needed something to put my energy into. I was burnt out from the corporate rat race, and I started mine on an iPhone 7, on a voice, doing voice memo clips and teasing them together, and they probably sounded off.
But I prefer me though. It wasn't about having a Polish perfect, It was just doing it each one. You're going to get people that say stuff, but they're not doing it right. Anything you want to do, you just got to do it. And then. Do it a little better each time and a little better each time. And F the haters, F the trolls, they're not on your path. So it was a really pleasure talking to you, Eddie, and I
hope we can talk soon. Again, enjoy your vacation, and I'll be honored to be your guest on your podcast. Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure. Okay, you take care. Have a wonderful day. Thanks. You too. Bye, bye.