When I worked on the transmission operations desk, it was downtown. A 24/7 operation. We changed shifts at 6 AM and 6 PM. After dark, we would often leave in pairs so as to protect one another. I was not allowed to carry a firearm there (felony if caught), but believe me, I had my pocket knife in hand as I walked to the car in the early AM hours. And head on a swivel.
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Nothing good happens after dark in any big city. Chattanooga is no exception.
Funny story. We lived in S. Florida when I was a kid because of my asthma and we moved back to TN when I started high school. When I was little we always came to Chattanooga on vacation to visit the grandparents.
We were in the car going down Broad St. one night and I was looking out the window from the back seat taking in the night sights. My dad almost stroked when I leaned out the window and screamed “Dad, look at all the pretty ladies (hookers). He yelled, “get your butt back in this car!”. LOL Even in the 60’s you saw stuff like that but I had been very sheltered. :-)