(no subject)

[vicarz]

So last night I got into a minor altercation. First, a few months ago a friend went hiking with us, and parked their car outside my house in broad daylight on a Sunday. During that day, despite the alarm, someone broke into her car and stole the stereo. She reported the event from her home, and the police misunderstood and accounted the event to her neighborhood.

Last night I was going to a party (of my boxing class loyalists), when I realized I had left the stereo faceplate inside. I left the car door open and dashed in, knowing I'd be right back out. As I returned to the car, a hisp male was cruising slowing on his bike in front of it. I turned off the light, booted up, and watched to see what he did. He leaned his bike on a silver volvo and stood there. He didn't look terribly thuggy, and I was thinking perhaps it is his car? But he just stayed over there, about 2 cars over from mine. I pulled out, but before leaving the parking lot decided I just had to make sure he wasn't going to damage cars in my neighborhood. A cab pulled up so I had to go to the far end of the parking lot, but still the guy stood there - now putting on his earpiece and hopping on his phone. He was a hisp male, about 5'7" to 5'9" 170-190 lbs at the very most, brown mini-trench leather coat, pants, and medium length black hair parted to the side. Still, his behavior was completely wrong. I spoke briefly with a neighbor who was walking her dogs, and decided I was tired of me and this creep looking at each other. I took off my seatbelt, lowered the windows, and drove back up to confront him. As I approached, before I said word one, he tore off in a series of (english) obscenities. "Fuck you motherfucker, what you looking at bitch ass mother fucker, fuck you!" and the like. I said "I don't know you, you live around here?" He said he lived at 1223 or 1323 or something like that, Quinn Street (liberally interspersed with fuckyous). I said I hadn't seen him, and that wasn't his car he was leaning his bike on. He started to approach my car threateningly, and I started grinning like a baboon. My eager face must have been visible because he backed up and went back to cussing. I let him curse, drove out of the parking lot, and he left the parking lot but stayed in the area. I honestly though about pummeling the punk, but thought if he's cruising for trouble he might have a gun or knife (now that I think about it the more likely issue would be a screwdriver).

So in a rare burst of maturity, I drove down the street and phoned the cops, and asked if they couldn't take the time to swing by and make sure the fellow wasn't up to anything bad. I'm hoping that having someone confront him, and then (if) the cops swing by the area, that this will keep him from coming back or thinking the area is an easy hit.

There is no way this guy was doing anything good. He (admittedly) doesn't live here. He was cruising slowly through the parking lot. He parked his bike on a car and was standing between cars outside his neighborhood. If his story about Quinn street was true, there is no reason whatsoever to go from that area through here. When he noticed he was being watched, he immediately exploded in threatening manner. To me, he was looking to break into cars. I'm open to other interpretations.

Not a terribly exciting story, but it was interesting to me. 1) I didn't want to judge this guy, which was just overcompensating white guilt. If a white guy acted like that I would have assumed he was a thief right away, but since he was brown I had that fear of judging. 2) I wasn't scared at all. I was downright eager to test this guy out. Sometimes I get scared of confrontations even when I'm sure I can win, easily, but for some reason the excitement incapacitates me. I get shakey and can hardly speak. This time, I was a little nervous but dead on ready and able to go. The backing down just felt rational, but overall I was so hoping for an excuse to go at it. I also didn't want to be too late for the party.

Comments

[kernelpanic.livejournal.com]

You could try talking to the Arly police about leaving one of their several "bait" cars in your neighborhood. I understand they've had pretty good luck with such things. Also, do you have a camera on your phone? Even a grainy blury icky picture will be better than just a description for the police.

[vicar.livejournal.com]

I let our Board know, and one of them is a friend to a cop who lives in our neighborhood. The info has already been shared with him, so we'll see what he thinks.

[tiana67.livejournal.com]

Glad you posted this, as I had a similar experience recently in my hood, without the altercation though.

There were 3 men drunk, tossing beer bottles after breaking through the apartment complex fence and then trespassing through my neighbors yard...you know, it was much too difficult for them to walk the half block to go AROUND the fucking fence. I was walking Max and was not going to confront 3 drunk men, so I flagged down a cop and had him go chase them down :)

I felt strange, like I was tattling, like oh no - I've become one of those. But I live in a very high crime area, and that complex is notorious for being a main residence for a drug gang. I have too much invested, I will not let my neighborhood be over run by these fuck twits. heehee.

So kudos for your vigilance. Glad you were careful and thoughtful about it as well :)

[vicar.livejournal.com]

That's a no-brainer for me...busting bottles is out of hand, and it's not assholish to stop them from vandalizing your place. Whining because they have beat up cars would suck, but when they actively damage property - fawkem.

[kelowna.livejournal.com]

Tough one...

In one way I feel that rolling sense of racism based on your judgement of his appearence. But, so closely tied into your regard to his actions/behaviour/past it is reasonable. Thing is, based on my 'back in the day' thug street trolling. Quite often such beahviour is done just to get a rise and then they can give a reaction. I'm not saying his initial intent was such, but once he caught you looking at him -- he stood his ground and, just be careful, some people will stand their ground a little more firmly without any regard to reaction or consequence.

A blind siding approach would have been driving up to him and saying : "hey how's it going? Do you know where building 1225 is? Thanks so much! I appreciate it, have a good night sir."

You would have threw him for a turn. ;)

--kelowna

[vicar.livejournal.com]

When I had long hair and looked thuggy, I got annoyed that people followed me around in stores - but I also understood that lots of kids that looked like me stole. I didn't yell or confront people for acting on a reasonable belief.

I couldn't do your approach, as our initial meeting was as I got into my car outside my house. He also saw me watching him, and it was not an ambiguous situation. Not a bad suggestion in other situations though. I often use smiles and hellos when people look 'menacing,' and it meets with generally good results.

[blindtillnow.livejournal.com]

1) stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason;

2) trust your gut instinct;

3) it's sad, but white guilt is probably a decent contributor to crime because no one wants to feel like a racist and call the cops on a non-white.

fuck it. if my gut tells me someone's up to no good, i'll listen to it.

-S

[vicar.livejournal.com]

The city paper just ran an article about how these black kids around black cat and u-street are beating people up at random - anyone that looks like a likely target. They're young, middle-school-aged, and they walk up and peg someone with a rock, then the gang joins in and has a beat down. They don't attempt to rob, just get off on victimizing.

One of the victims testified that they tried to give them benefit of the doubt because they felt so guilty, judging based on their appearance. One kid when approached noted "We live here" and the guy recoiled in guilt since he was the invading white gentrification. Reality perhaps, but violent crime is never excusable. Also, violent ghetto does have a look, and it woudl be foolish to ignore that. Non-criminals who actively seek to appear tough by dressing like criminals...well duh on how people react to them.

It was no different when I looked all scary - and I didn't take it personally.

[lightbringer23.livejournal.com]

He probably wasn't looking for any trouble involving someone hitting back, you did right.

[cweaselle.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you didn't get into an actual fight, but you came pretty close there. Hopefully you got to him enough that he leaves and never comes back.