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Old 04-08-2009, 08:49 PM
 
212 posts, read 477,620 times
Reputation: 346

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Is this a sign of the apocalypse in Austin? I lived in New York City in the early '90's when aggressive squeegee men terrorized motorists coming into Manhattan for work in the morning. Rudy Giuliani, the lone Republican who dared to challenge the squeegee terrorists, ended up winning two terms in an overwhelmingly Democratic city with the promise of eliminating this menace. And he did it! I've just witnessed two squeegee men doing the same thing at I35 and Airport Blvd. Folks won't even move up to the crosswalk because of their fear. Is this what Austin has become - New York City at its worst in the early '90's? Where are the mayoral and city council candidates on this issue? The outlook is bleak from my viewpoint....
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Old 04-08-2009, 09:42 PM
 
Location: Central Texas
20,958 posts, read 45,416,260 times
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I've encountered them once (at I35 and Parmer), but a simple shake of my head moved him on.
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Old 04-09-2009, 10:28 AM
 
Location: Austin
2,522 posts, read 6,038,021 times
Reputation: 707
Quote:
Originally Posted by rogramjet View Post
Is this a sign of the apocalypse in Austin? I lived in New York City in the early '90's when aggressive squeegee men terrorized motorists coming into Manhattan for work in the morning. Rudy Giuliani, the lone Republican who dared to challenge the squeegee terrorists, ended up winning two terms in an overwhelmingly Democratic city with the promise of eliminating this menace. And he did it! I've just witnessed two squeegee men doing the same thing at I35 and Airport Blvd. Folks won't even move up to the crosswalk because of their fear. Is this what Austin has become - New York City at its worst in the early '90's? Where are the mayoral and city council candidates on this issue? The outlook is bleak from my viewpoint....
This goes back to "Cheech and Chong"...or at least the album called Los Conchitos, where the bum walks up to their car in LA and says(in Chongs' classic old man voice), "Hey, how are you folks doing? Hey, what can I do for you? Can I wash your windows for you?...Cheech, "No, no, that's okay"...Bum.."no no, hold on a sec, let me wipe your window for you."..Cheech, "Hey man, that's okay..hey, get out of here...HEY!"....

And this was in 1973............Things haven't changed.....I saw a COLLEGE student, or at least a younger looking kid off Guadalupe, walk up with a squeegee at the intersection......and this was in 2007, when things were a lot better economically........just think of the "Squeegee Washer" as another species in the taxonomy that is Panhandler Austinicus..........

Give them credit..at least they are trying to perform a service......most bums seem to expect Money for Nothing, and usually get it......what happened to the good old days when you at least got a little entertainment?
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Old 04-09-2009, 10:31 AM
 
Location: 78747
3,202 posts, read 6,021,687 times
Reputation: 915
It's a North Austin thing...gawd I swear that part of town is going downhill fast!!
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Old 04-09-2009, 12:49 PM
 
Location: central Austin
7,228 posts, read 16,107,786 times
Reputation: 3915
I usually just smile and shake my head, I never have any problems. I have had squeege guys go a head and clean my window for free and I have had them play peek-a-boo with my toddler in his car seat.

I do prefer the folks who just have a sign. I tend to hand out bottles of water in the summer. I rarely ever have cash to hand out but I do meet their eyes and smile. I've never had anyone get hostile.
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