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Sad that they function as sacrificial lambs in the process. I guess they have to learn it's part of the growing pains of being the first wave to gentrify.
But it can help said White kids to not carry themselves in such a way that says "come and take my stuff easily". I mean some of them just get WAY too comfortable with their surroundings too quickly. I understand they don't know better and that ultimately many have to learn the hard way that just because you can be too trusting of others it doesn't mean they look at you the same way. This is precisely how you can tell they aren't suburbanites because suburbanites are afraid of the city outside of downtown and LP/Lakeview.
Maybe you don't have to get a gun. But I grew up as a small kid and most of the time the bangers didn't mess with me even though they could have easily beat me up. But I knew what areas to avoid and also I didn't carry myself in such a way that makes me look like I could be taken advantage of. When you live in the hood you learn quickly to not act like it's yours unless you run things there.
Mind your business, know you still live in someone else's neighborhood, and don't ask questions and keep walking. This won't guarantee you won't get messed with but it will at least make your chances of being ignored go up. But when these Heartland Whites come in to these hoods they pretty much act like they own the place. Just because there's new yoga studios and you know a barista in the neighborhood doesn't mean you get to act like you're in Broad Ripple Indy. If I was White and living in Humboldt or any other similar hood I would try and run my errands elsewhere and just treat my apartment as a roof over my head to sleep in. It's still too early to treat it like Lakeview.
I'd like to know... if anyone in these forums, have any stories, other than just flat out robberies.
Stories like, have these gang members ever striked up a conversation with you?
1 thing gang members are big on is setting up a situation, and using that as a conversation starter.
I'd like to know... if anyone in these forums, have any stories, other than just flat out robberies.
Stories like, have these gang members ever striked up a conversation with you?
1 thing gang members are big on is setting up a situation, and using that as a conversation starter.
I got robbed once. But I am not a transplant. I was just walking somewhere that wasn't my hood (I was in the Haitian area). They struck up a conversation with me. Told me to throw down some gang sign I never even heard of. After that they pick pocketed me. There were 4 of them against me. I told them give me back my phone. They took 40 from me. Not a big loss. But I could have avoided it by getting off at my train station and not theirs. I also could have avoided by how I carried myself. I got way too comfortable in their environment. Big mistake. I wasn't on the lookout. I just acted too normal and they could tell I wasn't from there. If I would have been more aware of my surroundings and not been so cocky I wouldn't have been in the situation in the first place. They weren't even aggressive. Heck I could have just been on the same block but I was also wearing expensive clothing. Honestly if you're White and live in the hood, I see no reason to try and be fashionable. You stick out as a target right away.
So new White kids: get off your bus. Walk straight home. Do not entertain anyone that approaches you. They're not your friends or interesting colorful locals. They know you're gullible and will test your gullibility and kind nature. And what's with the expensive clothes? You're broke. Dress like it before you become more broke.
Sad that they function as sacrificial lambs in the process. I guess they have to learn it's part of the growing pains of being the first wave to gentrify.
But it can help said White kids to not carry themselves in such a way that says "come and take my stuff easily". I mean some of them just get WAY too comfortable with their surroundings too quickly. I understand they don't know better and that ultimately many have to learn the hard way that just because you can be too trusting of others it doesn't mean they look at you the same way. This is precisely how you can tell they aren't suburbanites because suburbanites are afraid of the city outside of downtown and LP/Lakeview.
Maybe you don't have to get a gun. But I grew up as a small kid and most of the time the bangers didn't mess with me even though they could have easily beat me up. But I knew what areas to avoid and also I didn't carry myself in such a way that makes me look like I could be taken advantage of. When you live in the hood you learn quickly to not act like it's yours unless you run things there.
Mind your business, know you still live in someone else's neighborhood, and don't ask questions and keep walking. This won't guarantee you won't get messed with but it will at least make your chances of being ignored go up. But when these Heartland Whites come in to these hoods they pretty much act like they own the place. Just because there's new yoga studios and you know a barista in the neighborhood doesn't mean you get to act like you're in Broad Ripple Indy. If I was White and living in Humboldt or any other similar hood I would try and run my errands elsewhere and just treat my apartment as a roof over my head to sleep in. It's still too early to treat it like Lakeview.
You sound like you have a lot of wisdom and experience Eddie. Been around the block! But you can only imagine how sheltered some of these Millennials are. Most grew up in all white upper-middle-class areas and their PC culture has made it such that they may actually think that people in da' hood are just like them, only with less s***. It is not politically correct in the society from whence they came to acknowledge certain fundamental cultural differences, so they don't understand it until they experience it. Of course they are going to act cocky. They are away from home for the first time and have no appreciation of the dangers present.
I will give credit where it's due though. At least they're coming into some of the rougher city neighbohoods and taking the chance. That's something previous generations really didn't do. Their predecessors tended to cluster in Lincoln Park and Lakeview, with a few brave souls going out to Wicker Park/Bucktown once it got hip.
And since very few of them get killed - more of them go down in bicycle accidents then by gang violence - I don't think it's that big of a deal. It will probably do some of them some good to get knocked on their ass and learn how da' hood works in a way that they won't forget. Sheltered liberalism is killing us as a society. Anything which can curb that a little is good. IMHO.
I'll never understand the appeal of the city for these soft white kids other than that city living has become fashionable/trendy.
See above. No appreciation of the dangers and it's hip, vibrant and convenient. To them it's a gritty cooler Naperville. To you it has some severe culturally-based problems which are persistent and maddening. Which is the reality but the kids don't really see that. We have raised a very sheltered generation. Let's hope they have the perseverance to break out of it.
You sound like you have a lot of wisdom and experience Eddie. Been around the block! But you can only imagine how sheltered some of these Millennials are. Most grew up in all white upper-middle-class areas and their PC culture has made it such that they may actually think that people in da' hood are just like them, only with less s***. It is not politically correct in the society from whence they came to acknowledge certain fundamental cultural differences, so they don't understand it until they experience it. Of course they are going to act cocky. They are away from home for the first time and have no appreciation of the dangers present.
I will give credit where it's due though. At least they're coming into some of the rougher city neighbohoods and taking the chance. That's something previous generations really didn't do. Their predecessors tended to cluster in Lincoln Park and Lakeview, with a few brave souls going out to Wicker Park/Bucktown once it got hip.
And since very few of them get killed - more of them go down in bicycle accidents then by gang violence - I don't think it's that big of a deal. It will probably do some of them some good to get knocked on their ass and learn how da' hood works in a way that they won't forget. Sheltered liberalism is killing us as a society. Anything which can curb that a little is good. IMHO.
Yep, my Dad was like that.
He grew up at a Catholic environment in Joliet, b. 1938.
He has a hard time seeing people as crooks.
His last wife that he divorced, wife #6, she took out 2 credit cards in his name before they divorced (she did it on-line, so she was able to do it without his knowing).
And kept paying the minimum.
So now the banks are after him. And he has to hire a lawyer to fight all this.
She came from a family of crooks. And she's constantly been stealing his money, but yet he can't grasp that she could still have some trick up her sleeve.
You sound like you have a lot of wisdom and experience Eddie. Been around the block! But you can only imagine how sheltered some of these Millennials are. Most grew up in all white upper-middle-class areas and their PC culture has made it such that they may actually think that people in da' hood are just like them, only with less s***. It is not politically correct in the society from whence they came to acknowledge certain fundamental cultural differences, so they don't understand it until they experience it. Of course they are going to act cocky. They are away from home for the first time and have no appreciation of the dangers present.
I will give credit where it's due though. At least they're coming into some of the rougher city neighbohoods and taking the chance. That's something previous generations really didn't do. Their predecessors tended to cluster in Lincoln Park and Lakeview, with a few brave souls going out to Wicker Park/Bucktown once it got hip.
And since very few of them get killed - more of them go down in bicycle accidents then by gang violence - I don't think it's that big of a deal. It will probably do some of them some good to get knocked on their ass and learn how da' hood works in a way that they won't forget. Sheltered liberalism is killing us as a society. Anything which can curb that a little is good. IMHO.
Thanks. I am a liberal myself but I didn't really grow up like a sheltered White kid. I didn't grow up hood by any means but South Chicago is somewhat rough. And after a few bad incidents (none that were news worthy) I learned it is best to know your place in a bad area. The last thing you want to do in the hood is act overconfident or like you know the place or like it's even your own. You could grow up in the hood and a cocky attitude still gets you killed. Killers respect the hood because the hood kills the killers. But so many kids think that by virtue of living somewhere that they should have respect. No. The hood is one place where you learn quickly to pick your battles. Hint: it means pick none. Stupid hood kids get shot over the most trivial thing.
White kids should just come in to Chicago knowing to be seen but not heard. Also Latinos have a very different worldview from Blacks. Blacks can be very mistrusting of Whites but for the most part live with a fear of "don't catch a case over a White person because the justice system is stacked up against you". Latinos on the other hand do not live in fear of White people. To many of them Whites are easy targets and soft. Latino men especially look at White men as very beta male types.
Thanks. I am a liberal myself but I didn't really grow up like a sheltered White kid. I didn't grow up hood by any means but South Chicago is somewhat rough. And after a few bad incidents (none that were news worthy) I learned it is best to know your place in a bad area. The last thing you want to do in the hood is act overconfident or like you know the place or like it's even your own. You could grow up in the hood and a cocky attitude still gets you killed. Killers respect the hood because the hood kills the killers. But so many kids think that by virtue of living somewhere that they should have respect. No. The hood is one place where you learn quickly to pick your battles. Hint: it means pick none. Stupid hood kids get shot over the most trivial thing.
White kids should just come in to Chicago knowing to be seen but not heard. Also Latinos have a very different worldview from Blacks. Blacks can be very mistrusting of Whites but for the most part live with a fear of "don't catch a case over a White person because the justice system is stacked up against you". Latinos on the other hand do not live in fear of White people. To many of them Whites are easy targets and soft. Latino men especially look at White men as very beta male types.
Quite a few generalizations you've thrown together here. Attitudes like this are what makes people feel justified in being racist.
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