I had the weirdest experience in East Liberty today... (Pittsburgh: best neighborhood, safe)

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by guy2073

I don't think I would have handled it as well as you did. Either him or I would be explaining to a doctor how such a large phone could fit into a small hole.

Sounds kinky.

[norcider]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Sounds kinky.

Unless it's the belly button...

[Blue Shift]

Speak for yourself man, belly buttons are the height of kink.

[pittsburghaccuweather]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Just wanted to share this, because it was so odd.

Since the weather was nice in the afternoon, and I picked up my son early from day care due to a holiday concert, I decided to take the P1 home, stop off a few places in East Liberty, and walk the 30 minutes or so back to my house with my son.

Walking up North Highland Avenue, I passed by this guy. He was a young, relatively normal seeming black guy, with the exception of having a large number of face tattoos. He was smoking a cigarette and fooling around on his phone.

Right after he passed us, he turned around and began following us and filming me. I mean, not just from a distance, like walking only three feet behind me for two blocks. A couple times he walked around me too, making sure to constantly face his phone camera towards me. He had a neutral expression and said nothing during this whole thing.

This started to make me a bit nervous. Not that I thought he was going to rob me or anything - other people were on the street, and it was only like 5:15. But I wondered if he was on something. I basically just ignored him and didn't say anything. A bit later he just broke off following us and crossed the street to enter the William Penn Smoke Shop, just acting totally normal.

So yeah, WTF? Has anyone run into this dude? Is he like collecting footage for some sort of film? Is it a weird art project?

My wife and I decided to try a now closed restaurant in East Liberty on a Friday night during the summer a few years ago. There was a lot of newly renovated buildings etc, but we still did not feel safe there. That BBQ place closed anyways and it wasn’t that good. I know there have been a lot of strides there with new and renovated buildings, but I still don’t think it is a safe neighborhood. I put it in the same category as west north ave by the light of life mission by the park or where California Ave meets Brighton road. It just doesn’t feel safe and lots of strange people around there.

Btw lots of traffic on three springs drive here in Weirton. I will be getting some bbq ribs at the best restaurant in the tri state area. DeeJays Ribs. No need to really go into Pittsburgh for bbq. There is usually a long wait on weekends. Lots of people come here for ribs from Pittsburgh and the airport area

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by amattaro

Oh, well, in that case, it’s TOTALLY normal behavior.

Oh I agree totally not normal no matter what, but I guess I meant it more like an anti-gentrification type situation so they probably aren’t inclined to be polite.


Was in East Liberty today, seemed like a regular run of the mill day in East Liberty. Tons of traffic, but nothing strange at Home Depot or the area around Warby Parker.


As an aside, how do you people deal with the traffic in the East End? Perhaps I am just used to the traffic hangups in the South Hills area, but man, it took forever to get anywhere today at that end of town.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by pittsburghaccuweather

My wife and I decided to try a now closed restaurant in East Liberty on a Friday night during the summer a few years ago. There was a lot of newly renovated buildings etc, but we still did not feel safe there. That BBQ place closed anyways and it wasn’t that good. I know there have been a lot of strides there with new and renovated buildings, but I still don’t think it is a safe neighborhood. I put it in the same category as west north ave by the light of life mission by the park or where California Ave meets Brighton road. It just doesn’t feel safe and lots of strange people around there.

Btw lots of traffic on three springs drive here in Weirton. I will be getting some bbq ribs at the best restaurant in the tri state area. DeeJays Ribs. No need to really go into Pittsburgh for bbq. There is usually a long wait on weekends. Lots of people come here for ribs from Pittsburgh and the airport area

Other than visiting at Shadyside Hospital, if I never spend time in East Liberty again I wouldn’t care.

We’ve been to Dee Jays many times. Great place.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

As an aside, how do you people deal with the traffic in the East End? Perhaps I am just used to the traffic hangups in the South Hills area, but man, it took forever to get anywhere today at that end of town.

I suppose I’m just used to it, but I don’t find East End traffic to be that unbearable anymore. Roughly half the city lives over here, so it’s always going to seem congested.

[Catia]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Walking up North Highland Avenue, I passed by this guy. He was a young, relatively normal seeming black guy, with the exception of having a large number of face tattoos. He was smoking a cigarette and fooling around on his phone.

Maybe it's just me eschaton, but read that sentence.^^^
You are being WAYYYYY too kind.


No person I know of who appears relatively normal can be listed as: 'with the exception of having a large number of face tattoos".
Not in real life, or even on TV. A large number of facial tattoos would indicate nothing is "seemingly normal", & I think that observance to be the rule, *not the exception*.


Now consider where you were, & probability.


A large number of facial tattoos--Could mean anything from at worst: prison tattoos with gang affiliation, to most benign:just a very 'alternative lifestyle" with a penchant for self expression that prevents gainful employment outside of maybe a tattoo parlor or a record shop.


You saw the tattoos--what were they of? Prison facial tattoos have specific meanings, & you can google.




The fact that he was filming you and YOUR CHILD without even asking your permission is cause for alarm. While that act technically doesn't violate any laws that I am aware of for PA, I would have reported that to the police immediately, & gotten a CCR # for the report. Public street or not. It is suspicious.


A person with nothing to hide would have asked your permission if it were for a legitimate cause because a seemingly normal person, even if they had a large number of facial tattoos would know that the right thing to do when filming a child, is to ask permission.




What that film will be used for is anybody's guess.

[pittsburghaccuweather]

Originally Posted by erieguy

Other than visiting at Shadyside Hospital, if I never spend time in East Liberty again I wouldn’t care.

We’ve been to Dee Jays many times. Great place.

We appreciate you guys coming here. It is a great place. Not too expensive either. I enjoy Dominicos up in cranberry.

IMO in the city the best place for food is Monterrey Pub and breakfast is the Allegheny sandwich shop. Which the war streets and Allegheny west are the best neighborhoods in the city in my opinion. I don’t get the draw of East Liberty. Restaurants there are more expensive and overrated. Why take the chance on risking you or a loved ones safety to go there. No different than east Ohio street.

If I was filmed and followed like how the poster was that would be my last trip over there. I’ve never seen stuff like that happen around here or in the burbs. Creepy.

[szug-bot]

i dont see this as anything but harassment. not "odd", nor strange, and not meant to be funny street performance art, since tatt face did not extend verbal greetings. you will get people like this now and then, moreso in some neighborhoods than others.

but it was probably meant to be some sort of harassment, in my view, based on the facts given.