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I just feel it's one thing to have a crowd gather for a peaceful protest, for a real cause, and another to have a bunch of bums just hanging outside stores, causing problems because they have no life/job. I am not suggesting we become Nazi Germany but there should be some kind of distinction between the two.
I just feel it's one thing to have a crowd gather for a peaceful protest, for a real cause, and another to have a bunch of bums just hanging outside stores, causing problems because they have no life/job. I am not suggesting we become Nazi Germany but there should be some kind of distinction between the two.
My point exactly. You can't compare people protesting to thugs "chillin'" on the corner.
I am sorry to hear about your situation, Jen. And I sympathize. Several years ago my husband and I moved to Brooklyn. It was wintertime, so there was no "loitering" problem until the spring came. There was a bodega in a building next door to hours and groups of people would hang out there just like you described. I suspect that most of them were actually unemployed neighbors. I also believe that the bodega people were dealing drugs from the store. It was all just "loitering", drinking and smoking until one day, when for no apparent reason, as we were walking by, one man decided to yell profanities at us and then proceeded to throw an empty vodka bottle on our car as we were driving away. While driving away, we saw him getting high-fives from the rest of the crowd. We broke the lease and moved out the following weekend.
So yes, taking action - calling 911 if you have to - is in my opinion justified. Just be careful.
I am sorry to hear about your situation, Jen. And I sympathize. Several years ago my husband and I moved to Brooklyn. It was wintertime, so there was no "loitering" problem until the spring came. There was a bodega in a building next door to hours and groups of people would hang out there just like you described. I suspect that most of them were actually unemployed neighbors. I also believe that the bodega people were dealing drugs from the store. It was all just "loitering", drinking and smoking until one day, when for no apparent reason, as we were walking by, one man decided to yell profanities at us and then proceeded to throw an empty vodka bottle on our car as we were driving away. While driving away, we saw him getting high-fives from the rest of the crowd. We broke the lease and moved out the following weekend.
So yes, taking action - calling 911 if you have to - is in my opinion justified. Just be careful.
So to hear that happened to you. Hood people are such animals! This is why I have no sympathy for hood people and could care less if they get displaced.
I am sorry to hear about your situation, Jen. And I sympathize. Several years ago my husband and I moved to Brooklyn. It was wintertime, so there was no "loitering" problem until the spring came. There was a bodega in a building next door to hours and groups of people would hang out there just like you described. I suspect that most of them were actually unemployed neighbors. I also believe that the bodega people were dealing drugs from the store. It was all just "loitering", drinking and smoking until one day, when for no apparent reason, as we were walking by, one man decided to yell profanities at us and then proceeded to throw an empty vodka bottle on our car as we were driving away. While driving away, we saw him getting high-fives from the rest of the crowd. We broke the lease and moved out the following weekend.
So yes, taking action - calling 911 if you have to - is in my opinion justified. Just be careful.
Wow, that's horrible! I am so sorry you went through that! Glad you got out though.
I have suspicions that the people in the deli are dealing drugs too. i have heard rumors about it.
Yes, this is the problem. Decent people are harrassed or preyed upon by groups such as these. This is the kind of stuff which drove good people and their families from our neighborhood.
Yes, this is the problem. Decent people are harrassed or preyed upon by groups such as these. This is the kind of stuff which drove good people and their families from our neighborhood.
I agree with you....why is this? What makes them want to harass people (particularly people just going to work, etc)? It's probably just boredom on their part, they have nothing else to do.
what is your solution to curb this anti-social and often criminal behavior?
I prefer "Live and Let Live."
And what is more anti-social, tiny groups squirelled into boxes upstairs watching television, and not speaking, or larger groups out on the street perhaps even TALKING to one another?
What is YOUR definition of "social?"
In times past, men could gather in a tavern with $.10 beers to get away from too much "domesticity." But in this City the "tavern" is for tourists able to pay rip-off prices for Alsatian beer. Teens had YMCA and Boys Clubls that cost pennies a year but NOW you need a corprorate job to pay for a chi-chi gym membership easily costing $1000 bucks.
Apartments have gotten tinier, the City has gotten more congested. So the natural result is that there are more people who "hang out" on the streets becasue that's what society has set up.
So there is no solution that isn't unconstituional and Draconian for those who hate seeing groups on the streets except to move to an area where it doesn't happen.
Pulling people off the street and calling it loitering because somebody doesn't like the way they look or dress sounds a lot like the mid 1930's Germany. That's what the first amendment is geared to protect against.
And those that want to get rid of free speech need another phrase to replace that tediopusly tired old "Fire in a Theater" claptrap. After the millionth time it's used to justify suppressing free speech it loses it's ZING. Has anyone in the histpry of mankind ever ENCOUNTERD such an event. Yes many have been burned to death because NOBODY screamed fire, becasue they remained SILENT...but that is a different story.
Hitler and Musslini had as their claims to fame that they instilled ORDER into their societies. We must be VERY careful when we too readily trade away our frredoms for MORE ORDER....we might GET it.
Last edited by Kefir King; 06-20-2012 at 08:35 AM..
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