It could be worse....
Well I was chatting on the phone with Nora Bombay and she related to me what was going on in Alexandria. Only Nora can make a tale of fearful urban suburbanites and MS-13 funny. You can read it for yourself, it is number #3 on her list. Apparently, MS-13 gang members have been hanging around the local 7-11 in near-Fairfax Alexandria trying to shoot at each other. The problem is, these guys don't know how to shoot and keep missing, thusly making themselves very dangerous to everyone else who is around. Nora is not afraid. Then again, Nora watches COPS to see if she recognizes anyone from her high school on the program.Of course Nora is not the only suburbanite I know with a slightly apathetic view of the crime in their area. Glenn up in southern Maryland, sometimes throws in "well at least there wasn't a dead body in the parking lot" in conversations. He says that because, occasionally, a dead body or bodies, wind up in his apartment's parking lot. Crime doesn't scare him, trying to move all his crap does, and that's why he stays there.
Now I live in the city. I knew this area had a higher crime rate when I moved in. I live where crime doesn't usually make the evening news. So I will admit that I do have schadenfruede moments when I hear of crimes in the supposedly safer suburbs. Te he.
posted by Mari @ 12.5.05
8 Comments:
I think what gets to me is the hysteria. Because I live in what is one of the "worst" neighborhoods of Alexandria. And thus is a better neighborhood than 99% of the state of Florida.
I am legitimately concerned about MS-13, because I don't like the idea of an internationally funded syndacate interupting my Saturday evening beer run.
But I have trouble taking them too seriously. I can't even get them to steal my car! And I leave it out unlocked.
Hey, there may still be violence, but at least the marginally competent DC police department is claiming that crime rates are dropping! I wonder if they are counting the statistics for Upper NW double...
Nora B,
Nobody wants your low end luxury car 'cause once they discover the windows have been super-glued and that it leaks oil they will realize that they stole it all for nothing. The messed up seats are enough of a theft detterent. Don't get me wrong I enjoy riding in your car, but you couldn't give that thing away.
I think the nova/ms-13 thing is alot like the stuff in DC...99% of it is inter/intra gang fueding, w/ crossfire being the biggest danger to the average person.
back to our hood, did anyone notice the shakedown at 4th & R tonight? I drove by right as they were mopping up. Looked like the narcotics unit of MPD, & they bagged quite a few. I'm glad to see they have that intersection on their radar. Maybe they've been watching it & a shipment came in today.
oh, side note: noticed on Nora's blog about the bronchitis thing...I got it from a guy at work & its making the rounds. comes w/ a nice cold & other allergy-like symptoms, but I guess that's payback for 2 years w/o a real cold.
Ok, I confess, MM is right. My 13 year old Lexus, with the body damage, the duct tape, and the split leater seating, that hasn't been washed or detailed since the mid-90's? Theft proof.
I live in hope. It's a highly insured 13 year old car with a fatal oil leak.
Actually, my big plan for Saturday involves taking the car to the local illegal immigrant car wash, getting it cleaned, and then puttin in new floor mats and seatcovers. Since the new seatcovers are Hawaiian print? I'm thinking the car will stay theft proof.
At least it's paid for.
Toby: I once dated a guy who was an expert on Community Policing. You pretty much have it. If you do not deal or take drugs, and do not date somebody who does either? You will probably not be bothered.
I'm thinking/hoping/praying the bronchitis goes away, and that it's just a psycosomatic symptom. Either than or pnuemonia.
Did I see anything at 4th & R, not really. Was there a firetruck over there? I might have been too preoccupied gathering salad leaves.
the 4th & R event was around 7:30 pm. I drove through there on my way back from a beer run to the Giant on RI. at that point, I saw one marked MPD car, maybe one or 2 unmarked, & like 12 cops. Most were undercover...jeans, t-shirt, police vest. they had a bunch of guys cuffed, maybe to someone's fence, & were yelling at these crack whore girls/girlfriends across the street to shut up or they'd haul them in too.
then, for a good portion of the night, an MPD car sat on Richardson PL & randomly shined his side spotlights down the alleys.
on a side note, my window bars are finished. I made them come back & fix some cosmetic stuff that wasn't symmetrical. they also had to redo one of the doors cuz the crackhead subcontractors made our regular door swing to the outside, instead of in. now all is well.
oh, & nora...take vitamins & have lots of upper resp/sinus/allergy medicine handy. I'm in week 2 of this crap. drinking beer seems to help too ;)
Toby-
If drinking beer helped? I'd never actually get sick.
Sadly, I'm allergic to sinus/allergy medicine. Go figure.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home