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September 2, 2009

Muggings in Fort Greene

carlton-muggings-090209.jpg
A tipster pointed out to us that the Carlton-Willoughby Block Association began passing out these flyers on Tuesday. The flyers warn that there have been three muggings in as many weeks in or around the Fort Greene area, and that residents should be more inconspicuous and careful when walking alone with iPods and mobile phones. Of the three muggings, fortunately no one has been seriously injured.




Posted by jscheff at 9:00 AM | Comments (82)
Categories: Crime, Fort Greene

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Comments

Glad I dont live there. Then I would be underwater and in danger of losing my house and my ipod

Posted by: bitter_bubble_buyer at September 2, 2009 9:32 AM

not blaming the victims but what kind of idiots walk around with earphones oblivious to other sounds or wrapped up in phone conversation and not noticing everything going on around.... or would openly display on street easily hocked or desired items for anyone to see?

Posted by: Petebklyn at September 2, 2009 9:35 AM

Used to live on that block. I certainly wouldn't walk down the block listening to an I-pod or whatever, and I think I'm on the less likely to get mugged end of the spectrum.

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 9:42 AM

Pete you are right why would anybody think they can listen to an Ipod walking down the street. Next thing you know theses kids will be dancing.

Posted by: bitter_bubble_buyer at September 2, 2009 9:46 AM

"Unplug those white earphones."

What do they have against white ones???

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 2, 2009 9:48 AM

For the record, I have a black iPod and black earphones.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 2, 2009 9:48 AM

While not flashing expensive electronics is good advice, it is quite sad how many people in Brooklyn think treating their daily commute as a trip through a war zone is a reasonable solution to the problem.

Posted by: northsloperenter at September 2, 2009 9:49 AM

"not blaming the victims but what kind of idiots walk around with earphones oblivious to other sounds or wrapped up in phone conversation and not noticing everything going on around"

Incredible.

Posted by: benson at September 2, 2009 9:53 AM

People - this block is right around the Walt Whitman projects and at least when I lived there it was very poorly lit at night. I don't care how many yuppies buy brownstones or condos; this is a block where you should watch your ass. Walking down the street listening to your ipod on a block like this is just stupid. I'm not saying blame the victim - muggers should get their asses beaten hard and should get sent to jail - but I can't say I'm all that sympathetic to some random hipster who walks down this particular block at night listening to his ipod and gets it yanked.

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 9:58 AM

you people would rather yell at each other and sound smart than actually get something done.

i just contacted Letitia James and she said she will get an officer posted on that block. we also discussed getting brigher or more street lights installed, especially around the ex carlton mews co housing site. democracy in action!

Posted by: chickenoid23 at September 2, 2009 10:09 AM

The poster says there's a law about stoop lighting - is that so?

Posted by: Arkady at September 2, 2009 10:12 AM

Letitia James should focus on conquering English first. Then she can move on to the bigger things

Posted by: bitter_bubble_buyer at September 2, 2009 10:15 AM

Do my earphones make me look white?

das racist man!

Posted by: canyoudigit at September 2, 2009 10:16 AM

Tish James not only speaks perfect english, she is one of the few politicians who actually gives a damn.

Posted by: bxgrl at September 2, 2009 10:19 AM

This is how they want people to live in fear of being mugged, not being able to listen to music as you walk! I admit that getting mugged is normally due to someone not paying attention to what's going on around them, but fliers like that make me feel like the muggers are winning, why not pass out fliers that encourage people to be aware but not scare them! I went to Pratt when the neighborhood was a lot worse, and I was never mugged and I lived off campus and was on the streets late at night!

Posted by: Pragonetti at September 2, 2009 10:24 AM

@ chickenoid23....
I would also ask Letitia James to see if she can get some of the stimulus cash to improve the lighting around Carlton & Willouhgby...I mean Brooklyn Heights is getting brand new EXPENSIVE antique street lights, which i might add they really do not need since there is nothing with the street lights that they currently have.

Posted by: mysideofstuy at September 2, 2009 10:28 AM

Pragonetti;

Well said. I'm all for making people more aware of the situation, but I think we are approaching the bad old days when victims are called "idiots" for daring to think that they can enjoy music and walk down a street in NYC.

Posted by: benson at September 2, 2009 10:31 AM

My street got new street lights too. They're very pretty. The old ones just weren't pretty. I think it's why my rent hasn't gone down -- I blame the pretty street lights artificially inflating the "nice" factor of my block.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 2, 2009 10:34 AM

P.S. Is having a porch light the law? My house is never lit (I don't have control of the switch) and it generally looks like a haunted house.

Posted by: tybur6 at September 2, 2009 10:35 AM

Sorry for typo I meant to say wrong..

Posted by: mysideofstuy at September 2, 2009 10:45 AM

Sorry for the typo I meant to say wrong..

Posted by: mysideofstuy at September 2, 2009 10:45 AM

i was mugged on dekalb in july, and was walking "smart." um, though maybe a little drunk and at 1:30 in the morning. i miss my iphone.

Posted by: brentTBC at September 2, 2009 10:56 AM

Blaming the victims is an interesting psychological sleigh of hand. You are saying "it could never happen to me because I don't text/listen to my i-pod/call friends when I walk."
that's self-deception squared. Solving the problem of street crime requires both community and police commitment. Sometimes I think both the community and the 88th are too tolerant of muggings. A friend of mine got hit in the head with a brick (at least the cops thought it was a brick) as he was getting in the subway on Myrtle. He was paying attention, wasn't on the phone and never saw it coming. He was in the coma for 5 days, and the cops didn't seem to care at all.

Posted by: Maly at September 2, 2009 10:59 AM


I've seen Letitia James speak at Annual Rent Guidelines meetings and she's straight up communist.

If she had her way, nobody, except her of course, would be able to rent their properties at market rents.

She's pro-housing project and pro-rent control/stabilization.

Vote Letitia out of office and Brooklyn maybe has a chance. . .

Posted by: IronBalls at September 2, 2009 11:06 AM

Whoah there - no one is suggesting that we shouldn't solve the problem of street crime. What we're saying is that if there's a hole in the sidewalk that obviously needs to be fixed but you're walking down the street spacing out and not looking where you are going you shouldn't expect an outpouring of sympathy if you fall in the hole and break your leg.

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 11:09 AM

just saying not a perfect world, Benson, and people should be aware. Of course work hard to make it better but to ignore reality and make yourself easy target is being naive and idiotic.
I would venture guess if 3 muggings on very same area happened is probably same person doing it. And is targeting those who walk around oblivious. Got to use some street smarts - especially at night and when alone.
Besides ,I hate being on busy sidewalk with the idiots with their iPods and iPhones -can't walk straight line, stop suddenly to text or whatever the F they are doing, don't watch where they are walking,etc. Get to top of stairs at subway and stop (with line of people trying to exit behind them) to check message, etc, etc, etc.

Posted by: Petebklyn at September 2, 2009 11:19 AM

This isn't Baghdad, we have the means to make sure there are no large holes in the sidewalk. Our strength and economic health depend on us being able to transcend basic needs like shelter, food and security and dream up new projects, businesses, ventures. I live in a neighborhood with virtually no mugging, and when 2 occurred back to back a few months, we had police cadets and traffic vans at every street corner for 2 months solid. I think Fort Greene needs to be more vocal about getting their fair share.

Posted by: Maly at September 2, 2009 11:21 AM

OMG you completely missed the point of the holes in the sidewalk analogy.

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 11:23 AM

Not at all, I just think if there are holes, let's fix them instead of relying on everybody to be aware at all times. I understood your analogy, and I disagreed with its philosophical underpinning. I put my faith in urban planning and good policing instead of relying on people to be self-aware at all times.

Posted by: Maly at September 2, 2009 11:36 AM

"while walking alone with iPods and mobile phones"

EVERYONE has one of those on their person, more of less all the time. It is knee-jerk to say "take off those headphones!" You can be totally prepared and doing the right thing, if a criminal marks you it is not your fault.

That sign should say "Be aware of your surroundings" but it doesn't, being aware of if there are people near you on an unfamiliar street is rule one of New York safety.

Posted by: infinitejester at September 2, 2009 11:38 AM

"not blaming the victims but what kind of idiots walk around with earphones oblivious to other sounds or wrapped up in phone conversation and not noticing everything going on around.... or would openly display on street easily hocked or desired items for anyone to see?"

um, you are blaming the victims.

Posted by: stringer bell at September 2, 2009 11:38 AM

"I've seen Letitia James speak at Annual Rent Guidelines meetings and she's straight up communist."

so what?

"She's pro-housing project and pro-rent control/stabilization."

i doubt she is pro-housing project; when did she ever say that? and what's wrong with being in favor of rent control/stabilization?

Posted by: stringer bell at September 2, 2009 11:40 AM

IB, Ah- the old "communist" canard. Yawn.

Her constituency is mostly working poor and lower middle class. These groups traditionally have been taken advantage of, ignored or insulted. She fights for them- good for her. She also is one of the politicians who is fighting the hardest to keep the intake center out of Crown Heights because she believes we are over-saturated. How much of Crown Heights is her constituency? Only about 2 blocks. Al Vann- our eternal no-show is doing nothing.

Posted by: bxgrl at September 2, 2009 11:40 AM

"not blaming the victims but what kind of idiots walk around with earphones oblivious to other sounds"

I do that at night, on major streets like 7th or 5th Aves. On in-between blocks I look around to see if there is anyone else, approaching or passing. I look several times.

Posted by: infinitejester at September 2, 2009 11:43 AM

I also put faith in urban planning and policing but I also know the police cannot be everywhere all the time. It's not blaming the victim but it is saying you have to be realistic about where you are and what your situation is.

Posted by: bxgrl at September 2, 2009 11:44 AM

It's Fort greene, not Fort Lee, remember?
You moved out of the burbs because you wanted to live in the big bad city, now that you're here, you gotta watch your ass more.


Posted by: Minard Lafever at September 2, 2009 11:56 AM

"Besides ,I hate being on busy sidewalk with the idiots with their iPods and iPhones -can't walk straight line, stop suddenly to text or whatever the F they are doing, don't watch where they are walking,etc. Get to top of stairs at subway and stop (with line of people trying to exit behind them) to check message, etc, etc, etc."

Pete;

OK, now we are in complete agreement!!

;-}

Posted by: benson at September 2, 2009 12:00 PM

Let's deconstruct that poster, shall we? The two points most emphasized are walk smart and listen up, which may or may not be helpful. I think muggings occur as crimes of opportunity, at times and in areas that have low traffic and low lights. That mean residential blocks without any retail, or very early mornings. The aggressor(s) have the advantage of surprise, and of picking the time and place. There's the Baghdad solution: walk in packs, take a cab if you're alone, or between 11pm and 7am, don't display jewelry, hide your valuables and keep a few bucks in your front pockets. Then there's the urban planning and policing solution: zone for street level retail around subways and on street corners, institute random and frequent community police patrol at peak crime hours, improve and mandate lighting on residential blocks, publicize community meetings.
This poster is less than useless, you could be walking smart and listening up on to your 6am shift at the hospital on a darkish residential block, it won't matter a bit.

Posted by: Maly at September 2, 2009 12:18 PM

Maly, well then the other obvious solution would be not to live in Fort Greene.

Posted by: Minard Lafever at September 2, 2009 12:23 PM

Minard;

Quite a solution you are proposing. Too bad you missed the "glory days" of the middle-class flight from the city in the 50's and 60's.

Posted by: benson at September 2, 2009 12:28 PM

"This poster is less than useless, you could be walking smart and listening up on to your 6am shift at the hospital on a darkish residential block, it won't matter a bit."

Bingo - being alert helps in the rare situation that fleeing is a possibility, but as Maly said, muggings are more of a 'wrong place @ the wrong time' situation.

Posted by: dirty_hipster at September 2, 2009 12:29 PM

maly - You are completely missing the plot here, and you're finding an argument where none existed. I'm not sure I have the patience to slow this all down for you.

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 12:33 PM

PEOPLE - PASSING JUDGMENT ON SOMEONE WHO COULD HAVE AVOIDED BEING MUGGED BY EXERCISING A MODICUM OF GOOD JUDGMENT AND COMMON SENSE IS NOT - I REPEAT NOT - THE SAME THING AS SAYING WE SHOULDN'T MAKE THE STREETS SAFER AND TRY TO ELIMINATE MUGGINGS.

Sheesh. The simplest of premises has been completely misconstrued.

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 12:39 PM

twice I was almost mugged when I lived in Bklyn Heights and only because I was very aware, was I not. the first time I saw someone right behind me and everytime I turned my head he tried to step out of my line of sight. Just so happens I have very good peripheral vision,I turned and walked into a store- he followed me right up to the door, then fled.

The time I actually was mugged was a good deal part of my own stupidity. I stopped to pet a cat- on my own street- and saw a group of kids coming up on my side. I was so blase and stupid. Just because it was my street and there were people around I thought nothing of it. Wrong- they held a gun to the back of my head and took my money.

Posted by: bxgrl at September 2, 2009 12:43 PM

Minard, your attitude is exactly what I was describing as tolerance. There is nothing inevitable about muggings. I've lived in various large cities all my life, and I found there is no reason to tolerate petty crimes. If we can lower crime in Alphabet City and on the Bowery, there is no reason it can't be done in Fort Greene.

Posted by: Maly at September 2, 2009 12:48 PM

bxgrl - yikes! Where did this happen? Was it recently?

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 12:49 PM

Obviously, in a perfect world, we would all be free to be dancing down the street to tunes on our Ipods, while texting on our Iphones, between reading a book on our Kindles. (Do we have too many gadgets, or what? One used to just walk down the street.)Well, this isn't that perfect world. Street smarts are a necessary companion to all of us in any city, any neighborhood. Muggers may prey close to their neighborhoods, or where the opportunity strikes, but they are also smart enough to travel to neighborhoods where the pickings are better. You can get mugged anywhere. Of course we should pressure our electeds to get the police to implement programs to curb street crime, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take sensible precautions to lessen the chances that we are targets. I like my Ipod, but I've heard all of the songs on it enough that I don't need to hear them again, to the detriment of my personal safety. Ditto with talking to people. They can wait 10 minutes. Lechacal's analogy is correct.

And Tish James is not a communist. Even if she was, so what? The people in her district are lucky they have representation that is out there 24/7, fighting for her constituents. You may or may not agree with her on everything, I happen to disagree on Admiral's Row, but I greatly admire her energy, dedication, and hard work. Would that all of our politicians worked half as hard. I wish she covered my part of Crown Heights, instead of Al Vann(ished).

Posted by: Montrose Morris at September 2, 2009 12:51 PM

lechacal- on Schermerhorn, off Court St. Some years ago now- I moved over here in 2003. It was terrifying and all I could think of was what a moron I was because I knew better.

Posted by: bxgrl at September 2, 2009 12:54 PM

bxgrl - That's awful. Glad all they did was take your money and scare the bejeesus out of you.

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 12:58 PM

I think even on the safest streets you need to be aware of your surroundings, day and night. However; it is ridiculous that we have become so used to crime, that we blame the victim when it happens. I should be able to walk down the block, with my personal belongings, without fear of being robbed. Come on people. Kudos to the person who took action by contacting Letitia James. Whether you agree with her politics or not, in this instance she provided a resolution.

Posted by: chariset at September 2, 2009 1:06 PM

And there goes Montrose Morris again with her level headed and well written posts. There is no place on the Internet for that kind of thing. ;)

[for the record, there are a great many things wrong with communism but let's not open that pandora's box on this thread]

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 1:07 PM

i've noticed a lot of people in cobble hill that walk while completely fixated on their blackberry. is it as bad to trip them as it would be to mug them?

Posted by: CG_ups at September 2, 2009 1:13 PM

notice i said cobble hill and not carroll gardens, bc in CG we don't roll like that :)

Posted by: CG_ups at September 2, 2009 1:13 PM

Lechacal, thanks, I think. :)

I personally don't think communism works, and I don't advocate it as a political solution, but calling someone a communist or a socialist is the new "liberal", a scary, catch all name designed to strike fear and loathing in the hearts of God-fearing Americans. It's lazy, useless, inaccurate name-calling that enables the person doing the naming to get away with not having any evidence or even a good definition of the word.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at September 2, 2009 1:18 PM

So you would only trip them in cobble hill, CG? That does make perfect sense. tripping is not at all like mugging. tripping is a serendipitous expression of humor in the face of dorkism :-)

Posted by: bxgrl at September 2, 2009 1:20 PM

Go summer camp on them and pants them. Idiot walking down the street gawking at i-phone -- pants to the ankles.

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 1:30 PM

"Go summer camp on them and pants them. Idiot walking down the street gawking at i-phone -- pants to the ankles"

Kinda hard to do if they are wearing skinny jeans.

Posted by: etson at September 2, 2009 1:34 PM

well then you'll just have to reach into the rest of the arsenal:

- swirlie
- purple nurple
- wedgie
- noogie
- atomic wedgie
- tittie twister
- wet willie
- indian burn

All of which are effective, to varying degrees, on the average skinny jeans wearer.

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 1:39 PM

MM - Voice of sweet reason! (So sorry about your kitten.)

And what about the question above re: lighting on building fronts? Anybody know about that?

Posted by: Arkady at September 2, 2009 1:39 PM

people move to rough areas and are surprised when they get mugged for an ipod. welcome to nyc

Posted by: bitter_bubble_buyer at September 2, 2009 1:46 PM

Growing up in NYC in the "bad old days", we developed street smarts that is lacking in today's city. Even though crime is way down, I still cringe at some of the things I see people do. No matter how safe, it's still a city. Like that stupid tourist t-shirt with the gun says: This ain't Kansas.

Posted by: rh at September 2, 2009 2:01 PM

Lechacal, I love your solutions :)

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at September 2, 2009 2:02 PM

rh - Thank you. Exactly. The fewer people there are around you, the more aware you need to be of who those people are and what they are doing. You learn little things, like how someone who is walking with a purpose can usually just be ignored, and conversely someone who isn't doing anything in particular might be looking for trouble. You learn to avoid some groups of young men but not others. Guys playing basketball - duh, they're just playing ball and are not going to mess with you. Guys walking down the street looking for something to do and/or prove: maybe just take a different route or cross the street. Obviously there are situations where you are just going to get robbed and there is nothing you can do about it but I think a lot of muggings are much more opportunistic than people think and if you don't provide the opportunity they won't happen.

Posted by: lechacal at September 2, 2009 2:11 PM

the kindle > something tells me they won't mug you for that!

Posted by: bowl of dicks at September 2, 2009 2:18 PM

lighting question. I think required 100 watts in multifamily bldgs. but 1 and 2 (maybe 3) I don't think any requirement.

Posted by: Petebklyn at September 2, 2009 2:39 PM

How ya gonna do a swirlie in the middle of the street? So impractical.

Posted by: infinitejester at September 2, 2009 3:15 PM

"And Tish James is not a communist. Even if she was, so what? The people in her district are lucky they have representation that is out there 24/7, fighting for her constituents. You may or may not agree with her on everything, I happen to disagree on Admiral's Row, but I greatly admire her energy, dedication, and hard work. Would that all of our politicians worked half as hard. I wish she covered my part of Crown Heights, instead of Al Vann(ished)."
I feel exactly the same way - only I'm suffering with "sell-out-at-a-drop-of-the-hat Yassky". How he ever got the Times endorsement is a mystery.

Posted by: Brooklyn Red at September 2, 2009 3:17 PM


Anybody whose primary political focus is to force private landlords to charge less than market rents when they have "market costs" is a fool.

Either she's a Communist or she's a vote pandering leach.

She's definitely no free market capitalist, that's for sure.

Posted by: IronBalls at September 2, 2009 3:17 PM

IronBalls and lechacal, you guys are funny as heck today.

Posted by: infinitejester at September 2, 2009 3:17 PM


I meant leech, sorry.

Posted by: IronBalls at September 2, 2009 3:18 PM

regardless of neighborhood, safety is directly related to proximity to nearest housing project.

Posted by: slick at September 2, 2009 4:15 PM

Brighter streetlights would do a ton.

Posted by: Heather at September 2, 2009 4:17 PM

Wait, if she's a vote-pandering leech, isn't she just acting like a good free market capitalist, providing what her market wants?

Posted by: mopar at September 2, 2009 5:22 PM

In my 44 years in this city, I've never been mugged. But I HAVE gotten a swirlie!

Posted by: rh at September 2, 2009 5:37 PM

I live in Letitia James's district and can assure you all that she is just as lazy as Al Vann. Like many politicians, she's fond of showing up to garner attention, but her sense of reality is seriously lacking and her list of genuine accomplishments short. If she were given stimulus money, she'd surely piss it away on some rinky dink local agency or daycare center that is at half occupancy. She's all show and no substance and you can bet your life that any efforts on her part will do absolutely nothing to address the problem raised in this thread. Her biggest problem is that she has poor skills when it comes to building bridges with influential people. Her combative approach to any and everything ultimately alienates those who could help her get things done. That is why she has been a failure and why, for example, her advocacy will not be able to stop the intake center from being moved to the armory.

Posted by: Big Jugs at September 2, 2009 6:19 PM

Big Jugs, you couldn't be more wrong. And who are you to say that if she did get stimulus money and gave it to "some rinky dink local agency or daycare center" that her choice is not a worthy one? Daycare centers and local agencies are the part and parcel of the kinds of things a constituency hopes their representatives can deliver. She is a city councilmember, not Bill Gates or Santa Clause. It's her job to help the constituent on the street without a voice or power amongst the more powerful. For that you need to be a bit combative. Quiet, sweet people don't get squat in New York City.

Perhaps that is not what YOU would spend your money on, but you didn't bother to run for office, or put yourself on the line to receive disparaging criticism by people like yourself who continue to insist that the intake center is just fine coming to Crown Heights, but won't ever actually offer any good reason why, other than your say so. Yes, she shows up and opens her mouth. When she gets back to the office, she makes calls and gets stuff done. I think a perusal of her record shows that she is effective. There are 2 people running against her, they at least are out there, you complain constantly on a blog.

I have no connections to Leticia James, and don't even live in her district. I am also very cynical about politicians. She is one of the few I feel is actually working to improve the lives of all of her constituents, not just the better off, or more influential. I couldn't tell you who represents Bklyn Hts, parts of Park Slope, or Bushwick and Williamsburg. If they were out there half as much as Tish, they would be doing well.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at September 2, 2009 7:44 PM

End of the day wrap-up for the stalwarts who bother going back to review the day’s discussions---

I have to say that I found it a little disgusting that a topic on recent muggings and a block association's (or at least one concerned neighbor's) response gave rise to Tish-bashing.

The effort was pretty pathetic. I assume most readers either skipped reading this blatant election cycle politicking or at least manages to read through the exaggeration and the only slightly veiled discrimination that seeped through. A little hair-raising how close to and over the edge of racist-sounding remarks people are willing to go.

And another thing. Who can take some of you seriously with user names like Ironballs and Big Jugs? Ugh!

Thank you to those who pointed out the issues with spaced out persons wearing earphones, texting, etc.

I can't tell you how annoyed I can get when someone is completely oblivious to his/her surroundings, weaves back and forth on the sidewalk while you're trying to walk (or, almost in line with you keeps sidling sideways into you completely unaware you're there), or spinning on their heal to reverse direction and then slamming into you or barely missing you.

Like others who commented above, I'm perturbed by texting youth/cell phone talkers who stand in the subway staircase blocking flow…stop dead in their tracks while they still have a signal. Or, as mentioned above, walk up the stairs (slowing down others behind them while focused on their texting device) checking their messages the moment they get a signal…and yes, the kids who stop right at the top of the stairs coming out of the subway when they hit the sidewalk effectively blocking those behind them on the stairs.

The stop-at-top-of-stairs thing has been going on for years, especially in touristy areas where people come up the stairs and stare all agog at buildings or are simply disoriented. The new check-text-messages-coming-up-stairs is getting rampant. Very annoying to those of us who were shocked when the cassette tape, VHS, and CD came in.

The issue with muggings when it comes down to it: poverty, unemployment, profound lack of opportunities, needless incarceration and break-up of families, loose guns on the street, institutional racism. People who are stealing simply may not have many or any alternatives or they may not have any palpable knowledge on who to access any. Fix these problems and maybe we’d live in a fairer society without all the rough edges.

Look, why not go up to a group of kids who and give them enough money for pizza or a snack? The ol’ NYC “Kids, here (bill handed to kids). Go get yourself something to eat.” ??? Why not??? Why not find channels through which you might teach and mentor as well? Do you possibly have time on your hands? Do you have skills and access to resources, things that are only a dream to people who may live 1 to 10 blocks from your home? Be creative! See how you can change your community!

That’s where the change will happen…not relying on one person, say, an elected official, to do it all on your behalf. It’s NOT all about paying your taxes and expecting others will provide you with all expected services and take care of “society’s ills”. It’s not exactly a simple payment-for-services scheme where you abrogate your responsible at the moment your payroll department deducts your “Federal, State, and Local”.

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at September 2, 2009 7:47 PM

Oh, one more thing on the armory - whether Tish is effective or ineffective, like Al Vann(ished), she is not the movement to prevent the armory from becoming the city's male homeless intake center. She is a part of a large movement of homeowners, renters, businesspeople, clergy, religious groups, social service workers, homeless advocates, political representatives, union members, community activists and organizations, and the homeless themselves, who all feel that this move is unwise, unfair, and otherwise wrong. We are many, we are looking for fairness and better treatment by the city for the homeless and for ourselves, we are determined to fight, and we will win.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at September 2, 2009 7:53 PM

By the way, THANK you Rose de Mont Meurice for your great insights and comments!

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at September 2, 2009 7:53 PM

Took me a minute, but thanks, BrooklynGreene.

Posted by: Montrose Morris at September 2, 2009 8:24 PM

Bring payphones and Walkmans back. Or better yet, wait til you get home to talk on the phone or listen to music. Enjoy the trees in the park. These thugs won't know what to think.

Posted by: Epiphany at September 2, 2009 8:35 PM

Many, many thanks BrooklynGreen and Montrose Morris

Posted by: Brooklyn Red at September 2, 2009 10:40 PM

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