Enough With the Marauding Teenagers!
A couple of months ago as we were walking East on Greene Avenue between Waverly and Washington we noticed in our peripheral vision someone approaching fast from behind. When we spun around, it was a teenage boy, probably about 15 years old, who had crept up and was hovering inches from the back of our…
A couple of months ago as we were walking East on Greene Avenue between Waverly and Washington we noticed in our peripheral vision someone approaching fast from behind. When we spun around, it was a teenage boy, probably about 15 years old, who had crept up and was hovering inches from the back of our head mocking us provocatively to the clear delight of his jeering friends. Ever risk-averse, we quickly walked out into the middle of the street and starting dialing on our cell phone. With a few shouts, the pack continued down the block. We jogged back to a police car we had noticed parked back on Vanderbilt, told the cops what had happened and went home. The next day we heard that a woman had been mugged half an hour later a few blocks from there by a bunch of teenagers. We’ve heard of several similar instances in the area in recent weeks. And it’s not just Clinton Hill. A post on Brooklynian describes how a trio of teenage girls (19, 17 and 12) mugged five different people in Prospect Heights on Saturday night (and how only one of them decided to press charges) and an email we received yesterday told of a violent mugging of a twenty-something male by a group of boys at around 8:15 Monday night at Dekalb and South Oxford Street in Fort Greene (above). What can the community do to combat this activity? Obviously greater police presence would help, but given the paltry resources the NYPD devotes to this part of town, it’s going to take a lot of vigilance on the part of residents in terms of reporting even small incidents of harassment and pressing charges. And everyone should be aware that a lot of these muggings are happening during daylight hours, often between the end of school and dinner time, so it’s a good idea to minimize iPod and cell phone usage during those times. Please use this comment thread to document other similar incidents that you know about in recent months as well as to suggest ways to address the problem.
Gabby…how you going to pick a Quote of the Day from this mess???!!!!
1:50 nails it. Those kids smell your fear. Brownstoner a grown man scurries away like a mouse because some kid is making faces? Like many posters have said you can’t avoid every situation but be alert and confident and you can avoid many.
“For some reason it’s ridiculously funny conjuring up the image of Brownstoner being harassed by a bunch of fourteen years olds and fumbling for his phone quickly to call the cops.”
No kidding! How lame. I think Brooklyn is a little too much for you, Mr. Brownstoner man.
What r u talking about 1:52.This happends in bay ridge, bensonhurst,coney island,sunset park,and flatbush.U should get out more.
1:19 — “I bet all the folks scared of “marauding black teens” will be at the premiere of the Nororious BIG movie.
And will vote for Obama.”
IDIOT. NUFF SAID.
the same thing happened to me about a year ago on Lafayette at Grand, broad daylight on a Sunday. I did get bonked on the head, but not very hard. It was a swarm of ten year olds, which is why I hadn’t really paid attention. FWIW: I’m 5’8″, female, 42 years old, I look white, and I’ve lived in the neighborhood for a dozen years.
Friday is bring your dog to work day. I’m not kidding.
“Hey Asshat! I saw a Pit run up one a Rotweiler and tore a chunk out of his ass! The Rotweiler couldn’t turn fast enough to defend itself then, the Pit go a hold of the Rotweiler leg and that’s all she wrote. Pitts are some fast assed dogs and if they get a full head of stream, say goodnight Gracie… Big dogs can’t handle fast moving short dogs. Pit are short and stocky and fast. They are my choice of great fighting dog!”
That’s because you were watching a PUNK Rotweiler, dude. I happen to kmnow a Rotweilier (again, WELL BRED) who would throw away a pit bull like a elephant swatting away a lion. All of this Pit Bull propaganda is SO overblown. I own a boxer who is faster and stronger than any pit bull. Twice, when pit bulls lunged at him in the street, he swatted them away, stood in front of them in a “Make your move,” stance, and the pit bulls backed off. As you said, they make great fighting dogs mainly because they will do just about anything you train them to do, including tear each other apart. But this image of pit bulls as “super” dogs is just another urban myth. You don’t know your dogs.
you are right about the potential terrorists in Bay Ridge, the muslims are a problem. But having them close lets us keep an eye on them.