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.
an accounting of a recent attempted mugging/harrasment in Bed-Stuy via Twitter: http://paolomastrangelo.blogspot.com/2008/06/dear-nypd.html
I think I’m going to pull out my Death Wish DVD tonight.
10:35 and 10:31 are very good posts. You don’t have to be in a brawl in order to confront someone. Just don’t slink around with your tail between your legs.
10:30:
I was addressing 9;57. Even if s/he’s bald, I’d give the same advice. The guys did a good deed that deserves recognition.
And bald or not, it’s always good to know neighborhood merchants who might provide help when you need it. (Try supporting their businesses, too.)
um, Welcome to Brooklyn…
10:07 hits it on the head. Every $1 PBR special is like a clown show to people on food stamps or less. And even those who are struggling working class in these neighborhoods, usually did not ‘choose’ this life, this is an improvement, and here ‘you’ come with your ironic t-shirt and $1000 worth of gadgets hanging off of you.
I suggest engaging, maybe this blog and comments can present these incidences to the media that traditionally targeted the communities in these changing neighborhoods The Amsterdam News, The Chief, Carribean Press, Spanish language press, even the Irish and Polish press.
When its “you against them” its one thing, when its happening to ‘all of us’ its another. These ‘crimes’ are happening to the ‘affluent’ and who doesn’t relish some sour grapes every now and then. If the whole owns hears about these unfortunate events – its thw whole communities problem.
What happens now? The ipoders have a crime against them. The ipodless get arrested…
actually something similar happened to me last week. On my way to work I noticed two kids playing a “pincer” movement, forcing a sport coated individual in between them and then threatening him from both sides; he jogged ahead while they had a good laugh. Foolish for sporty to allow that to happen…
As they were walking slower, I caught up to them and watched them set up the same game for me. Instead, I shoved the one over and told them where to with some useful obscenities.
Am i hot sh*t? no; I was reduced to bullying teenagers on my way to work in the morning. All I can hope is they figured out that some folks out there do have teeth and they’ll think twice before trying another stunt.
and for 9:59, for the immediate confrontation, I’d rather 1) avoid the situation and 2) fight back than live in fear.
10:31 and all those blaming the victim, your suggestions are extremely vague and unhelpful. And you are, in effect, blaming the victim. If you’ve never been robbed or mugged, you are simply lucky. That’s it.
10:30 – I have a shaved head – wouldn’t it seem, er, a bit forced to stop by a barbershop and say hi! (Check out Brooklynian for an extensive discussion of saying hi on the street).
10:15: “Those are the two biggest targets, the oblivious and the scared.”
Uh, if you are oblivious, you are probably not scared. Those two states are pretty incompatible, don’tcha think?
Also, in my case (I previously posted about being assaulted near Franklin Park bar), there were THREE of us. Two girls and a guy. One native NYer. And it was raining. What? Are we not supposed to talk with each other and instead walk in a single file, each keeping a trained eye on the street scene? Be real.
So for the people who were wondering, THAT is how a group of teenagers can sneak up on you.