From my neighborhood list serve:
From a neighbor on the 2100 block of Flagler Place NW very early Sunday morning, 07/12/2009: “It is about 1:30 as I write this and the cops are still here interviewing my neighbor, Carl and a few others. At 1:00 I heard a bang and peeked out my front window which faces Flagler Pl. I noticed a silver or gray SUV hitting cars as it came down the 2100 block of Flagler. In the middle of Flagler, right by the alley before the intersection of V Street, it lost its back right tire, The SUV kept on going, scraping the street and producing sparks as it made a right on V Street.”
Stolen, no doubt.
Gee, and here I thought we were going to discuss President Theodore Roosevelt!
Did your neighbor get the license plate? It was probably in the middle of the street, close to the tire.
That’s a tough part of town. I hope you and your friends have better luck.
Judging by your subject line, I thought you were going “Brokeback” in the capital city.
On an automotive vein (pun intended) my Mercedes is not handling as well as it used to. I may have hit a pothole – not sure if it needs a front end alignment or if my left front tire is low on air. What do you think?
Twotone
7/14/2009 follow-up message from a W Street NW resident:
The driver who slammed into several cars was caught; fortunately several of us were up, a quick thinking neighbor called the police and jumped in his car to follow the driver who was apprehended at Florida Avenue.
Thought I’d share this from the same list serve:
From a resident of Florida Avenue NW: “I would like to thank the S Street resident for educating me as to why people urinate (and defecate) in the alley. It now all makes sense to me-it’s traditional. I, too, live on an end unit adjacent to an alley. All manner of people come to the alley at all times of the day and night to relieve themselves. We have the down and outs as well as the gentrified, women as well as men. We have people stop by on bicycles, in automobiles, on skateboards, in wheelchairs (motorized, self-propelled, and pushed by other people), and even my neighbors stop, before going into their houses, for a pee. My kitchen window overlooks the alley and I get to see all of this while preparing my meals. Occasionally, I confront a reliever and tell them not to do it because the alley stinks. The response is usually that they could hold it no longer. Across the alley is a newly renovated house being rented by a young professional couple. I was going to speak to them about the problem until I saw the young man pull into his driveway in broad daylight and pee on the side of his own house, three feet from his backdoor, while his attractive wife, or girlfriend, stood watch. I was confused about this until now, for now I know it’s traditional. Thank you S Street resident for your enlightenment.”
What s lovely tradition. This is right next to Howard University Hospital. Maybe the offended one in the end unit could get some chemicals that change colors when the conditions are acidic. Something like a methyl red or methyl orange. When they pee on it, the wet area will turn red or a deep orange. It just might scare them into stopping.
Maybe calling the cops might work, or the health department. The police often won’t investigate unless someone is hurt though. At least that is the way it was a few years ago in Baltimore. A friend was robbed more than once in his driveway at gunpoint. The cops said that if he ain’t shot, they ain’t coming.
Great comeback jtsanders, thanks.
I will pass on the word about methyl orange.
We get an armed robbery at least once a week in the neighborhood, more in broad daylight lately. My primary defense is to not look vulnerable and stay aware of my surroundings.
I had a friend that lived in a tough area of Baltimore. He was slightly built (~5’6" and 115#) and walked to school every day. He found that behaving unpredictably kept the predators away. He also wore an Air Force jump suit, which just added to the “you must be crazy” mystique.
Richard Davis, jazz bassist, once told me in his younger days he would walk out in the middle of the street if the sidewalk got too dangerous.
My brother and my sister-in-law once found themselves in a VERY bad section of Chicago, with an uncomfortably long wait for the next bus. As the minutes ticked away, they could see “the sharks beginning to circle them”, eyeing them up as prey.
No cops or taxis in sight (Gee, I wonder why?) and no way out of the situation, except to walk through an unknown, dangerous neighborhood, or to just wait for the bus. What do you do?
They decided to start acting like they were “crazy”, complete with random strange noises, facial tics, walking in a circle, screaming at the sky, etc. Within just a couple of minutes, the resident “sharks” apparently decided that these crazies were not a good source of valuables, and the threat melted away.
Brother and SIL reported that it was very tiring to continue with this routine for over 30 minutes until a bus arrived, but it did apparently save them from a mugging–or worse.
Year, make, model, engine and mileage of the SUV please.
(just kidding guys, just kidding)