They're starting early tonight

[Guest SUNTZU]

Shots fired here in my lovely West Knoxville ghetto apartments. Let the countdown to sirens commence.

[Rightwinger]

Got a video camera? This could be like that feed from Gaza back in January dude! Just get your dragon skin on and set up the camera!!!

(your safe right?)

[Guest SUNTZU]

Yeah, I'm safe. And no, I'm not one of those British journalists who stand next to whatever is getting ready to have ungodly amounts of Coalition firepower dropped on it. This stuff happens weekly, and never makes the news. No more shots, but still no sirens.

[ninja128]

Just heard sirens go down Kinston Pike at Ted Russell Nissan......is that for YOU?

[Guest SUNTZU]

I still haven't heard any yet. I live near Warren House, BTW. Its lovely.

[Rightwinger]

And people ask me why I want to live in a small town so far from Nashville and all it has to offer!

[Guest SUNTZU]

Anybody know where I can get my hands on an air raid siren on the cheap? I figure I can keep half the population indoors by letting that sucker go off at night. They'll think they are back on the West Bank.

I think the first cruiser just went by, which is a pretty quick response time for this neighborhood. Only twenty one minutes. What's that saying?

Edited to add: Not trying to cop bash, its just a good reason to stay armed. There are times I expect them to roll in here with a Stryker.

Edited March 8, 2009 by SUNTZU
Clarification

[war4peace]

And what was the saying again? I think it went something like "i have a gun because a cop is too heavy to carry?" Or is it, "When seconds counts, the cops are only minutes away?" Or in your case twenty one minutes to be exact.

[poak]

Several weeks ago, a buddy of mine was piss drunk and wandering around lost in Knoxville by himself, soon to find himself in the ghetto. I wanna say somewhere near Melrose Ave, but I could be mistaken... it was near the Greyhound bus station anyway, and nothing good is ever near a Greyhound bus station.

So, he's just walking along and a group of thugs come driving down the street, slow down when they come to him, and all look at him. They continue down the street. Just as he's getting nervous, he notices that they've turned around, and are speeding towards him. They jump out of their car and grab him, and throw him in the backseat and jump back in on either side of him. By this time, he has his wallet out and is telling them to take it, and let him out of the car. The driver turns around and says "Nah, that's not him"... They tell him to keep his wallet and get out. Classic case of mistaken identity I guess...

The friend in question is about 6'2" w/ red hair, which begs the question, just how many 6'2" red heads could have been wandering around the ghetto at 2AM?! Guy is lucky he didn't end up in a ditch.

Long story short, he decided to move back to Nashville.

[Guest SUNTZU]

He didn't need to move back to Nashville, just not be drunk and wandering around Magnolia Avenue at two in the morning. Your friend was also right next to Crackhead Alley. The temp workers I use live at the mission right there near the bus station. Always talking about people getting shanked and their throats opened. And again, never makes the news. But I see some of these guys who are beat all to hell and have stab wounds.

[poak]

He didn't need to move back to Nashville, just not be drunk and wandering around Magnolia Avenue at two in the morning. Your friend was also right next to Crackhead Alley. The temp workers I use live at the mission right there near the bus station. Always talking about people getting shanked and their throats opened. And again, never makes the news. But I see some of these guys who are beat all to hell and have stab wounds.

Ah, yes Magnolia, that's it.

His decision to move back had more to do with his rapidly developing drinking problem, and the situations that tend to develop when his drinking habits and generally crappy luck collide.

[Mark@Sea]

Geez. SunTzu, when you come to the shoot, we need to chat. Bringing your GF?

[Guest SUNTZU]

Hope he gets his drinking under control. I've lost some friends to that particular devil.

[Guest SUNTZU]

No, she won't be making this one. She's graduated and got a job, and its the night shift. Twelve hours a shift.

[Oh Shoot]

I still haven't heard any yet. I live near Warren House, BTW. Its lovely.

Dang, dude...I live in what should be a worse area, on Sutherland...I'm one of the few folks in the complex that isn't on some sort of dole.

But in 10 years here, we've only had one hostage standoff and one suicide by cop - and I didn't even know about either one till after the fact, even though I was home during both.

Maybe you need to come in TOWARD the older ghettos, sounds safer here. Actually, we've always had a city cop who lives here.

- OS

[Guest SUNTZU]

Unfortunately, moving isn't much of an option, right now.

[Mark@Sea]

Sorry to hear she can't make it. You coming?

[Oh Shoot]

Unfortunately, moving isn't much of an option, right now.

Well, yeah, I know...was mainly being facetious, just doing comparison.

Things are bound to break far ya ere long.

But it is kinda strange how little crime there has been here, just a couple of folks going bonkers so far. Kids keyed some cars few years ago. Knock on wood that's been about it...

- OS

[BBill_TN]

I miss Knoxville when I hear of things like this. I just feel sorry for the first time college students that don't realize or have not been educated yet to the fact that Knoxville is a wonderful place; but when you least expect it, things can turn ugly in a hurry. Maybe only witnessed 4 to 5 times over the course of 7 years...but made me learn to keep my guard up against mal-intentioned evil doers.

[Guest SUNTZU]

Sorry to hear she can't make it. You coming?

I'm planning on being there unless something breaks with work.

Well, yeah, I know...was mainly being facetious, just doing comparison.

Things are bound to break far ya ere long.

But it is kinda strange how little crime there has been here, just a couple of folks going bonkers so far. Kids keyed some cars few years ago. Knock on wood that's been about it...

- OS

I talked to the management agency when I paid rent a few days ago. She said that a half of the condos located behind me are no longer rented out. There have been a lot of people moving out of the neighborhood and I've seen some move in, as well. The super Obama supporters that I got to listen to during the election are on hard times. The man has been laid off for about a week and a half. Heard him on his cell phone ranting to someone. I just heard a lot of "F#$% Bush, man...Stimulus, man...Obama better hurry, man...." I just grinned at him and wished him a great day. Moron. I've been waiting to catch the closest of the drug dealers out on his driveway. Been wanting to ask him in all seriousness how this economic downturn has effected his revenue stream, and whether he has been confronted with a supply problem due to the troubles with our neighbors to the south. Then, as I walk away, warn him with heartfelt enthusiasm and a serious demeanour to be on the lookout for his salesmen wanting to sign union cards, as that would cause serious repurcussions to his bottom line, no, not that line, your money, doofus.

[Oh Shoot]

I miss Knoxville when I hear of things like this. I just feel sorry for the first time college students that don't realize or have not been educated yet to the fact that Knoxville is a wonderful place; but when you least expect it, things can turn ugly in a hurry. Maybe only witnessed 4 to 5 times over the course of 7 years...but made me learn to keep my guard up against mal-intentioned evil doers.

Well, anything can happen anywhere.

But I came to Knoxville in '66, raised hell all through college, drank in black clubs along Western and Magnolia areas, lots of unwise behavior, to say the least through the years.

But the only time I really was in danger off being offed was on my own isolated property, stuck up against the side of Clinch Mountain in Union County.

Life's mostly irony, looking back.

- OS

[Oh Shoot]

I'm planning on being there unless something breaks with work....

Hey, I'd like to go up with someone, but for just the day, not camp.

I could drive...

Far as the folks in your area...diff here is that ours were already ON the dole.

- OS

[Guest SUNTZU]

The people in my neighborhood are definitely on the dole. Maybe some of the ones who moved in aren't, I don't know. Most of them don't come out til evening and on into the night.

[BBill_TN]

Oh Shoot,

I was serious about missing Knoxville; just not that part of it I guess. For towns that size I can't think of anywhere I would rather be, with its proximity to the mountains. I just learned to keep my head up and pay a little better attention to my surroundings there. I was there from 90-95 and 98-01; I think that job corp brought a lot of undersirables close to campus. Maybe one day I can afford to retire back to East TN.

[Oh Shoot]

Oh Shoot, ...I think that job corp brought a lot of undersirables close to campus....

Oh yeah, had forgotten about the Job Corps thing, there was at least one highly publicized murder re that and a UT student I remember.

Anyway, it's long gone. There's one in Memphis, where it belongs.

And one in Bristol, where maybe it doesn't.

But actually, the Western/College/University avenue area is of course pretty close to campus, but has actually improved some.

- OS

Edited March 9, 2009 by OhShoot