Preface: I am currently in New York City, here to attend my daughter's Quincinera (though it will not be in the city).
Now...Since I came to New York on this trip, it has been more or less heavy snow. I love it, I tend to frequent tropical locales and try as you might you cannot cool off. It does NOT help things that I am a person who sweats extra heavily even without my opiate/opioid addiction. In cold weather though you simply pile on layers of clothes. The best thing, in New York, is the streets aren't crowded. This is great for me because I am a magnet for street drama.
If you haven't seen my profile photo I look like I am European, and am usually in the "hood" when I am in New York. The South Bronx is very tame compared to my youth but it still isn't a playground by any measure. An example...Yesterday I was on my way to the methadone clinic (in the US I am forced to enroll for my visits) to pick up my 5 bottles. It was early, I cannot go until after 12PM (12 to 630PM). I decided to go to the library. I walk in, get on the internet (I get tired of using handhelds).
I sit down. Immediately across from me is a kid, 18 or 19 maybe. Standing next to him is his friend, same age. Both are Puerto Rican but speaking in English:
PC Kid: Yo my nigga! Dem bitches aint doing shit! Whoa! Look at dis bitch's tits! Dem shits is sagging yo!
His Friend: Fuck it ma nigga, allz I'm seein' is dat pussy anywayz so what the fuck I care about a bitch's tits!!!?
PC Kid: Yo fa real ma nigga! Yooooooo!
At this point I very calmly and nicely ask them to speak quietly since elderly, women and children are also there. Sensing I am soft because I speak calmly, and appear to be a "whiteboy" they blow me off...
PC Kid (talking to his friend): Yo nigga I know this nigga aint talkin to me! Who da fuck he think he is?
I am not Rambo. I am only 5 foot 8 (in American speak), not particularly muscle bound, but hyper-aggressiveness is bred into me from my decade active service, etc. In the "West Bank" or Gaza you speak calmly and with respect BUT IF it isn't immediately reciprocated you need to immediately establish boundries firmly. In that vein I established my boundries:
Me:Yo motha-fucka you run your mouth to me I'll stomp your young ass in a heartbeat, I aint ya fucken friend, ya feel me?
Safe to say neither one of them expected that response. The people there, including 3 librarians didn't say a fuckem word or even look at them. All that "pussy-pussy/fuck-fuck" talk was taking place and noone had heart to say shit. I would like to think I did it for other people but behavior like that is like nails on the chalkboard to me.
So PC Kid only mumbles now and his froend was trying to grt him to shut up. They go outside. 2 or 3 minutes re-enter and back to the PC. I know not to make rye contact and press his pride, as long as he mumbles I let him get that off. Then an elderly Latino mam enters and sits beside PC Kid. The kids won't curse now but begin talking louder about nonsense. As long as the "pussy-pussy/fuck-fuck" stays gone I'm cool. The old man though? He speaks to PC Kid loudly in Spanish, telling him to calm diwn, no reason to get excited. PC Kid turns, for 2 or 3 seconds eyeballs the old man like he's about to talk wise. I'm thinking I'm just going to have to wax that young ass when PC Kid says , " Yo, you got that pops." Continuing in Spanish he says Latinos have to look out for Latinos," and laughs saying it and eaises his head and looks directly at me thinking I don't understand Spanish. My English is accented but my Spanish is perfect:
"Hoye, quires algo conmigo nene?" (Hey, kid u want something from me?)
He literally said, " Ohhhhhhhh shittttttt!" Hahaha. About 20 seconds later he realised he had me pegged incorrectly and maybe there were other unexpected things.
The old man look at me and said in Spanish, "These kids just have no respect."
I answered matter of factly, in Spanish, "I know sir. I have 7 children and my 4 eldest are older than these 2 kids."
Then PC Kid tried to salvage hus burgeoning manhood: "Yo nigga this nigga really thinking I'm soft" (but not saying it loudly. Then his friend finally decided to say something to me:
"Aint nobody soft here mistah. You thing wrong mistah."
Me: (Contuing to type on the PC) "OK, anything else?"
At this point the main librarian decided to chime in. Even I was suprised when she said, " Take it outside." I would have thought that she would have threatened to have the kids arrested but she sounded like she was encouraging a fight haha. Her 2 clerks then said the same thing, "Take it outside." So the 2 kids told me that when I come out they will "fuck me up." I said, "OK papa, mwaaah" and gave a kiss. I put my Blackberry in my Carhart's inside pocket. Double tied my workboots and tucked the ends inside, zipped my hoodie and Carhart and was outside in about 60 seconds. I expected to throw down but they weren't even in sight. I looked around and what do I see? The 3 librarians and other faces looking with anticipation. I turned to the window where the 3 women librarians had their beady eyes and coughed up some nice phlegm and spit it on the window and scared the shit out of them hahaha.
Treat me nice I treat you nicer, treat me bad and I treat you BADDEST" as the Jewish proverb goes. Co-incidentally that is the library where my Sidekick was stolen precipitating another "situation."
OK, I later thought about it as I walked to the clinic and I was angry with myself. The library is literally 2 blocks from the 40th Police Precinct. If I won, or lost, I would have been jailed either way if those shit heads were under age 18. The fact that both were easily over 6 feet and that they walked with pants around their asses, there is no legal excuse unless they jumped me without my saying a word. Then I can kill them but what I dud was simply stupid.
I went to the clinic. As I wait for my number to be called and pick up my bottles I saw something that cheered me up. A woman walks to the counter where the numbers are handed out and turns ib a bottle of methadone she had just found. I would have bet money no addict would do that. It's akin to a junkie walking up to a dealer to return an extra 2 bags. My momentary cheer dissipated when the junkie who had lost it went to claim it and didn't even thank the girl! Typical in my mind.
So I left, took the subway. After switching trains I am about to take an empty seat when a Latino man tries to literally push me away and take it. I said excuse me calmly and shoulder checked him, knocking him half off his feet and then I sat down.
The "man" turned out to be a rather masculine looking man of about 50 (I am almost 44). He/she turned around 180 degrees (standing) and snered at me nodding his or her head as if to say, "Tsk, tsk, tsk." Stupidly I snarled, "What da fuck you lookin' at?" She kept nodding her head but didn't look at me again. I hate this city.
The thing is, when 1 person is at the center of a dynamic they are usually the defining factor. In other words, if I get into fights often it must be because of how I am. However, I travel the world and the only place that this EVER happens is New York City!
So...my conclusion is that it is having to do with American racism. I look like a white square and tend to be in the "hood." Racism cuts all different angles. Black on white, brown on white, whatever.
I get to leave very soon so it is all good, as long as I step outside of situations.
Now...Since I came to New York on this trip, it has been more or less heavy snow. I love it, I tend to frequent tropical locales and try as you might you cannot cool off. It does NOT help things that I am a person who sweats extra heavily even without my opiate/opioid addiction. In cold weather though you simply pile on layers of clothes. The best thing, in New York, is the streets aren't crowded. This is great for me because I am a magnet for street drama.
If you haven't seen my profile photo I look like I am European, and am usually in the "hood" when I am in New York. The South Bronx is very tame compared to my youth but it still isn't a playground by any measure. An example...Yesterday I was on my way to the methadone clinic (in the US I am forced to enroll for my visits) to pick up my 5 bottles. It was early, I cannot go until after 12PM (12 to 630PM). I decided to go to the library. I walk in, get on the internet (I get tired of using handhelds).
I sit down. Immediately across from me is a kid, 18 or 19 maybe. Standing next to him is his friend, same age. Both are Puerto Rican but speaking in English:
PC Kid: Yo my nigga! Dem bitches aint doing shit! Whoa! Look at dis bitch's tits! Dem shits is sagging yo!
His Friend: Fuck it ma nigga, allz I'm seein' is dat pussy anywayz so what the fuck I care about a bitch's tits!!!?
PC Kid: Yo fa real ma nigga! Yooooooo!
At this point I very calmly and nicely ask them to speak quietly since elderly, women and children are also there. Sensing I am soft because I speak calmly, and appear to be a "whiteboy" they blow me off...
PC Kid (talking to his friend): Yo nigga I know this nigga aint talkin to me! Who da fuck he think he is?
I am not Rambo. I am only 5 foot 8 (in American speak), not particularly muscle bound, but hyper-aggressiveness is bred into me from my decade active service, etc. In the "West Bank" or Gaza you speak calmly and with respect BUT IF it isn't immediately reciprocated you need to immediately establish boundries firmly. In that vein I established my boundries:
Me:Yo motha-fucka you run your mouth to me I'll stomp your young ass in a heartbeat, I aint ya fucken friend, ya feel me?
Safe to say neither one of them expected that response. The people there, including 3 librarians didn't say a fuckem word or even look at them. All that "pussy-pussy/fuck-fuck" talk was taking place and noone had heart to say shit. I would like to think I did it for other people but behavior like that is like nails on the chalkboard to me.
So PC Kid only mumbles now and his froend was trying to grt him to shut up. They go outside. 2 or 3 minutes re-enter and back to the PC. I know not to make rye contact and press his pride, as long as he mumbles I let him get that off. Then an elderly Latino mam enters and sits beside PC Kid. The kids won't curse now but begin talking louder about nonsense. As long as the "pussy-pussy/fuck-fuck" stays gone I'm cool. The old man though? He speaks to PC Kid loudly in Spanish, telling him to calm diwn, no reason to get excited. PC Kid turns, for 2 or 3 seconds eyeballs the old man like he's about to talk wise. I'm thinking I'm just going to have to wax that young ass when PC Kid says , " Yo, you got that pops." Continuing in Spanish he says Latinos have to look out for Latinos," and laughs saying it and eaises his head and looks directly at me thinking I don't understand Spanish. My English is accented but my Spanish is perfect:
"Hoye, quires algo conmigo nene?" (Hey, kid u want something from me?)
He literally said, " Ohhhhhhhh shittttttt!" Hahaha. About 20 seconds later he realised he had me pegged incorrectly and maybe there were other unexpected things.
The old man look at me and said in Spanish, "These kids just have no respect."
I answered matter of factly, in Spanish, "I know sir. I have 7 children and my 4 eldest are older than these 2 kids."
Then PC Kid tried to salvage hus burgeoning manhood: "Yo nigga this nigga really thinking I'm soft" (but not saying it loudly. Then his friend finally decided to say something to me:
"Aint nobody soft here mistah. You thing wrong mistah."
Me: (Contuing to type on the PC) "OK, anything else?"
At this point the main librarian decided to chime in. Even I was suprised when she said, " Take it outside." I would have thought that she would have threatened to have the kids arrested but she sounded like she was encouraging a fight haha. Her 2 clerks then said the same thing, "Take it outside." So the 2 kids told me that when I come out they will "fuck me up." I said, "OK papa, mwaaah" and gave a kiss. I put my Blackberry in my Carhart's inside pocket. Double tied my workboots and tucked the ends inside, zipped my hoodie and Carhart and was outside in about 60 seconds. I expected to throw down but they weren't even in sight. I looked around and what do I see? The 3 librarians and other faces looking with anticipation. I turned to the window where the 3 women librarians had their beady eyes and coughed up some nice phlegm and spit it on the window and scared the shit out of them hahaha.
Treat me nice I treat you nicer, treat me bad and I treat you BADDEST" as the Jewish proverb goes. Co-incidentally that is the library where my Sidekick was stolen precipitating another "situation."
OK, I later thought about it as I walked to the clinic and I was angry with myself. The library is literally 2 blocks from the 40th Police Precinct. If I won, or lost, I would have been jailed either way if those shit heads were under age 18. The fact that both were easily over 6 feet and that they walked with pants around their asses, there is no legal excuse unless they jumped me without my saying a word. Then I can kill them but what I dud was simply stupid.
I went to the clinic. As I wait for my number to be called and pick up my bottles I saw something that cheered me up. A woman walks to the counter where the numbers are handed out and turns ib a bottle of methadone she had just found. I would have bet money no addict would do that. It's akin to a junkie walking up to a dealer to return an extra 2 bags. My momentary cheer dissipated when the junkie who had lost it went to claim it and didn't even thank the girl! Typical in my mind.
So I left, took the subway. After switching trains I am about to take an empty seat when a Latino man tries to literally push me away and take it. I said excuse me calmly and shoulder checked him, knocking him half off his feet and then I sat down.
The "man" turned out to be a rather masculine looking man of about 50 (I am almost 44). He/she turned around 180 degrees (standing) and snered at me nodding his or her head as if to say, "Tsk, tsk, tsk." Stupidly I snarled, "What da fuck you lookin' at?" She kept nodding her head but didn't look at me again. I hate this city.
The thing is, when 1 person is at the center of a dynamic they are usually the defining factor. In other words, if I get into fights often it must be because of how I am. However, I travel the world and the only place that this EVER happens is New York City!
So...my conclusion is that it is having to do with American racism. I look like a white square and tend to be in the "hood." Racism cuts all different angles. Black on white, brown on white, whatever.
I get to leave very soon so it is all good, as long as I step outside of situations.
