I guess I don't have any modern street sense

[Zeke]

It's 3:30 AM this morning and I am awakened by loud voices. I pretty much know the source, so I walk out into the backyard and look up at the apartment building behind my house. There I see these 2 dirtbags (one whom I know because he's lived there for a couple of years) each smoking a cigarette. The one reaches over with his match and lights the other's cigarette. This bright orange flame appears; this ain't no common Marlboro. I'm thinking this is crack, but I've never been around the stuff. Sound about right?

I did some Google and couldn't really see much about the flame itself. Maybe some of you with law enforcement experience have seen this first hand.

I called the cops anyway because of the music and loud potty mouth talk. I checked back today at the police station to see if the cops did go and what they did. Nothing. But, it got quiet, which is all I wanted.

Well, you know where I live, in a sewer of a city. I actually live in one the half way decent neighborhoods, but far from one of the rich ones. We don't get much respect around here, but it's better than 75% of the place, where I wouldn't go after dark.

Maybe someday I can get away from this *****.

[scottmandue]

I never did the stuff but AFAIK you smoke crack out of a pipe and it smells really bad.

He might have been smoking a joint (weed).

[cbeers]

I think crack needs a torch. (courtesy of older brother in action)

What did you see exactly? Just the flame that was weird?

Was it a pipe? could have been most anything in there really......

I feel for you though Milt, I hate that kind of sheeite.

-Chris

[unimog406]

don't know, don't want to know

[the]

U evar see the D.O.G.G. in the LBC?

[Zeke]

They smoke j's all the time. I didn't get a whiff of that. I thought there were things people dipped their cigs into, or packed into the end. I just don't know about the new street drugs.

Doesn't matter, really, I just didn't want to look like a muddling old fool in front of the cops. At this point I'm going to do whatever it takes to get these people out of here. This guy's father lives on the corner and lets his doper son live in a garage top apt that is not legal. Last month, the 30 YO kid was on the phone with his mother (divorced) when he talked of suicide, then passed out while on the phone. Thinking the worst, the mother calls 911 and sends the brigade to this garage top hovel.

So, today, I spent the entire day informing each and every city department about what they don't tell each other. Like, no address on the unit, as it is illegal. Numerous calls to 911, but the community betterment officer never hears about the hot spots until someone puts a map in front of him. And, the building department about the code violation. They'd never heard a thing.

This is what's wrong with a city this size. It's understaffed, mostly phone recorders and menus when you call. Hell, the offices of the animal control are only open to the public 4 days a week. This in a city of half a million people and probably near that in dogs, not to mention cats, rats, possums, raccoons and diseased crows.

[M.D. Holloway]

Milt - you need a small butane torch to fire it up. It would be a blue flame ending out yellow. You would then see a red glow. This would last about 10 to 15 seconds. The smell would not be that noticable but if you did get a wiff it would not be anything you would recognize. I do not think they would get all that loud if that were 'smok'n rock'. Normally it makes people somewhat quite when they catch the buzz. They start build up some energy after a few hits then normally don't want to hang back and relax they want some sort of action and get right mobile. You can spot them in clubs. Its not a typical coke rush, its a bit more psychotic.

My guess is they were steaming down a a spike.

[Zeke]

Well, I guess I'm really out of the loop because I have no idea what "steaming down a spike" is. I tried a couple or 3 Googles on that too, but I didn't get many hits. Heroin? I'm tellin' ya, I'm standing in my yard watching this go down and the first thing that triggers me is that 2 guys don't stand in the middle of the room, in front of a window, light up exactly at the same time with one providing the fire. Never thought of the torch deal, do those come sorta compact these days? If so, that's what they had. A full on Bic won't do it?

I know these idiots do crack because they have in the past gotten drunk and yelled out about who's the biggest crack head. I confronted the 30 YO one day 6 months ago in the alley and noticed his eyes were like pin holes. He gave me some (a lot of) lip and I had to hold on to my hat as hard as I could, otherwise I'd have bloodied him real bad.

So far, no jail for me, but I'm getting close to letting it all go to feel my fists breaking teeth and bones. Most of you have no idea what it's like to live in the "most diverse city in America." It's a 3rd world country right here under your nose and the disease is spreading. 10 years ago this was all the opposite of what it is today. I got caught up owning a house that went up in value 5 fold in that time. Now down one of the 5 points (5 months).

[strupgolf]

Originally posted by LubeMaster77
Milt - you need a small butane torch to fire it up. It would be a blue flame ending out yellow. You would then see a red glow. This would last about 10 to 15 seconds. The smell would not be that noticable but if you did get a wiff it would not be anything you would recognize. I do not think they would get all that loud if that were 'smok'n rock'. Normally it makes people somewhat quite when they catch the buzz. They start build up some energy after a few hits then normally don't want to hang back and relax they want some sort of action and get right mobile. You can spot them in clubs. Its not a typical coke rush, its a bit more psychotic.
e
My guess is they were steaming down a a spik. Maybe I'm old, but they were "steaming down a spike". What the hell does that mean.

[the]

Originally posted by milt
Most of you have no idea what it's like to live in the "most diverse city in America."

Doesn't look so diverse.

[Zeke]

the, you would think, but find one that matches this:

35.8% Hispanic, 33.1% White, 14.5% Black,. 11.9% Asian, and 4.7% all other ethnicities. (from the US Census and that was SEVEN years ago)

[pwd72s]

Milt? Time for you to leave...it'll only get worse. Not that life is a whole lot better up here in the people's republik of Oregon. To tell ya the truth? A dumpy trailer hidden behind a hill in the Nevada desert sounds better all the time. But it had damned well better be at least 200 miles from any casino town...

[Zeke]

We've been over this before. Yeah, time to leave. Sounds easy. I have no family ties left, I could go anywhere. I did leave CA for 2 different towns of 25K pop in 2 years: Talladega AL and Boulder City NV. No work for Milt in small closely held towns. I was lucky I survived. CA has been easy pickin's for the better part of 10 years. BUT, my wife is in the good job situation that pays the health ins ( about a grand/mo. on the open market) and we can ride that into the Medicare sunset (or storm, if you will).

I'd love to leave the sewer, but I'm trapped. The thing is, we have no guarantees in life. The stress here will surely kill me me in less than 10 years. I could sell and relocate and die in 5. That would just leave grandma further from her little loves.

Yeah, I'm ****ing trapped here with the dregs of life. Oh, I could move to OC. Gag me with a spoon.

[onlycafe]

milt , start smokin' it yourself, you'll soon fit right in.

[DavidI]

Milt, contact Long Beach Police Department and ask for the "Community Relations Officer" or "Community Oriented Police" Team. One of these two can help solve your problem. They may be able to abate the house or encourage an eviction. The long term problem is that it moves the problem from one location to another. If you think they are smoking/doing dope, contact the Long Beach Police Narcotics Crew. Talk to the Team Sergeant and offer any assistance you have such as using your house to see the illegal activity. I have done several surveillances regarding dope sales called in by neighbors. They have allowed me to use their home, let me eat dinner, and we solved their neighborhood problem. You can do this anonymously as well.

Good luck and PM me if you think I can help you out, David

[LakeCleElum]

Milt - David is a good guy and will do what he can.

On the other hand, with your skills, move to WA. state and you will have more work than you can handle. Everyone's crying for a craftsman like you. Dunno what your wife does, but she could get work, I'm sure.....You need to move to "Lake Cle Elum", and relax a bit....Plenty of work around here.......Calif weather is great, but you couldn't get me to live there for all the tea at the Boston tea party!!!!!!

[TWork]

Me thinks someone's watching a little to much PBS' 'Drug Wars'...

Originally posted by LubeMaster77
Milt - you need a small butane torch to fire it up. It would be a blue flame ending out yellow. You would then see a red glow. This would last about 10 to 15 seconds. The smell would not be that noticable but if you did get a wiff it would not be anything you would recognize. I do not think they would get all that loud if that were 'smok'n rock'. Normally it makes people somewhat quite when they catch the buzz. They start build up some energy after a few hits then normally don't want to hang back and relax they want some sort of action and get right mobile. You can spot them in clubs. Its not a typical coke rush, its a bit more psychotic.

My guess is they were steaming down a a spike.

[juanbenae]

where there's crack there's crack ho's!

[RickM]

Maybe they're smoking Meth. Seen it on the show "Interventions".

Looks like the smoke off aluminum foil, a glass pipe...whatever is handy.

[Kemo]

Milt,

Packup and make your way to Austin...we could use a few more Pelicanites. Its a fairly diverse city, smaller, and about as green as it gets.

You might catch a few 65yr old hippies smoking weed or maybe a nude guy playing some bongos on his porch in Tarrytown. Outside that, its a fairly quiet city. Dont forget your bicycle