I think I almost witnessed a shooting last night.

fastfredracing · 08-10-2012, 04:01 AM

We have one tenant who is terrible pay. She finally called me back and said she had cash. I said I would be right down. I usually don't go in that area after dark. But wanted to close this chapter before we go on vacation next week.
Sitting at the red light, ready to turn down into our little area of the neighborhood. There is an explorer blocking the intersection, and a large Black man, and a smaller white guy about my size appear to be talking. I cannot hear what they are saying, and am not really alarmed at this point. The big colored guy lunges at the white guy, and the white guy retreats. When he does, the black guy turns around to get back in his car. Then the white guy just explodes. Just like in the movies, he rips off his shirt, ( he is covered in tats, I saw a large swastika) and pulls a gun out of his waistline, and calls out the whole car. He is pointing the the gun, into the car, ready to fire, and I hear him saying C'mon, get out , c'mon tough guy, do it, do it. He looked and sounded crazy, scared, and serious.
I was far enough away , that I was probably not in harms way, but still scary stuff. Fortunately, I never heard the rat a tat tat, and decided to go around, and go a different way. You have to drive through a few shady intersections to get at our places. This was at one of those.
There were bad storms last night, and it just so happens that the power was out when this happened. It was an erie scene, all the street, and house lights were out, and the neighborhood was black at this point.
I have spent a ton of time in this area, and even used to live there at one point, I was never scared before, and have gotten to know a lot of the neighbors. Up to this point, was in my comfort zone in this neighborhood. This was a little bit of an eye opener for me. I can't stop thinking about it. Traci hates it when I go down there after work.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

You need to move. Seriously.

fastfredracing · 08-10-2012, 04:34 AM

I don't live there. I live way out in the country far from all this bs. I takes me 40 minutes to get there. I have said it before, this is not a bad area, just a typical city neighborhood in the Burgh. All the so called nice areas, are bordered by the bad areas. We are sort of in the middle. My Brother , and Sister in law live in one of the desirable areas, but they are right next to some of the worst areas. Their neighborhood gets robbed regularly , because they have the loot. I lived there in my early 20's . No way I would ever live there again, not with a family.

Baz · Baz's Garage

Humans are going to eventually wipe themselves off the map.

There's really nothing to stop that from happening....

Glad you were only a witness to this Fred.

Great story - better than HBO.

genrex · 08-10-2012, 04:53 AM

Maybe you should read your own posts. Your sentences conflict with each other. You are basically arguing with yourself. It's fine, but it's not fine. You're worried, but you're not worried. You don't live there, but you've chosen a a lifestyle in which you're often there because of business, or a brother who chooses to live there and you choose to visit him there. I think Traci is expressing her feelings about these choices, but you're not listening to what she's saying. Something to think about...

_

dhoward · dhoward's Garage

Crazy white guys. They're out there.

sc_rufctr · 08-10-2012, 05:08 AM

Scary stuff.

speeder · 08-10-2012, 06:45 AM

That sounds like just some random weirdness unless you regularly have white supremacists getting in beefs with blacks in intersections. The more I read about middle America on this board, the gladder I am for where I live.

Eric 951 · 08-10-2012, 06:48 AM

which neighborhood? Hill District, N. side?

fastfredracing · 08-10-2012, 06:54 AM

Observatory hill, North side. My dad grew up here, and I can remember the area as a little boy. Was a really nice little city community. If you are from the area, you know,that this is a mixed area. Some beautiful houses, some decent middle class neighborhoods, and some ghetto. It gets worse the further you head in towards the city. This was at the intersection of where the old Kuhn's Market was , two blocks north of Perry High school. There was a shooting at this corner last summer. Victim crawled into the little store, and bled out. I have been working in this area for over 10 years, and this is the first time I have witnessed anything, although I am very aware of where the smack dealers are at, and I know which areas, I have no business being anywhere near.

9dreizig · 08-10-2012, 06:59 AM

Fred,, did you really just use the term "colored guy" ??

fastfredracing · 08-10-2012, 07:00 AM

I did , and I took a bunch a flak for doing it here before. I was trying to be pc, so please don't flame me.

9dreizig · 08-10-2012, 07:10 AM

I would NEVER flame anyone with 2 930's ( we're a rare bread)

Eric 951 · 08-10-2012, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Observatory hill, North side. My dad grew up here, and I can remember the area as a little boy. Was a really nice little city community. If you are from the area, you know,that this is a mixed area. Some beautiful houses, some decent middle class neighborhoods, and some ghetto. It gets worse the further you head in towards the city. This was at the intersection of where the old Kuhn's Market was , two blocks north of Perry High school. There was a shooting at this corner last summer. Victim crawled into the little store, and bled out. I have been working in this area for over 10 years, and this is the first time I have witnessed anything, although I am very aware of where the smack dealers are at, and I know which areas, I have no business being anywhere near.

I know where you are talking about. It's a shame too--there are some really nice older homes around there. Buddies of mine used to live in Village in the Park apt. complex--the whole area has really been going downhill, instead of in the right direction (like Lawrenceville)

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by 9dreizig

I would NEVER flame anyone with 2 930's ( we're a rare bread)

No, you're not. Sourdough donuts? Now there's a rare bread.

porwolf · 08-10-2012, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhoward

Crazy white guys. They're out there.

Too many of them, still "law-abiding", with too much legal fire power.

gprsh924 · 08-10-2012, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

That sounds like just some random weirdness unless you regularly have white supremacists getting in beefs with blacks in intersections. The more I read about middle America on this board, the gladder I am for where I live.

Yea because there's no random weirdness or violence in LA

speeder · 08-10-2012, 03:47 PM

Well, I've never seen anything like that. Only in the midwest. Watch COPS sometime, most of your inbred white people are in the heartland.

fastfredracing · 08-10-2012, 04:11 PM

I don't think that Pittsburgh can even qualify for the terms " heartland", or the "midwest" . You have to go 5 hours west before you can start to make those claims.
The worst of the worst ghetto neighborhoods here do not even come close to some of the places I have seen in California, and other places.