New York City Now: It's John Lindsay Time! It really is happening! Last night on First Avenue and St. Mark's Place, I saw a cab driver and a passenger slug it out over her nonpayment of a fare. He tried to take her purse and clean her clock. She pretty much gave as good as she got. It was gnarly. This morning? There is BLOOD all over the sidewalk at Coyote Ugly on First Avenue between 9th and 10th Streets. Seriously. Blood! So let's check the stats from the NYPD. Oh, here we go! Last week in New York City, robberies were up 12% over the same period last year. Rapes were up 15%. Murders were up 40%! (Okay, tiny sample size on that—7 murders last week versus 5 last year.) There were 427 burglaries last week, up 4%. Anecdotally, there is graffiti where there was none before (including on, I'm noticing, USPS mailboxes). And friends are saying that they're hearing more and more about muggings. AND there are stalled construction projects all over, which are about to become dormitories for the homeless. I'm kind of excited! Also I may get a permit for a small Beretta. I appreciate a downturn but I'm not going to be a victim. And anyway, the New Old New York will need a New Bernie Goetz sooner or later. Since the last one has become a vegan kook.
You're happy about a return to misery? U R DUM. Think about how many poor people have to be made even poorer for crime statistics to go up. There's nothing romantic about crime -- it's the manifestation of a lot of misery in parts of the city where no one knows what the word "vegan" means.
—dave. November 21, 2008 1:05 AM.
No, U R DUM, troll.
Yes. I am excited that the bloating of New York is rolling to a stop.
Not excited about the stolen car stereos and the muggings.
But in actuality? The poor people will remain pretty much as poor as they are now. Or! LESS so, because things are becoming more affordable, so they're not spending $4 on milk. Meanwhile, it's the "middle class" and the rich who have/will have less money.
So does this mean I need to ask the government to send me some mugging money from the bailout pie? How much should I ask for?
—Michael R. Jackson. November 19, 2008 6:55 PM.You're happy about a return to misery? U R DUM. Think about how many poor people have to be made even poorer for crime statistics to go up. There's nothing romantic about crime -- it's the manifestation of a lot of misery in parts of the city where no one knows what the word "vegan" means.
—dave. November 21, 2008 1:05 AM.No, U R DUM, troll.
Yes. I am excited that the bloating of New York is rolling to a stop.
Not excited about the stolen car stereos and the muggings.
But in actuality? The poor people will remain pretty much as poor as they are now. Or! LESS so, because things are becoming more affordable, so they're not spending $4 on milk. Meanwhile, it's the "middle class" and the rich who have/will have less money.
—Choire. November 21, 2008 4:16 PM.