Green light

"Braxus" > wrote in message
...
|
| >>I'm more worried about the ones that don't know "red" means stop.
|
| Reminds me of a time we came to a stop light. Car full of guys pulls out
| behind us. They get out and start knocking on our windows. We ran the red
at
| that point. We had no clue who they were either.
|

That is REALLY weird.
REALLY! :::shudder:::

Maybe it was a variation of a chinese quick stop...??

I would have ran the red light too!

SVTKate wrote:
> "Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote in message
> ...
> | SVTKate wrote:
> | > "Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote
> | > |
> | > | I'm more worried about the ones that don't know "red" means stop.
> | >
> | > But EVERYONE knows that yellow means Go Faster.. right?
> |
> | You need to stop thinking like that now that you're living in the
> | easy-going Midwest. You should never pull out of an intersection where
> | a car is any closer than 1/4 mile from the intersection. That's the
> | rules of engagement in Indiana where I grew up. I'm a holy terror on
> | the streets when I go back home now after living near Washington, DC for
> | the last 20 years.
>
> Umm...
> this is the Mid South
> and let me tell you, they are the frigging WORST
>
> I am beginning to hate it here.
> Love my place, so much other stuff to adapt to.
> I don't know how people do it that move from the US to another country!
> I'm having culture shock right here!

I had similar problems when I moved to the DC area right out of college.
I spent the first 22 years of my life in a county that had less than
20,000 people living in it. After 4-5 years it become home to me. I
don't know if I could take the slower pace of life there now. I do
think it would be harder for me to move back there and adjust now than
is was to move here 20 years ago.

SVTKate wrote:
> "Braxus" > wrote in message
> ...
> |
> | >>I'm more worried about the ones that don't know "red" means stop.
> |
> | Reminds me of a time we came to a stop light. Car full of guys pulls out
> | behind us. They get out and start knocking on our windows. We ran the red
> at
> | that point. We had no clue who they were either.
> |
>
> That is REALLY weird.
> REALLY! :::shudder:::
>
> Maybe it was a variation of a chinese quick stop...??
>
> I would have ran the red light too!

One night about 15 years ago I was showing a friend of mine from Indiana
the wilder side of DC in my Triumph Spitfire. We intended to stop at a
Safeway on 14th street to get a disposable camera and I notice a gang of
about 10-12 guys waving me over to them in the parking lot. I decided
to abort the camera purchase mission and keep going. I then noticed
they started running toward the car and I was caught behind 3 cars at a
red light! It's amazing how fast your mind can think in these types of
situations. I decided to run the car up on the sidewalk and get the
hell out of there! I went a full block before I could get back on the
road. The gang actually got within about 20' from the car before I was
able to pull away from them.

"Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote
|
| I had similar problems when I moved to the DC area right out of college.
| I spent the first 22 years of my life in a county that had less than
| 20,000 people living in it. After 4-5 years it become home to me. I
| don't know if I could take the slower pace of life there now. I do
| think it would be harder for me to move back there and adjust now than
| is was to move here 20 years ago.

It's not the slower pace.
It's so many other things.
I could complain for a page and a half though, and it wouldn't change a
thing.

Hopefully, I will get used to it. If not in a year or so, I'm putting a for
sale sign in the front yard.

Kate

"Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote
::snip::

The gang actually got within about 20' from the car before I was
| able to pull away from them.

I would have had to change my drawers after that.

Why do you think they were doing that? Seriously.
Sometimes I am pretty naive.

Kate

SVTKate wrote:
> "Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote
> ::snip::
>
> The gang actually got within about 20' from the car before I was
> | able to pull away from them.
>
> I would have had to change my drawers after that.
>
> Why do you think they were doing that? Seriously.
> Sometimes I am pretty naive.

At that time 14th Street was a major haven for drug dealers, hookers and
pimps and about any other degenerate living in DC. I think they saw two
cornbread fed Hoosiers and planned to either sell us drugs or get any
money we had by any means necessary. I had made direct eye contact with
several of them and then proceeded to ignore them. I think that is what
got the whole mess started. Also, my friend and I were probably the
only whites in the area which really made us stick out like a sore
thumb. Especially, driving a Triumph Spitfire with the top down. We
had "out of town" written all over us which probably translated to "easy
mark" to that gang. Initially though, I think they assumed we were
trying to score drugs.

DC is a rather strange place. There are parts of it that are as bad as
it can get for any major city. However, if you stay around the
monuments, White House, Capital etc. you could walk around at any time
of the day or night and feel about as safe as if you're walking around
your own back yard. The transition from one area to the next can happen
in the distance of a couple of blocks.

SVTKate wrote:
> "Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote
> |
> | I had similar problems when I moved to the DC area right out of college.
> | I spent the first 22 years of my life in a county that had less than
> | 20,000 people living in it. After 4-5 years it become home to me. I
> | don't know if I could take the slower pace of life there now. I do
> | think it would be harder for me to move back there and adjust now than
> | is was to move here 20 years ago.
>
> It's not the slower pace.
> It's so many other things.
> I could complain for a page and a half though, and it wouldn't change a
> thing.
>
> Hopefully, I will get used to it. If not in a year or so, I'm putting a for
> sale sign in the front yard.


If I were to retire now I would have to move to the Carolinas to live.
Every time I have been there I just fall in love with that area all over
again. The weather is nice, people are friendly, mountains are close,
beach is close, lots of water for fishing/boating etc.

In the 60s, DC had, within blocks of the Capital and other touristy
places, the worst crime ridden slums in the nation. Well, actually,
they probably were not the worst, but the contrast between the tourist
safe parts of the city and the slummy parts was so great that it made
them seem worse. It is strange that the city which is supposed the
shining example of democracy should allow anything to tarnish it's
image. That was 40 years ago. I had thought there was a move to clean
it up but perhaps Marion Berry needed sources closer to home and
brought 'em back.


On Wed, 25 May 2005 10:57:36 -0400, "Michael Johnson, PE"
> wrote:

>SVTKate wrote:
>> "Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote
>> ::snip::
>>
>> The gang actually got within about 20' from the car before I was
>> | able to pull away from them.
>>
>> I would have had to change my drawers after that.
>>
>> Why do you think they were doing that? Seriously.
>> Sometimes I am pretty naive.
>
>At that time 14th Street was a major haven for drug dealers, hookers and
>pimps and about any other degenerate living in DC. I think they saw two
>cornbread fed Hoosiers and planned to either sell us drugs or get any
>money we had by any means necessary. I had made direct eye contact with
>several of them and then proceeded to ignore them. I think that is what
>got the whole mess started. Also, my friend and I were probably the
>only whites in the area which really made us stick out like a sore
>thumb. Especially, driving a Triumph Spitfire with the top down. We
>had "out of town" written all over us which probably translated to "easy
>mark" to that gang. Initially though, I think they assumed we were
>trying to score drugs.
>
>DC is a rather strange place. There are parts of it that are as bad as
>it can get for any major city. However, if you stay around the
>monuments, White House, Capital etc. you could walk around at any time
>of the day or night and feel about as safe as if you're walking around
>your own back yard. The transition from one area to the next can happen
>in the distance of a couple of blocks.

Hey! Spikey Likes IT!
1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok
Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior
Vintage 40 Wheels 16X8"
w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A Radial 225/50ZR16

In the last 5-10 years DC has made some significant gains. They have
shaken off the effects of Marion Barry for the most part and are
financially much better off. Rumor has it though that old Marion will
run in the next Mayor's election and I bet he would win in a landslide.
He already sits on the City Council and he won that seat with close to
90% of the votes in his ward.

Spike wrote:
> In the 60s, DC had, within blocks of the Capital and other touristy
> places, the worst crime ridden slums in the nation. Well, actually,
> they probably were not the worst, but the contrast between the tourist
> safe parts of the city and the slummy parts was so great that it made
> them seem worse. It is strange that the city which is supposed the
> shining example of democracy should allow anything to tarnish it's
> image. That was 40 years ago. I had thought there was a move to clean
> it up but perhaps Marion Berry needed sources closer to home and
> brought 'em back.
>
>
> On Wed, 25 May 2005 10:57:36 -0400, "Michael Johnson, PE"
> > wrote:
>
>
>>SVTKate wrote:
>>
>>>"Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote
>>>::snip::
>>>
>>>The gang actually got within about 20' from the car before I was
>>>| able to pull away from them.
>>>
>>>I would have had to change my drawers after that.
>>>
>>>Why do you think they were doing that? Seriously.
>>>Sometimes I am pretty naive.
>>
>>At that time 14th Street was a major haven for drug dealers, hookers and
>>pimps and about any other degenerate living in DC. I think they saw two
>>cornbread fed Hoosiers and planned to either sell us drugs or get any
>>money we had by any means necessary. I had made direct eye contact with
>>several of them and then proceeded to ignore them. I think that is what
>>got the whole mess started. Also, my friend and I were probably the
>>only whites in the area which really made us stick out like a sore
>>thumb. Especially, driving a Triumph Spitfire with the top down. We
>>had "out of town" written all over us which probably translated to "easy
>>mark" to that gang. Initially though, I think they assumed we were
>>trying to score drugs.
>>
>>DC is a rather strange place. There are parts of it that are as bad as
>>it can get for any major city. However, if you stay around the
>>monuments, White House, Capital etc. you could walk around at any time
>>of the day or night and feel about as safe as if you're walking around
>>your own back yard. The transition from one area to the next can happen
>>in the distance of a couple of blocks.
>
>
> Hey! Spikey Likes IT!
> 1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok
> Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior
> Vintage 40 Wheels 16X8"
> w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A Radial 225/50ZR16

Why he gets elected is fairly obvious based on the population makeup
of DC. Similar conditions exist in Cincinnati, OH.

Even with a cleanup program, and I am glad for that, my guess is it
has not changed all that much as to who lives where. The ones with the
bucks (no pun intended) live in Maryland, Delaware, or the "special"
DC areas.

Apparently, during the cleanup, they missed all those Senators and
Congressmen, 'cause I see they are still there. : ) LOL

On Wed, 25 May 2005 23:19:43 -0400, "Michael Johnson, PE"
> wrote:

>In the last 5-10 years DC has made some significant gains. They have
>shaken off the effects of Marion Barry for the most part and are
>financially much better off. Rumor has it though that old Marion will
>run in the next Mayor's election and I bet he would win in a landslide.
> He already sits on the City Council and he won that seat with close to
>90% of the votes in his ward.
>
>Spike wrote:
>> In the 60s, DC had, within blocks of the Capital and other touristy
>> places, the worst crime ridden slums in the nation. Well, actually,
>> they probably were not the worst, but the contrast between the tourist
>> safe parts of the city and the slummy parts was so great that it made
>> them seem worse. It is strange that the city which is supposed the
>> shining example of democracy should allow anything to tarnish it's
>> image. That was 40 years ago. I had thought there was a move to clean
>> it up but perhaps Marion Berry needed sources closer to home and
>> brought 'em back.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, 25 May 2005 10:57:36 -0400, "Michael Johnson, PE"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>
>>>SVTKate wrote:
>>>
>>>>"Michael Johnson, PE" > wrote
>>>>::snip::
>>>>
>>>>The gang actually got within about 20' from the car before I was
>>>>| able to pull away from them.
>>>>
>>>>I would have had to change my drawers after that.
>>>>
>>>>Why do you think they were doing that? Seriously.
>>>>Sometimes I am pretty naive.
>>>
>>>At that time 14th Street was a major haven for drug dealers, hookers and
>>>pimps and about any other degenerate living in DC. I think they saw two
>>>cornbread fed Hoosiers and planned to either sell us drugs or get any
>>>money we had by any means necessary. I had made direct eye contact with
>>>several of them and then proceeded to ignore them. I think that is what
>>>got the whole mess started. Also, my friend and I were probably the
>>>only whites in the area which really made us stick out like a sore
>>>thumb. Especially, driving a Triumph Spitfire with the top down. We
>>>had "out of town" written all over us which probably translated to "easy
>>>mark" to that gang. Initially though, I think they assumed we were
>>>trying to score drugs.
>>>
>>>DC is a rather strange place. There are parts of it that are as bad as
>>>it can get for any major city. However, if you stay around the
>>>monuments, White House, Capital etc. you could walk around at any time
>>>of the day or night and feel about as safe as if you're walking around
>>>your own back yard. The transition from one area to the next can happen
>>>in the distance of a couple of blocks.
>>
>>
>> Hey! Spikey Likes IT!
>> 1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok
>> Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior
>> Vintage 40 Wheels 16X8"
>> w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A Radial 225/50ZR16

Hey! Spikey Likes IT!
1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok
Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior
Vintage 40 Wheels 16X8"
w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A Radial 225/50ZR16