... the other Black experience
I just saw a guy get his ass kicked over twenty-five cents.
Twenty-five cents. Two dimes and a nickel. Two bits. Twenty five pennies. A quarter.
I walked into the Sheets Laundromat this morning around 7am to wash some clothes. It’s fairly new and attached to a Sheets gas station/ convenience store. It’s a fairly nice set up. You can buy your gas, beer, lottery tickets, cigarettes and Little Caesar’s Pizza at the same spot you wash your clothes. Very “urban”, I think. Just walk through the door of the glass partition that separates the store from the laundry and you’re in. You usually can’t do this though, because they keep the door locked because store shoplifters like to use it to make a quick exit through the laundry. This means you have to walk around the store and go through the laundry’s main entrance.
It’s one of those “pay to wash, dry for free” spots so it is pretty popular. It has little carts that are for transferring your laundry from the washers to the dryers. Chairs to sit on and two TV’s. One is usually tuned to Univision and the other to some English language program.
I always try my best to get in before 7am and be out by 8am. If you get in early enough it is a fairly nice and quick laundry experience. After that things can get sketchy. The early crowd is usually older people and immigrants. For the most part these people are pretty quiet.
A younger crowd normally starts rolling in around 8 with the clientele becoming increasingly hostile and rude as the day goes on. This is usually because the laundry attendant does not keep the people who just want to “dry for free” out. The paying customers are pissed because all the dryers are full. Why the people who want to get over and dry without paying don’t come in earlier I don’t know. Sometimes people will take possession over laundry carts and fight over them. Like I said before this place is “very urban” and that’s why I try to be in by 7 and out by 8.
I sat my clothes down and loaded a washer. It’s an unwritten rule that you gotta load the washer first to take possession of it. If you just set your laundry in front of a washer someone may move your clothes out of the way and load their stuff in and give you the “fuck you” look when you return.
I go up to the bill changer to get some quarters for the washer. There are two brothers in line ahead of me. They were just regular looking black guys. The first guy was sporting a low haircut covered by a somewhat worn looking baseball cap. He one of those full beards that have been in style since Rick Ross hit the scene. He had on a pair of blue work Dickies and a white button up shirt. From where I was standing it looked like the name of what ever company he worked for was stitched on the shoulder. He had on some Nikes that looked like they were well worn but well taken care of. The second guy was tall and slim with a head full of long dreads and trimmed mustache. He had on some faded jeans that surprisongly were'nt sagging even though he held his belt buckle like he was used to sagging and a wife beater that looked fresh out the pack. His shoes looked relatively clean and well taken care of; not new but not old. Neither of them were dressed up or down for the laundry. The looked like black guys anyone can see everyday working or playing or shopping in a balck neighborhood. They were just regular looking black guys.
The first guy puts his bills into the changer.The sound of the change dispensing into the slot is like a metallic waterfall. Clack,clack, clack, clack. Clack,clack, clack, clack. He scooped his change out and started to count his quarters while walking away. He took about three steps and turned around. By this time, the next guy in line is about to load in his money. The first guy says “Hey, man hold up before you put your dollar in there. I left a quarter in the slot. Let me get that out before you put your money in.” I look over the second guy's shoulder and sure enough, I can see the first guy's remaining quarter sitting in the slot. The second guy looks down at the slot and then looks at the first guy and says “There ain’t no quarter in there and if it is you lost out son.” Then he turns around and starts feeding a dollar into the bill changer. The second guy’s money is fairly worn so the changer rejects the bill. A second later, the first guy is standing next to the change machine.
“Hey man. I can see my quarter. I need my quarter.”
The second guy says, “I just put my dollar in that’s my quarter!”
I’m standing there thinking to myself "Nigga give the man his quarter so we can all get to washing clothes". I can’t understand why the second guy is making an issue over a quarter that is not his. The machine hadn’t accepted his bill yet. What’s the big deal?
The first guy reaches for the slot to extract his quarter but before he can, the second guy pushes him. The second guy throws his hand's up in the classic ghetto "what's up,nigga !" sign. That was a mistake. If I had not seen it I would not have believed so I know the second guy wasn’t expecting it.The first guy steps forward, drops down on one knee like he has practiced this move a million times and punches the second guy in the stomach knocking the wind out of him. While the second guy is doubled over, the first guy stands up, grabs the second guy by the hair and knees him in the head and then punches him in the jaw. The second guy is down for the count. Game over.
I hadn’t realized it but I had backed about 15 feet away. I surveyed the scene. Some of the customers seemed like they were in shock. I could see the Sheets employees standing next to the glass partition between the Laundromat and the store laughing and pointing at the guy on the floor. I see the first guy step over the second guy, who happens to be struggling to get up. He goes to the bill changer and extracts his quarter. He looks at me and then looks at second guy shaking his head and says “Muthafucka! Mu-tha-fu-cka! This shit over a fucking quarter.” I'm thinking he's about to start stomping the second guy when he turns around.
He goes over to the machine he had loaded his clothes into, takes them out and puts them into a bag then walks out the door. I can see him through the window as he gets into his white Dodge Neon and drives off.
The second guy finally gets up, pulls out his cell phone and calls the police. I’m pretty sure he stayed down until the other guy left. I’m pretty sure he did not want to get any more of that 25 cent ass kicking he had just had. By this time I had gotten my change and my clothes were already washing. About 20 minutes later the cops showed up. They talked to the guy and asked some other customers what happened. I hear several people who were there watching the whole thing say that they don’t know what happened. This is pretty typical in a black neighborhood. No one saw anything. No one wants to be involved. Eventually the cops get to me and ask me if I saw anything.
The cop says “That guy over there says he was robbed and beaten by another guy about 30 min ago. Did you see anything?”
“Yeah. The guy who got beaten wouldn’t give the guy who beat him up the quarter that he left in the changer. When guy who beat him tried to take his quarter out of the changer the guy who got beat up pushed Him. That’s when the guy who got beat up got knocked down. After that the guy who beat him up left.”
The cops looks up from the note pad he had been writing on and smirks.
“Can you describe him,” the cop asked. I said “He was a black guy. I didn’t see his face.”
The cop said “Can I get your name and number?”
I gave him a fake name and an out of state number. I told him I was in town for a funeral and would be leaving that afternoon. He said “Thanks, Mr. Morris,” and walked back over to another cop and started talking. I got my clothes out the dryer and bounced.
I’m sitting here at the crib now and I still can’t understand why the second guy just wouldn’t give the first guy the quarter. Why would you risk getting into an altercation over a quarter that isn’t even yours?
Copyright K. Jones
Permalink Reply by PolarVibez on Well, hell it was a quater! A whole quater! Like that can buy you....wait.......you can't buy shit with a quater nowdays. Like that dosen't even almost get you anything. So yeah, I don't get it either.Other than the fact that the guy just wanted to be a tuff guy asshole and it backfired on him. Classic boondocks nigga moment or when keepin' it real goes wrong. I think he got what he deserved and hopefully he learned a valuble lesson.
I like those racthet ass combinations of businesses that only happen in the hood. Like in one place you can get your hair did, and then in the next room cash your check, get a phone card and buy a fish samich and forty for lunch at the same time...lol... That laundromat/liquor store/gas station/bodega/pizzeria sounds like a fine establishment that people are taking for granted. :) and people wonder why black folks can't have anything. smh :)
Permalink Reply by Felicia on I'm puzzled about the fact that you seemed a little judgemental about the other patrons not wanting to get involved, yet after you spoke to the police you gave them a fake name and phone number. What was the point in that? You may as well acted as if you didn't see anything either. This whole "Stop Snitching" propaganda is for the birds.
While I may not be a full supporter of any local law enforcement, I now understand the point of thier frustration in regards to policing "urban areas" as you say. How can police be expected to protect anyone against crime if no one's even willing to report it? Or better yet how can you complain about the deteriation of your neighborhood when you aren't even willing to take the steps to protect it?
P.S. Stories like this make me not want to live on this planet anymore.
Funny stuff.
PolarVibez said:
Well, hell it was a quater! A whole quater! Like that can buy you....wait.......you can't buy shit with a quater nowdays. Like that dosen't even almost get you anything. So yeah, I don't get it either.Other than the fact that the guy just wanted to be a tuff guy asshole and it backfired on him. Classic boondocks nigga moment or when keepin' it real goes wrong. I think he got what he deserved and hopefully he learned a valuble lesson.
I like those racthet ass combinations of businesses that only happen in the hood. Like in one place you can get your hair did, and then in the next room cash your check, get a phone card and buy a fish samich and forty for lunch at the same time...lol... That laundromat/liquor store/gas station/bodega/pizzeria sounds like a fine establishment that people are taking for granted. :) and people wonder why black folks can't have anything. smh :)
I hear what you're saying but most in black urban settings have good reasons to not trust the police. If for no other reason than that they deliever your ass over to a court system that really doesn't give a damn about black people. It used to be said that we are 12% of the nation's population but 80% of the prison population. There is something very wrong with that picture.
Felicia said:
I'm puzzled about the fact that you seemed a little judgemental about the other patrons not wanting to get involved, yet after you spoke to the police you gave them a fake name and phone number. What was the point in that? You may as well acted as if you didn't see anything either. This whole "Stop Snitching" propaganda is for the birds.
While I may not be a full supporter of any local law enforcement, I now understand the point of thier frustration in regards to policing "urban areas" as you say. How can police be expected to protect anyone against crime if no one's even willing to report it? Or better yet how can you complain about the deteriation of your neighborhood when you aren't even willing to take the steps to protect it?
P.S. Stories like this make me not want to live on this planet anymore.
Permalink Reply by kifaru on I did my part by saying what I saw. The fake name was so they didn't call me back for a statement or if they happened to catch the guy I would not have to identify him. As far as I'm concerned he did nothing wrong.
Felicia said:
I'm puzzled about the fact that you seemed a little judgemental about the other patrons not wanting to get involved, yet after you spoke to the police you gave them a fake name and phone number. What was the point in that? You may as well acted as if you didn't see anything either. This whole "Stop Snitching" propaganda is for the birds.
While I may not be a full supporter of any local law enforcement, I now understand the point of thier frustration in regards to policing "urban areas" as you say. How can police be expected to protect anyone against crime if no one's even willing to report it? Or better yet how can you complain about the deteriation of your neighborhood when you aren't even willing to take the steps to protect it?
P.S. Stories like this make me not want to live on this planet anymore.
Permalink Reply by coollikethat on
PolarVibez said:
Well, hell it was a quater! A whole quater! Like that can buy you....wait.......you can't buy shit with a quater nowdays. Like that dosen't even almost get you anything. So yeah, I don't get it either.Other than the fact that the guy just wanted to be a tuff guy asshole and it backfired on him. Classic boondocks nigga moment or when keepin' it real goes wrong. I think he got what he deserved and hopefully he learned a valuble lesson.
Yeah, that was some stupid shit to get your ass kicked over, seriously---that shit wasn't even worth it, for real. If y'all think that was stupid as hell, which it was, check out what happened in a Detroit hood today---two dumb-ass idiots damn near killed each other over some Kool-aid---I mean, damn summer JUST started, and folks are already acting up:http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/two-shot-in-detroit-afte...
Permalink Reply by Felicia on Not trying to troll, but again my question still stands: Why bother telling the police anything? If you felt it was a justified ass kicking then you should have just kept quiet like everyone else.
kifaru said:
I did my part by saying what I saw. The fake name was so they didn't call me back for a statement or if they happened to catch the guy I would not have to identify him. As far as I'm concerned he did nothing wrong.
Felicia said:I'm puzzled about the fact that you seemed a little judgemental about the other patrons not wanting to get involved, yet after you spoke to the police you gave them a fake name and phone number. What was the point in that? You may as well acted as if you didn't see anything either. This whole "Stop Snitching" propaganda is for the birds.
While I may not be a full supporter of any local law enforcement, I now understand the point of thier frustration in regards to policing "urban areas" as you say. How can police be expected to protect anyone against crime if no one's even willing to report it? Or better yet how can you complain about the deteriation of your neighborhood when you aren't even willing to take the steps to protect it?
P.S. Stories like this make me not want to live on this planet anymore.
Permalink Reply by kifaru on I felt like I needed to let them know that the guy was lying about being robbed. If that was enough to keep them from pursuing the other guy it would be worth it to me.
Permalink Reply by BlackBetty on Times. Are. Hard.
Niggaz. Are. Stupid.
Po-po? No-no.
It's my job to state the obvious, and I would have done the same thing in that situation.
Damn...I'd hate to think what would have happened if that was a dollar instead of a quarter. People are not joking these days...these are some rough economic times. Other than that, the story was pretty entertaining. Gotta love the stupidity of mankind.
© 2013 Created by Matthew.
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