Roughing it: Phase 2 Urban Hell

I'd avoid the crazy act. That will only draw attention from the other side of the law.
 
Dang man, I only go in that part of town in the broad daylight and then I carry my gun all the time. If it were me I'd be sleeping in my car somewhere in Overland Park. The nice part of Overland Park. Be careful--
 
remmmm said:
Good post. Detroit really is a hell hole. I can't imagine a place like Mexico city being any worse. I was there on business a few years ago and decided to go check out downtown one evening thinking it can't be that bad. I was wrong.
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If you thought downtown was bad, I've got some places I'd like you to see. Downtown is about as nice and safe as the city gets with maybe a few exceptions (I'm thinking of a few residential neighborhoods).

As far as the getting to know the neighbors question, while it doesn't really apply for this guy because he's gone in two weeks, I have to say DO IT.

While I was living downtown for a stint with a buddy of mine we got to know all the resident homeless. Just say hi, kick em down a couple bucks here or there, if we were walking back from the liquor store with a case we'd give them a couple, just simple stuff like that. Not only did they then not break into our cars/whatnot, but one of the guys actually beat the hell out of someone he caught trying to steal my buddy's car. Anyway, I'm glad I don't live down there anymore.

Still run into some of the guys we got to know when I'm around downtown, usually confuses the hell out of people I'm with as to how these people know me.
 
sadiejane said:
there are rougher parts of kc for sure. but "the avenue" is certainly one of the rough ones. would hesitate to walk around with the axe. many kcmo pd are ruthless. just asking to get cuffed, beat and then dropped off at truman med center psych ward for 72 hrs. maybe a tougher stint than the ave. a concealed knife of course. i carry one no matter where in the city. and pepper spray too, why not? theres a bike shop called sunshine on the ave and they would carry "halt" spray. then down towards the bottoms is the "super flea" only open on wkends but i would bet ya could find some other smaller, more easily concealable type of mace or pepper spray there. if you are so inclined. are you actually living on the avenue? or in one of the neighborhoods right off? know lots of folks who live in the area. its a tad quieter in the hoods than directly on the ave. acting crazy usually keeps most at a distance, but once again could very well end ya up in the back of that squad car with similar results as the axe.
sorry ive not gotten a bike to you. now that yr in the city it will be easier. is that phone number you sent still on? good luck dude. you will be hearing from me.
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Yes I'm living right on the "Avenue" itself :(. Just caddy-corner across the street from the McDonalds located at the Avenue & Hardesty. It's funny that you mentioned Super Flea. Me and my buddy went there Sunday and they did have a lot of SD stuff there. They had one knife vendor but they were completely unaware of any "high end" cutlery like Spyderco or Benchmade. They had a few CRKT pieces but other than that it was pretty much flea market goods :thumbdn:

Yes the phone # is still good. Apparently my former roommate wants me to keep the number for many different reasons and is letting me stay with the plan. My e-mail will be the same in the foreseeable future as well. As far as KC cops go I've been pleasantly surprised. The 2 of them I've encountered were both very decent and helped me information wise. I have a library that's been really good to me as far as internet access.

For the brother who wants to know why I have to be here for a couple of weeks>> Well there is just a lot of loose ends I need to tie up before leaving will be expedient. I have some issues with my truck title>> I do want to sell it to hopefully get an ATV and some other needs. It still blows my mind that my buddy doesn't let this place bother him at all. But he's a pretty tough minded dude and has been for years. It's really odd but he's the only one that even offered to help me at all. And I had many of what I thought were friends :(

I just look at it as a learning experience. Maybe one that will some day save my life. There is a reason the Good Lord takes us down different paths from time to time. It sure makes you appreciate the good. Well it's St. Patty's day and I think I'll go to Westport and see if I can find a good plate of Corned Beef & Cabbage. I'll check in later. >>> JD :)
 
This may be a totally naive question but.... Why do people choose to live in these areas? I hear "I'm stuck living here." and I wonder how they are THAT stuck to the point of risking their lives? If you are dirt poor, you can be dirt poor in a safer area.... especially if you have any type of wilderness training. You must have someone who can put you up, somewhere. If you don't have ANY friends or family, there are places/organizations to go that will help you out. Are you tied to a job, family... I can't even think of other half-valid reasons to stay in a place like that.

This may not apply to the OP, but what holds you down in places like this?

Should I start another thread?

Rick
 
Magnussen said:
This may be a totally naive question but.... Why do people choose to live in these areas? I hear "I'm stuck living here." and I wonder how they are THAT stuck to the point of risking their lives? If you are dirt poor, you can be dirt poor in a safer area.... especially if you have any type of wilderness training. You must have someone who can put you up, somewhere. If you don't have ANY friends or family, there are places/organizations to go that will help you out. Are you tied to a job, family... I can't even think of other half-valid reasons to stay in a place like that.

This may not apply to the OP, but what holds you down in places like this?

Should I start another thread?

Rick
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I would say a sort of path of least resistance leads some people to end up in those types of areas, then they aren't willing to make the effort it takes to get themselves out. Easier to end up there then it is to figure a way out. For others, it's just their home neighborhood, they grew up there, family and friends all live in the area, so that's where their lives are. The thought of leaving just doesn't appeal to them, it's just a different mentality.
 
I'm sure you are right on both accounts, Remmmm.

Sometimes its easier when you are on the outside looking in. I have no real perspective from living in a bad area (aside from being across the border from Detroit and bar-hopping downtown)... so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Rick
 
that area of kc still has housing that is actually affordable. you can buy a big old craftsman style house for $50,000 or less. smaller homes way less. there are very few areas of the city that still have affordable housing. and they are all rather "rough" areas.
it really mostly comes down to economics for many. tho as was mentioned, some folks grew up in these areas and still live there cuz its "home" regardless how the area has declined.
as for the original poster hes trying to get it together to head to the ozarks. he has a friend to stay with. way better than accessing shelter life. most of which in kc are in even worse areas. you cant bring knives nor pepper spray into them.

in a previous life i worked in social services and the roots of poverty run so deep its not just a matter of "wanting to" bad enuf to create change. im no bleeding heart liberal and i held my clients accountable for their own lives. nevertheless its an overwhelming place to be. incredibly difficult to fully comprehend much less impact.
 
:eek: I work in Atlanta; My office is located near Vine City(Ashby st.and Bankhead) so I drive rite through the HOOD every day. First make sure you have plenty of gas in your vehicle... I was robbed a few years ago pumping gas@ MLK and Ashby(45 was in my glove box), so if you do need to stop put your pistol on your side so the thugs can see it. I see a dead body from time to time because of drugs. I keep my mind in survival mode because I was robbed and I don't let my guard down. I have a CCW with me always.
 
Magnussen said:
This may be a totally naive question but.... Why do people choose to live in these areas? I hear "I'm stuck living here." and I wonder how they are THAT stuck to the point of risking their lives? If you are dirt poor, you can be dirt poor in a safer area.... especially if you have any type of wilderness training. You must have someone who can put you up, somewhere. If you don't have ANY friends or family, there are places/organizations to go that will help you out. Are you tied to a job, family... I can't even think of other half-valid reasons to stay in a place like that.

This may not apply to the OP, but what holds you down in places like this?

Should I start another thread?

Rick
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I guess I've never heard people say they were "stuck", but there's a few reasons that I've found for why people stay in more dangerous areas.

Some people don't realize how dangerous it is. I always love talking to these people. Letting them know that 4 people were fatally shot at the KFC two blocks down from their appt a week ago.

Some people know how dangerous it is, but the location is more important. Ie they want to be close to school/work/whatever. This is the case with a lot of people in Detroit who go to Wayne. Even being close to the social scene around campus is important for alot of kids I know. I'd rather have to drive 15 minutes but not be surprised when my car is where I left it every morning.

Some people are tied to the area/house/neighborhood by sentimental reasons. My great Aunt and Uncle stayed in their place in Hamtramck as the city fell apart around them because it used to be a nice middle class neighborhood and they felt tied to the few other familes who were trying to stick it out.

I think mostly people say that they're "stuck" when they really aren't. There are always options, but often there are downsides.
 
One item of interest is that I am also running into some of the most warm hearted people I've encountered in quite some time. The good people who are in this neighborhood ( and yes there are plenty of them as well :)) seem to be much more the type to help you if they perceive you to be a good person.

I find this rather curious because if I were them I would probably be much more cautious than they are. Even at the laundrymat which is next door to the apartment building I'm staying in is a very friendly establishment. They went out of their way to fill me in on where the good eating places are. They also told me the places to stay the hell away from as well.

It is very sad that many of these people are stuck here do to a bad job market here in KC and just plain bad luck that I see some people have been plagued with. It's kind of refreshing to see that there is a good side to all of this. I've already developed a keen sense of discernment which I had not really exercised that much in recent past. So far I am seeing the best and the worst. The city bus drivers are a great help if you can make friends with them. And most of them I have indeed been fortunate to do so.

But I'm still counting the days and hours till I can get to the Ozarks. Education comes in strange ways sometimes I'm discovering. Great Posts from all of you. I'm really getting a lot out of all your posts. :)
 
Magnussen said:
This may be a totally naive question but.... Why do people choose to live in these areas?
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Rick, I think there are a lot of people who are either ignorant of any other options or are tied to the areas they are in either by jobs or the welfare state. I'm wired more like you, whereas if I found myself in one of the aforementioned areas with only the clothes on my back, I'd start walking for the woods.
 
x39 said:
Rick, I think there are a lot of people who are either ignorant of any other options or are tied to the areas they are in either by jobs or the welfare state. I'm wired more like you, whereas if I found myself in one of the aforementioned areas with only the clothes on my back, I'd start walking for the woods.
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Say "x39" I can certainly relate with what you're saying. To me it's almost like a woman who is in a bad marriage but for some unbeknownst reason just chooses to stay there :confused:. I can't tell you how many times over the years that I've tried to help people out of bad situations but it's as though they don't even believe that they have an option or they are just so beat down by their present situation they don't believe it's possible to make any significant changes. :(

But there is also another way to look at it. At one time I was living in a really high scale, yuppie type neighborhood and even got elected president of the homeowner's association. I can tell you with 100% honestly that I would never ever want to live in such a neighborhood again. Just because they have a decent outward appearance doesn't mean they have a heart to match. Those were some of the most vicious back-stabbing people I ever encountered.

So it just might be that they like dealing with known entities. Or maybe because of low self esteem they don't think change is even possible.

I think the bottom line on this neighborhood I'm in at this present time is that poverty can truly bring out the very worst that humanity has to offer. GOD help them :(
 
JD Spydo said:
At one time I was living in a really high scale, yuppie type neighborhood and even got elected president of the homeowner's association. I can tell you with 100% honestly that I would never ever want to live in such a neighborhood again.
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I agree. You don't really see this side of it unless you're active in the F-ING HOA! I'm very thankful to be living in a nice, peaceful, safe location, but at the same time can't wait until the market climbs a bit so I can sell and get the hell out of the neighborhood.

I want to live closer to my office. The area is the less known historic district, which is considerably more affordable than the popular historic district. It's full of craftsman and FL cracker houses dating back to the late 1800's. Some streets are very nice and friendly looking and some are not.
 
One big lesson I'm learning in all of this tumultuous shuffling I'm currently contending with is that complacency and taking your safety for granted is everyone's worst enemy. It can be a problem even in the upper crust neighborhoods. It is truly a dangerous world we all live in. Danger is potentially at our doorsteps no matter where we live.

The human being is probably without a doubt the most potentially evil and dangerous creature in the entire animal kingdom. No I don't regard people as being just another animal in the jungle so to speak. But because of our intelligence and cunning we humans have far more potential for evil than any other living creature on the planet.

Spirituality definitely plays a huge role as to whether or not a person chooses evil or good. I do have religious beliefs and I have a more solid belief in those spiritual values than I did before I ended up here on the AVENUE. The people on the AVENUE in one sense are no different than the rest of us. Somewhere along the line spirituality was omitted from many of their lives and thus you have an end-product that is very dark and wicked.

And that is a repair job that only GOD himself is capable of. GOD help all of us as we enter a time here in the USA that few ever imagined possible. Survival is spiritual in nature just as much as it is physical and mental. Yeah there was a reason for all of this afterall. Again I sincerely thank all of you guys & gals for the great feedbacks you have taken time to give me. :)
 
JD Spydo said:
Spirituality definitely plays a huge role as to whether or not a person chooses evil or good. I do have religious beliefs and I have a more solid belief in those spiritual values than I did before I ended up here on the AVENUE. The people on the AVENUE in one sense are no different than the rest of us. Somewhere along the line spirituality was omitted from many of their lives and thus you have an end-product that is very dark and wicked.

And that is a repair job that only GOD himself is capable of. GOD help all of us as we enter a time here in the USA that few ever imagined possible. Survival is spiritual in nature just as much as it is physical and mental. Yeah there was a reason for all of this afterall. Again I sincerely thank all of you guys & gals for the great feedbacks you have taken time to give me. :)
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Since it's your thread and you've chosen to go there..... I call TOTAL BS on your statements of spirituallity. Religious beliefs have caused more wars, violence, persicution and general inhumanity than any the "lack of faith" ever did. You don't need google-fu to confirm that. Just because a person is not religious, doesn't make them dark and wicked. If you don't believe that you are your own keeper and capable of moral choices without consulting a diety or a story book that's fine... but keep these kind of prejudice views to the political arena where they belong. :):thumbup:



Rick
 
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