if the punk by the road wants a parking spot, let him have it...

[http://users.livejournal.com/cgull_/]

Today's life lesson, and a hint for the locals:

So I'm sleep-deprived and crabby from work as I drive into Davis Square to go to the post office, about 4pm today.  As I pull into a handy metered spot, a street tough in blue jeans and jean jacket and square gold earring accosts me and claims he's saving the spot for his girlfriend "who's going around the block".  I get rather annoyed at the Somerville habit of thinking public streets can be reserved, so I get out of the car anyway.  He's upset by this and clearly wants to get rather physical about it, but I ignore him, feed the meter, and go off to the post office.  Bad judgment call, sigh.  He still wants to make a fight out of it, but I stay away from him and keep walking. 

I come out minutes later, and this fellow is gone...but the guy nearby taking his cigarette break is looking at me rather intently.  I don't see anything wrong with the car before I drive off, but the flat tire is evident before I get to Porter Square.  My tire got knifed, and now I need a new one.  Actually, more likely four, because my particular car is picky about matching tires.

So I walk back over to the business where our Potential Witness is from.  I think they know what happened, but this fellow doesn't even come up front.  They say he didn't see anything, so I have nothing useful to take to the cops.  *sigh*  I can understand his/their response, though.

So this is just by way of warning that if this fellow wants his space in Davis Square, let him have it.  The parking spot, I mean.  It isn't worth it.  He's not hard to identify as Trouble, fortunately.  You won't have any question in your mind if you see him.  Has anyone else?

I'm taking this almost sanguinely; the tires weren't expensive and they're half used up.  I'd have been more upset if he keyed my car.

Aside: I've been around here 15 years, and I've never had trouble like this before-- I expect many more quiet years, especially if I act slightly smarter.  I still think it's generally a pretty safe area.

Comments

[darxus.livejournal.com]

Also, get pepper spray. You need to get a form from your local police for a permit, which pisses me off. But if you felt like you were in physical danger from this guy, you would have been justified in using it. And then you wouldn't get harmed, and he would still be there when the police arrived.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

The form's necessary, I've seen way too much stupidity with things like Mace and tasers not to at least want that level.