This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that have gone on in and around my apartment complex and in my neighborhood in the past 27 years that I've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 27 years here in a weekly blog post.
On Tuesday around 8PM I walked next door to the grocery store and bought a few things. But as I was walking over there, I was approached by several homeless people asking for money. I don't carry cash, so I said sorry and moved on. The thing is, that a lot of times when they are given cash, they will go into the grocery store and sit down at one of the slot machines and gamble.
As I came out, two teenaged boys stopped me while they were riding on their e-scooters and asked if I had any change. I said no and tried to go on but one was standing in front of me and the other to the side of me. One of them kept looking at the bags of food I had bought (mostly fruits and vegetables). They were a little too aggressive for my liking. They kept asking if I have even a quarter. I said no and walked around them. Both of these boys had on hoodies with the hood pulled up over their heads. It was 112F at that time even though the sun was going down. That to me was a huge red flag. I felt like I was about to get robbed.
So I called my daughter and asked if she would walk over to the start of the parking lot and just watch me walk over in case I got robbed. My daughter and another neighbor came out to make sure I was safe. Nothing happened but I felt threatened. It wasn't even the homeless people that made me feel that way, it was the teenage boys wearing hoodies in this heat that made me feel uncomfortable. They seem to be over there all the time too. Irritating. I guess I'll have to make sure I have my tazer on me when I go over to the store from now on now too.
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Wednesday night around 9PM I was walking Falcor when I noticed a guy running down the street, an unmarked police truck was following the guy. He ran, the police got out and ran. All of the sudden the guy running, was running from my alley, into the pool courtyard, jumped over the fence right in front of me and ran fast as hell across the street. The police ran the same way in front of me, he stopped and asked if I saw the guy and I pointed across the street. He ran over there and then over to the tunnel entrance where he and a few more cops were flashing their flashlights by the tunnel entrance. The guy got away down into the tunnels and the police wouldn't follow him down there. There were police all over the place and the police helicopter was flying overhead for a few but then they all left.
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The high this week was 113F/45C
The low this week was 85F/29C
So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.
What will the new week bring? We know there will be something to report.
ReplyDeleteThere's always something.
DeleteHi, Mary!
ReplyDeleteWow, dear friend, with the high temp hitting 112 and 113 in your neck of the woods, there's a good chance those teens wearing hoodies were up to no good, especially if they tried to block you as you tried to walk away. It was quick thinking on your part to phone your daughter. Yessum, I urge you to carry one or more forms of protection whenever you go over to the store or walk my buddy Falcor. It's sad that the homeless take money people give them and use it to gamble, perpetuating their downward spiral. There was more excitement the next night when you spotted the guy running from police and disappearing into the tunnel. Wonder what that was all about. To me, if strengthens the case for you to carry pepper spray or a taser whenever you step outside your apartment.
I'll be back tomorrow with a new post at Shady's Place and invite you and Falcor to join the fun. Have a restful Sunday, dear friend Mary!
Shady! I'm definitely carrying my tazer to the store from now on.
DeleteLet the store manager know about the boys. The store doesn't want to lose customers so they will do something.
ReplyDeleteI told the manager and the security guard and left them a comment on their FB page about it. Nothing has been done so far.
DeleteOh gosh Mary, those things are a rather scary especially those hoody guys. You are careful though by what you wrote. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteIt made me feel really uncomfortable.
DeleteI agree with Alex. Please notify the store and hopefully they will take action to help their paying customers!
ReplyDeleteI did and left a comment on their FB page, nothing has changed yet. They know all those people are there.
DeleteThose teens will be trouble always for someone. I'm glad your daughter was home to answer your call and watch for you. Bad enough the homeless begging for money not to be used for their own good.
ReplyDeleteHopefully they will move on from this parking lot soon.
DeleteYes, I read that as a. potential robbery, too. Drug addicts, dressed like that in heat? At any rate I'm glad you had your phone and had people you knew available to watch your journey home. Sad that the store won't do anything and even sadder that if they are pushed out, they will just try their luck somewhere else. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI agree. It's sad all the way around
DeleteYa need to buy a sword for casual walks around da block! Show them who is the queen of da block.
ReplyDeleteA sword would be good. I do have a knife I can carry as well though.
DeleteYes, they were up to no good, too bad my tolerance is very low when it comes to teenage brats.
ReplyDeleteI can understand that.
DeleteYeah, aggressive panhandlers always try that crap on women, especially older women. You never see them trying that BS with men.
ReplyDeleteRight?
DeleteEven late middle-aged little men.
DeleteThey definitely don't.
DeleteA book. Definitely a book.
ReplyDeleteI could write a big book with everything that's happened around here.
DeleteThat was scary about the boys. And it's not right they should get away with trying to intimidate women who are out alone. If you said no, then you said no. But I agree with you, it sounds like they were going to try to rob you. Thankfully they didn't.
ReplyDeleteYes, I got that feeling too and they are still riding around over there.
DeleteNever a dull moment - or maybe rarely a dull moment for you? I had to laugh about there being slot machines in the grocery store... but it is Las Vegas! I hope you are staying safe and cool.
ReplyDeleteThere are slot machines in all the stores, convenience stores even the pharmacy.
DeleteThat is scary. But, teenage boys do wear hoodies all the time. Seriously. I see them in my classes in the heat of summer, and they complain that they're too hot. I tell them to take off their hoodies, but they can't because they don't wear t-shirts under them. (Just to say the boys might have been in a hoodie because they're stupid teens.)
ReplyDeletelmao Well that's also true.
DeleteOoo I havent commented on one of these in AGES. I spend a lot of time at this coffee shop downtown and yes the guys wearing hoodies when its sweltering... I'm like what are they DOING.
ReplyDeleteOh wow that dude got away
Being dumb teenagers I guess. lol Are you coming back?
DeleteNothing is scarier than teenagers in hoodies because they do not know right from wrong, or even the right from wrong in the criminal world and where the lines are drawn. You know, who to rob, who not to rob, who to leave alone. They are the worst.
ReplyDeleteThey sure made me feel threatened. I didn't like it at all.
DeleteI would sure have felt threatened too
ReplyDeleteI didn't like that. I already don't like being bothered when I'm out but this was over the top.
DeleteNot ideal. Too many bad people in the world these days.
ReplyDeleteYou just never know what someone is going to do.
Deletesounds like those boys were up to no good. How sad. I'm glad you have your daughter to watch out for you!
ReplyDeleteAnd a couple of neighbors too.
DeleteI would have felt threatened by the teenage boys too. Glad you got home safely without any trouble.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad too. Just have to take my tazer with me from now on.
DeleteGambling machines in the grocery store????? I'm very surprised at that.
ReplyDeleteYes. I live in Las Vegas. The slot and poker machines are in all the stores here.
DeleteI agree with Debra. You see it here where adult homeless targeting women not men.
ReplyDeleteYes, they do that a lot.
Deleteune tres belle est douce nuit gros bisous
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteYes, wearing hoodies in that weather is not a good sign. It's like they don't want to be identified by cameras if they commit a crime. I'd carry my tazer, too or pepper spray. I always have my pepper spray when I go on walks. It's good you called your daughter!
ReplyDelete