Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Oh, right, I live in the city. I almost forgot.

Last night around 10pm, right around the time I am hunkering down to the summery sound of a million crickets in my backyard, I instead heard five gunshots in a row: BAM!-BAM!-BAM!-BAM!-BAM!

It was right outside my front window - oh and before you ask, I can definitely tell the difference between firecrackers and bulletcrackers.

So I get on the phone to call the police. You know what a fun time I have on the phone with them. Anyway the operator is really nice this time, but says:

"OK, wait, are you calling about shots fired on Lenox?"

Me: "Uh no"

Operator: "Oh ok, oh wait, are you talking about the shots fired on Tremont? We've just gotten a bunch of calls on that one."

Me: "Uh no, I am on Suchandsuch Street, it's between those though."

Operator: "Well, there are officers just up the street, can you see them?"

Me: "Weeeellll, I am not likely to go out and flag down the police right now SINCE SOMEONE IS FIRING A GUN OUT THERE, OOPS I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE SHOOTING A COUPLE OF GUNS OUT THERE APPARENTLY!!!!"

Except for I didn't say anything, I said:

"Oh, ok, I'll go check."

At which point I rang off and then opened the upper floor window to see what was going on. By that time there were lots of people out in the street trying to figure out what was going on. If you know this blog, you will know I am a complete nosy parker out the window.

It seems that some rivals gangs were shooting at each other. The five shots I heard were fired across the street and one building diagonal from me.

The fact that this didn't scare the sh*t out of me makes me a tiny bit worried. I feel like I ought to take these sorts of things more, you know, seriously. But I think that I am sort of used to it.

What does make me more concerned however is that when I checked up on the incidents this morning, it turns out that there were several MORE reports of gunfire later on in the night, from both across the street from me, AND from a few doors down from me.

I didn't even hear a thing. See, this is why I could never live in the 'burbs. Too quiet. I would never be able to sleep.


PS: I wonder if wooden bullets are as bad as regular bullets. Just curious.

4 comments:

42 said...

hm, I still can't much tell the difference between gunshots and firecrackers, but this close to Tremont and Villa Victoria, I guess it's both I hear. Ugh.

Nervda said...

We heard the shots last night too. The Missus did the whole window peeking routine too.

The police seemed to arrive in under 3 minutes. I imagine that the acoustic triangulation is in effect in Lower Rox.

We still can't figure out what street the shots came from. Where did you find the reports online?

Stygmata said...

I live in Fields Corner up by Ronan Park, so I can definitely empathize.

Someone once told me that you know you're in a bad neighborhood when you no longer ask yourself "Was that gunfire?" but, "Hm, what caliber of gun was that? Nine millimeter?"

jltwatkins said...

hey, if it makes you feel better, it was us that called it in, it was down s-street, and we saw the guy run past our house into the "hole"... gotta love being down with the 'hood. we then went promptly back to watching the olympics. and, if you noticed, the crickets went back to cricketing. all's right in the world somewhere.