Drive-By's and Pick-Ups
As if that last stuff wasn't enough to last EVERYONE for the rest of the day (and sometimes it's just not and you have even more vitriol and you have to bitch and bitch and bitch wherever you can find an outlet...you know what I mean?), I just had the weirdest thing happen. Scary, in fact. And I wanted to put it up here to let you guys know that this stuff happens.
One of the condo-owners (okay, okay, he's one of the one's that I should never be hearing from again, but he's one of the NICE ones) called me and wanted to pick up a set of drawings. As parking around our building is difficult, he asked if he could do a "drive by". For the unintiated, he was asking me to meet him downstairs on the street, so he wouldn't have to park. Not if he could shoot people rolling past. Slight difference. Not a problem. Again, he's one that I like.
So, he called me when he was a couple blocks up the street and we worked out which side of our corner he'd be on. No biggie. As I'm standing out there on the corner, plans in hand, a man walked up to me and struck up a conversation. Quite a few tourists in this area (3-4 major attractions in a one block area), so it's not unusual for me to have some one asking directions or for a restaurant recommendation in the area. Consequently, it didn't strike me as particularly strange that he'd walk up...other than the two suitcases.
MAN (with heavy latin accent): Do you know where the Mexican bar is?
ME: I'm sorry, I didn't quite understand you.
MAN: Do you know where the Mexican bar is?
ME (pointing): Well, there is a Mexican restaurant about 2-3 blocks up the street and there may be a bar in there. I'm not sure. I don't go there much.
MAN: You don't know if it has a bar? I'm looking for a bar.
ME: I don't know of any other bars close by. (Let me note, not that it makes a huge difference, that it's not quite 2PM when this takes place.)
MAN (noticing someone in a car stopped in traffic): Okay.
So, this man drops his suitcases where I am standing and walks over to a very young (maybe 18-19) black girl sitting at the traffic light, with her car window down. He was talking to her, but they were about 15 feet away or so and there was traffic and I couldn't hear any of what they were saying. They continued talking through two cycles of the traffic light, holding up traffic and causing more than a few people to get angry with them. Eventually, the guy walks back over to me and, without saying a word (which was actually okay with me), picks up his suitcases and starts walking over to the passenger side of this girl's car.
Okay, I was stunned. But not as much as I was when she looked at me. Beseeching me with her eyes and pointing at the guy, to get some kind of confirmation from me that this guy was "all right". I'd never seen him before in my life and there was no way I was gonna act like I had. So, I mouthed to her that I didn't know him and shook my head no (alot) with really big eyes all full of concern. And then to cap it, I mouthed "I've never seen him before." Maybe she's not a lip reader. Maybe she's really naive. Maybe he's her uncle and I didn't know it. Maybe she's gonna be on the 11 O'clock news tonight. Or, more likely her car and some blood. Because, that guy threw his bags in her backseat and climbed into the passenger side of the front seat and away they went.
I was terrified for her. My drive-by guy came and I gave him his plans and he thanked me and I went back inside. All the while, even now, I kept thinking about that girl and hoping she's okay. I just couldn't believe she let him in her car. I will say that if something happens, I totally studied the guy and can give a pretty good description. He's climbing into the car and I'm thinking 5'9", about 175, really broad nose, black hair, brown eyes, a white tank top that said "Chicago" on it and a pair of black pants, because I'm sure there's gonna be a 'quiz' later. You know what I mean? I hope not. I really hope I'm wrong. But that was scary shit.
One of the condo-owners (okay, okay, he's one of the one's that I should never be hearing from again, but he's one of the NICE ones) called me and wanted to pick up a set of drawings. As parking around our building is difficult, he asked if he could do a "drive by". For the unintiated, he was asking me to meet him downstairs on the street, so he wouldn't have to park. Not if he could shoot people rolling past. Slight difference. Not a problem. Again, he's one that I like.
So, he called me when he was a couple blocks up the street and we worked out which side of our corner he'd be on. No biggie. As I'm standing out there on the corner, plans in hand, a man walked up to me and struck up a conversation. Quite a few tourists in this area (3-4 major attractions in a one block area), so it's not unusual for me to have some one asking directions or for a restaurant recommendation in the area. Consequently, it didn't strike me as particularly strange that he'd walk up...other than the two suitcases.
MAN (with heavy latin accent): Do you know where the Mexican bar is?
ME: I'm sorry, I didn't quite understand you.
MAN: Do you know where the Mexican bar is?
ME (pointing): Well, there is a Mexican restaurant about 2-3 blocks up the street and there may be a bar in there. I'm not sure. I don't go there much.
MAN: You don't know if it has a bar? I'm looking for a bar.
ME: I don't know of any other bars close by. (Let me note, not that it makes a huge difference, that it's not quite 2PM when this takes place.)
MAN (noticing someone in a car stopped in traffic): Okay.
So, this man drops his suitcases where I am standing and walks over to a very young (maybe 18-19) black girl sitting at the traffic light, with her car window down. He was talking to her, but they were about 15 feet away or so and there was traffic and I couldn't hear any of what they were saying. They continued talking through two cycles of the traffic light, holding up traffic and causing more than a few people to get angry with them. Eventually, the guy walks back over to me and, without saying a word (which was actually okay with me), picks up his suitcases and starts walking over to the passenger side of this girl's car.
Okay, I was stunned. But not as much as I was when she looked at me. Beseeching me with her eyes and pointing at the guy, to get some kind of confirmation from me that this guy was "all right". I'd never seen him before in my life and there was no way I was gonna act like I had. So, I mouthed to her that I didn't know him and shook my head no (alot) with really big eyes all full of concern. And then to cap it, I mouthed "I've never seen him before." Maybe she's not a lip reader. Maybe she's really naive. Maybe he's her uncle and I didn't know it. Maybe she's gonna be on the 11 O'clock news tonight. Or, more likely her car and some blood. Because, that guy threw his bags in her backseat and climbed into the passenger side of the front seat and away they went.
I was terrified for her. My drive-by guy came and I gave him his plans and he thanked me and I went back inside. All the while, even now, I kept thinking about that girl and hoping she's okay. I just couldn't believe she let him in her car. I will say that if something happens, I totally studied the guy and can give a pretty good description. He's climbing into the car and I'm thinking 5'9", about 175, really broad nose, black hair, brown eyes, a white tank top that said "Chicago" on it and a pair of black pants, because I'm sure there's gonna be a 'quiz' later. You know what I mean? I hope not. I really hope I'm wrong. But that was scary shit.
posted by SuperWife | 10:00 PM
2 Comments:
Well, look at it this way, if he was a psycho killer, and she let him into her car, Natural Selection had a bone to pick with her anyway.
www.darwinawards.com
You were right to be worried. Years ago, I was on my way from my office building to my car, when a black man approached me.
To make a long story short, I told him " no, i wont' give you a ride", but just watch what he wanted. It seems he left his 2 dogs locked up in his car which was about 5 miles away. I thought to myself, Why would you walk 5 miles ( and he was on crutches, that could have been a ruse) and not know how you would get back to your car.
Strangers are just that. strange.
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