I have lived in Oaklawn for years now, and I generally consider my neighborhood pretty safe. We have crime, but every neighborhood with a bar scene has that. I have never really felt unsafe until yesterday. First let me say that when I go out, I do not drive at all. I prefer to take a cab or walk. We can pretty much scratch out the walking part from now on after the events of last night.
I take typically different routes home when I walk, I try to avoid busy streets as I am paranoid and do not want to get ran down by some drunk driver! Last night I walked down Throckmorton and was taking that way home. I live in what I would consider the safer part of the gaybourhood, the north end bordering Highland Park. So I was walking down Throckmorton, and I crossed over Lemmon when I was approached by a guy. I was intoxicated so I don’t remember the conversation, but he approached me (on foot) talking to me. I kinda blew him off and next thing I know he grabbed my iPhone out of my hand. My first reaction was to hit him, and after fighting in the middle of the street for a bit, he got away with my phone in his hand. He ran across the street (Bowser) and jumped into a white Mitsubishi Galant that was waiting for him. It was running and in drive already, so he jumped in the passenger side and the driver took off.
This isn’t some random guy that I have never seen before either, he is a guy that is regularly walking around Oaklawn and neighboring areas trying to panhandle money from people. He is white, in his 30’s and probably about 5’9. Just about every time I have seen him, he has appeared to be under the influence of some form of uppers.
I am really not sure what to make of the situation, and honestly today is quite the mixture of emotions. I have some scrapes, and what is likely a broken finger, but those will heal. My iPhone 4S was stolen, but that is just a possession, I will get another one. Oddly enough, what I mostly feel is sorry for the guy who did this to me. I am not sure that is even a normal reaction, but I can’t help but think that at some point this was someones child, someones brother, and someones friend. Perhaps even more than feeling sorry for the guy, I feel sorry for humanity. At what point did we get to where we can be so violent and vile towards another?
Leave a Reply