Brian seemed to think it was silly, but I was really looking forward to Halloween in our new home this year.
When I was a kid and lived in the country, there were no neighbors for miles so I had to visit other people’s neighborhoods to go trick-or-treating. When I bought my house in Northside (a working-class, Black neighborhood) 5 years ago, I was excited to be in an old-fashioned walkable neighborhood and geared up for some kids in costumes. I was disappointed to find African-American kids who didn’t bother to dress up being driven door-to-door in minivans. I considered putting up a sign that read “No costume, no candy.” But I’m not that big of a grinch.
So I thought those kids were lame and kind of ripping me off - getting candy for free without even having to dress up - but at least none of them robbed me. That’s right: during trick-or-treating, some time between 7pm and 10pm, someone took my bike right off my porch! Although I did receive a wide variety of trick-or-treaters of many ages and races, with costumes ranging from slack (”player”) to rad (”Aragorn”). In fact, I was having a grand old time until Brian asked me if I had moved my bike.
So this really sucks. And I also need to point out that in the FIVE YEARS that I lived in the supposedly “unsafe” Northside (where drug deals happen on the street regularly) I never had one thing stolen from my home or my car and was never physically threatened. In nearly every other place I’ve lived since 1993 (all relatively middle-class, white neighborhoods like where we live now) I’ve had my car or home broken into.
I can’t decide whether to feel violated or pissed off. Plus I just bought that bike a few months ago and I can’t afford another brand new one! I guess I’ll just have to walk it off for a while.
7 comments ↓
I’m so sorry I had to be the one to discover your bike gone Ruby.
For the record I scheduled to help someone learn more about blogging instead of hang out with the trick-o-treaters. I sorta forgot about Halloween. But that didn’t stop me checking out Franklin Street.
[...] After work last night I drove to Raleigh on Rt 54 not 40, ate some Char-Grill Hamburgers, met with Y. Carrington to talk about domain names and some web hosting, drank coffee, found out that Third Place does not have wifi but Cup a Joe on Hillsboro St. in Raleigh DOES, discovered Ruby’s bike was stolen , biked to the Chapel Hill Halloween party on Franklin Street with a few friends, saw a bit of the movie Shaun of the Dead (gota rent that), and more. Fewwww. All this after one of the most exhausting days at work in a while. Share and Enjoy:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]
My gosh, Ruby. I am so sorry!
Oh man- that’s terrible! D will be sorry to hear that your bike was stolen so soon after you got it.
For lack of a more intelligent way to say it: that sucks.
Thanks so much, y’all. I’m wishing I had titled this post “Dude, where’s my bike?”
Anyway, keep your eye out for a squat black hybrid Trek with a black basket on front, and let me know if you have any used bikes on the market. I’ll probably be cruising http://raleigh.craigslist.org/bik/
What a drag!
We had a great Halloween with our kids and it turned out to be a learning opportunity about recycling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cambodia4kidsorg/280224097/in/set-72157594347422213/
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