Sept 12, 2012. It was a Wednesday and I was on the bus. The 29 State bus heading home from school. Well actually I decided to go to the bank on 20th & State street. I had a lil extra money in my pocket, and I decided to do the responsible thing and deposit it into my joint account with my wife. I've lived in Chicago my entire life, which makes me suspicious at all times, of everyone that I don't know. And if I don't know you, that makes you a potential threat to me and my safety. Even more so if I'm on the damn bus!!
So I'm sittin on the bus with my body positioned in a spot where I can see everyone that's getting on or getting off. I make sure to get a look at eveyone that's on the bus with me, so I can see if they fit my mental description of someone that may possibly try to do something stupid. ANYTHING STUPID!!! Stupid like what? Stupid like trying to snatch my damn
Beats By Dr Dre headphones that I've paid a lot of money for! I've looked over the bus, no potential suspects. The bus pulls up at about 43rd and State; not a bad area because my wife gets her dreadlocks done at Locology. I notice a pack of 10 kids getting on the bus, and they all walk past me and proceed to the back of the bus. Its 2 little girls, roughly 7 to 8 years of age, 5 more males between the ages of 10 and 13, and 3 more that were roughly between 14 and 17. I perform a quick mental scan of each and my mental alarm immediately goes off. Not so much at the younger ones, but the 14 to 17 year olds most definitely have my Spider Senses tingling. Why? Because they fit the current Chief Keef visual. Skinny, sagging skinny jeans, mop top locks, and oh yeah; Black!! So at this point, I am silently watching every move that they're making.
2 blocks later, a young Hispanic girl gets on the bus. I notice her because I rarely see Hispanic girls riding on the 29. I'm not judging her, but I'm wondering where she's going. She sits and starts playing with her phone; and of course its an IPhone. I'm thinking to myself that she shoulf be more aware of her surrounding and put the phone away. Carlito Brigante once said it best that the "Streets are always watching". At this point, one of the 10 to 13 year old males gets up from the rear and sits next to me in an empty seat next to me, which just so happens to be directly across from the Hispanic girl. He looks her over, glances at me, and at that point he sees that I'm looking directly at him. He gets up, and returns to the back of the bus. He mentions something to the 2 older mop topped males. I turn my music off, take off my headphones and place them inside of my bag because I'm on point and braced for whatever.
The bus gets to 28th and State. The bell has been rang, and all 10 of these kids make their way to the exit. But before they do, one of the mop tops decides that he wants to snatch the IPhone from the hands of the Mexican girl. The pack of kids quickly jump off the bus. I'm surprised! Not at the fact that they snatched the IPhone, but how quick all 10 of em jumped out the back door. Its as if all 10 of the kids were in on the job! Without a thought, the Hispanic girl jumps off of the bus and grabs one of the mop tops hands. Mop top number 1 turns around and snatches his hand back. He screams something inaudible to the girl. She screams back. At this point Mop top 2, grabs the Hispanic gir from behind in a choke hold, while Mop top number one punches her in the face. At this point I'm still not surprised. But what did surprise me was watching the Hispanic girl fall to the ground, and seeing the remaining 8 (including the two 8 year old girls) stomp and kick the Hispanic girl, while the 2 mop tops run across the street thru traffic, almost gettin hit by cars, and disappear into the enclave of remaining Chicago Housing Projects.
All are shocked on the bus, but no one moved....
Of course I'm thinking I should've done something, but I didn't. What if they had a gun. So now I'm shot, defending a girl that should've known better. My bus arrives at 20th. I get off, go into my Chase branch, get back on the 29 State heading back in the direction that I just came from. We get to the area where the robbery had taken place, and I was glad to see that the Police were on the scene. Once again I'm thinking that I could at least get off of the bus and tell the Police something......NOPE!! I opted out. What am I gonna tell em that she hasn’t?
I've wanted an IPhone ever since the 1st one was released back in 07. I'm a huge fan of Apple, and I most definitely tow the company line. I've owned 4 Apple computers and 2 IPods. If it wasn't for the fact that I refuse to get under a 2 year contract with a carrier, I may have actually had an IPhone by now. But this is where my conflict kicks in. If you have the money, you should be able to buy whatever you want to have. But at the same time, Chicago isn't designed to let you "keep" what you "want", just because you've "earned" it, or because you can "afford" it. Be it if you can or can't afford it, or even live in a city where
80 something year old white women are assaulted on train platforms for their IPhones. With me knowing how thirsty these Chicago streets are, it makes me hesitant to make such a purchase. I'm already out here slightly paranoid with my Beats headphones on. People assume that they know how much they cost, but they're always wrong. Let's also add to the fact that I'm out here riding on these Chicago buses and trains which are absolutely not the safest mode of transportation. Gas is expensive in my Ford Escape, and I'm a full time College student with a UPass. I try to ride the bus anywhere and evrywhere that I can go. But at the same time, I am very aware that the CTA will get you where you need to go, but that doesn't mean that you'll be getting there safely.
The moral to the story is this; if you own an IPhone.....damn that.....if you own ANY PHONE, Cricket, Boost, Virgin Mobile, Trac Phone, land line, whatever kinda phone, please be sure to always be aware of your surroundings. Just because you have it, doesn't mean that they're going to let you keep it.
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