D
**DONOTDELETE**
Guest
Flashlight, that is pretty sad. how old is the kid? (why wouldn't he have a key? could he have lost it one day?)
Drug activity by my house - suggestions??
- Thread starter flashlightlens
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flashlightlens
Newly Enlightened
I think he's maybe 10 or twelve years old. He walks to and from school - maybe 6 or 7 blocks. She was telling me about how her boyfriend broke in and started to strangle her in front of the kid (she told me he's now in jail...nice...). I get mixed reactions from people I know when I say I'm going to call CPS about it. Why wife, for instance, hates to think about any child having to go into foster care. My opinion is that almost anything would be better than his situation now. If it keeps happening, I'm definitely going to call. There's obviously a reason they're after her already. They've apparently interviewed the kid at school a number of times about his home life.
About a year ago, this kid was out playing with another local kid and they lit some bushes on fire right outside the place next to me. Not good.... They just about lit the building on fire with that little stunt. Pretty stressful to drive up to my house and see a few fire trucks out front.
About a year ago, this kid was out playing with another local kid and they lit some bushes on fire right outside the place next to me. Not good.... They just about lit the building on fire with that little stunt. Pretty stressful to drive up to my house and see a few fire trucks out front.
flashlightlens
Newly Enlightened
It's been over a year and the tenants mentioned above have since moved out, but.....
Night before last I had my pressure washer stolen out of my driveway.
Funny thing is, there have been some people hanging around inside of the same unit as described above - not more than a week after the old tenant moved out. One of the guys that was hanging around there is a friend of the people who live in the front half of the building. I had a run in with him about 2 months ago when he spit over the fence on my dog because my dog was barking at him (my dog is a pretty good judge of character).
So the other night, he's hanging around in the back of this place and my wife happens to notice he was up and around outside at about 2:30 AM. The next morning my pressure washer's gone? Coincidence?
I called the police and while he was there, this guy walks out of his door to check to see what's happening. The policeman shines his flashlight over and says "Hey!" - the guy scrambles back inside - wrong move - because now the policeman calls for another unit. They go over and confront him. He plays stupid of course - probably didn't have to try too hard to do that. The police go in this place and find about 12 people tweeking out on meth.
Now, here's the part I don't get.... There's no furniture in there, there's 12 people tweeking, there's a child in there, some of the people were obviously giving fake names, and nobody actually claims to live there. So what does the policeman do? He says, "OK," and leaves.
About 20 minutes after the policeman leaves, they scatter like cockroaches. You would have thought the place was on fire - they went in all directions.
So the landlord shows up and confirms that the unit isn't being rented. This guy's a slumlord, so he's not going to file any type of report. I called the police back and told them that the guy obviously had broken in and that the people in the front knew him and would be able to help out with giving his name (ya right).
So this little red-headed David Caruso looking tweek ******* has the balls to show back up a few hours later. I called the police and told them - they came by, but he already left. So now every time this dipsh!t shows up, I have to call the cops because they want to arrest him for tresspassing.
I NEED TO MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You'd think after the multitude of calls the police receive for the property this guy owns, there'd be some way of taking action against him.
Needless to say, until I move, my backyard is lit up like it's daytime and I'm investing in some cameras and a DVR to keep tabs on my property.
THIS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Night before last I had my pressure washer stolen out of my driveway.
Funny thing is, there have been some people hanging around inside of the same unit as described above - not more than a week after the old tenant moved out. One of the guys that was hanging around there is a friend of the people who live in the front half of the building. I had a run in with him about 2 months ago when he spit over the fence on my dog because my dog was barking at him (my dog is a pretty good judge of character).
So the other night, he's hanging around in the back of this place and my wife happens to notice he was up and around outside at about 2:30 AM. The next morning my pressure washer's gone? Coincidence?
I called the police and while he was there, this guy walks out of his door to check to see what's happening. The policeman shines his flashlight over and says "Hey!" - the guy scrambles back inside - wrong move - because now the policeman calls for another unit. They go over and confront him. He plays stupid of course - probably didn't have to try too hard to do that. The police go in this place and find about 12 people tweeking out on meth.
Now, here's the part I don't get.... There's no furniture in there, there's 12 people tweeking, there's a child in there, some of the people were obviously giving fake names, and nobody actually claims to live there. So what does the policeman do? He says, "OK," and leaves.
About 20 minutes after the policeman leaves, they scatter like cockroaches. You would have thought the place was on fire - they went in all directions.
So the landlord shows up and confirms that the unit isn't being rented. This guy's a slumlord, so he's not going to file any type of report. I called the police back and told them that the guy obviously had broken in and that the people in the front knew him and would be able to help out with giving his name (ya right).
So this little red-headed David Caruso looking tweek ******* has the balls to show back up a few hours later. I called the police and told them - they came by, but he already left. So now every time this dipsh!t shows up, I have to call the cops because they want to arrest him for tresspassing.
I NEED TO MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You'd think after the multitude of calls the police receive for the property this guy owns, there'd be some way of taking action against him.
Needless to say, until I move, my backyard is lit up like it's daytime and I'm investing in some cameras and a DVR to keep tabs on my property.
THIS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That sucks. You don't want a drug house next-door. If the slumlord won't lock it up in a way that keeps them out, maybe you can do something on the sly that makes it unattractive to them, such as turning off the water and/or electricity if it is still on.
flashlight
Flashlight Enthusiast
Really sorry to hear that your problems have only seemed to have gotten worse now.. Good idea lighting up the area concerned. You could use motion-detection activated lights for added measure. Anyway who's going to complain about bright lights when the house is supposed to be vacant. Heck, get someone you know to move in & rent the place /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Our city passed a law here that any house that is being used for selling drugs can be confiscated by the city essentially because some landlords have let their run down properties be used as crack houses either renting them to people and not caring or not maintaining the property and they just move in and set up shop. Needless to say it is working somewhat since I have heard reports of slumlords whining about their property getting a seizure notice from the city.
If they owner of the property is allowing these people to trespass on his property without his permission and they are causing problems perhaps there is some sort of legal situation there. Call your mayors office/hotline and ask for advice perhaps you can get the city code enforcement or something in on it.
If they owner of the property is allowing these people to trespass on his property without his permission and they are causing problems perhaps there is some sort of legal situation there. Call your mayors office/hotline and ask for advice perhaps you can get the city code enforcement or something in on it.
greenlight
Flashlight Enthusiast
Love the Caruso reference. Sure it wasn't him?
Lasernerd
Enlightened
I have seen signs put in the dealers yards that says "drug dealers live here"
they(dealers) would take it down than wham another one went up!
they(dealers) would take it down than wham another one went up!
or rent a big ugly mean dog and accidentally leave it in that house to.... scare people away...
or.. sneak in and hide an fm radio and loudspeaker and tune it into the frequency of a wireless mic and at odd times shout things such as.... THIS IS THE POLICE... or make eerie noises at 3am so the people living there can't rest.
or.. sneak in and hide an fm radio and loudspeaker and tune it into the frequency of a wireless mic and at odd times shout things such as.... THIS IS THE POLICE... or make eerie noises at 3am so the people living there can't rest.
PlayboyJoeShmoe
Flashaholic
Long term CPFers may remember the Shoot Out at the house next door to me some months ago.
For about a month prior to that, I counted and wrote down some 25 different vehicles that came around there.
The landlord didn't know anything about it of course...
Now some weed smoking Harley riders live over there. The only gripe I have with 'em is they have straight pipes and spend a LOT of time revving up their bikes.
Still it beats the activity that used to be over there!
It took shooting to get my neighbors gone. I hope you fare better!
For about a month prior to that, I counted and wrote down some 25 different vehicles that came around there.
The landlord didn't know anything about it of course...
Now some weed smoking Harley riders live over there. The only gripe I have with 'em is they have straight pipes and spend a LOT of time revving up their bikes.
Still it beats the activity that used to be over there!
It took shooting to get my neighbors gone. I hope you fare better!
jtr1962
Flashaholic
Here are mine in no particular order:
1. Move ASAP
2. Talk to the landlord and convince him to evict the tenants, and to be more careful about who he rents to in the future (i.e. check for criminal records first).
3. Next time there is a ballot initiative calling for increasing the number of patrol cars vote yes.
4. Since this is CPF direct a few very bright 400W or so metal halide lamps straight at the house all night long. I highly doubt they will complain to police about it since they're engaged in illegal activity. Just make sure that no light trespasses into the properties of neighbors you do like. The theory here is that roaches hide when the lights come on. They'll either stop the illegal activity or take it elsewhere. In either case your problem is solved. And if they shoot the lights out you have an instant case against them.
5. Start acting like Charles Bronson in the Death Wish movies. Just be advised that you'll likely end up either dead, seriously injured, or a "guest of the state". Still, at least the problem will be solved for whoever moves in after you, and you'll save the taxpayers money on a trial and incarceration of these lowlifes.
6. Call the police-once. Then wait and hope that those in your area aren't on the drug dealer's payroll.
[begin rant]
While I don't condone taking drugs, the fact is that the war on drugs is a monumental failure like prohibition and always will be. All it has led to is situations like this one, lowlifes getting rich enough to drive fancy cars, and innocent people dying because they get stuck in the middle of turf wars. Legalize drugs and while you won't get rid of the problem of substance abuse, you'll get rid of these other things. A person will go to a pharmacy to buy drugs the same as they go to a liquor store to buy alcohol. I think once the illegality is taken away, drug use will suddenly seem less attractive to those thinking about starting. You'll have fewer who try it, and long term fewer who get hooked. Short term you won't change the number of hard core users, but they all die within ten years or so anyway. If few replace them, the problem is solved within a decade or so. The current measures we take to combat the problem will never work. Even worse, many a decent LEO has died needlessly in the ill-fated attempt to rid the nation of drugs. You're starting to get a small number of politicians who see the futility of the situation, and would legalize drugs. Let's hope they're the majority soon. The fact is that the state is not responsible for protecting individuals from themselves, just from others. There are many bad decisions a person can make which result in injury or death. Most of them are not illegal, including smoking and drinking. I don't see why taking drugs should be. Indeed, I see legal drugs as a larger problem. You see quite a few drivers who look stoned because they're taking some sort of legal medication with severe side effects.
[/end rant]
1. Move ASAP
2. Talk to the landlord and convince him to evict the tenants, and to be more careful about who he rents to in the future (i.e. check for criminal records first).
3. Next time there is a ballot initiative calling for increasing the number of patrol cars vote yes.
4. Since this is CPF direct a few very bright 400W or so metal halide lamps straight at the house all night long. I highly doubt they will complain to police about it since they're engaged in illegal activity. Just make sure that no light trespasses into the properties of neighbors you do like. The theory here is that roaches hide when the lights come on. They'll either stop the illegal activity or take it elsewhere. In either case your problem is solved. And if they shoot the lights out you have an instant case against them.
5. Start acting like Charles Bronson in the Death Wish movies. Just be advised that you'll likely end up either dead, seriously injured, or a "guest of the state". Still, at least the problem will be solved for whoever moves in after you, and you'll save the taxpayers money on a trial and incarceration of these lowlifes.
6. Call the police-once. Then wait and hope that those in your area aren't on the drug dealer's payroll.
[begin rant]
While I don't condone taking drugs, the fact is that the war on drugs is a monumental failure like prohibition and always will be. All it has led to is situations like this one, lowlifes getting rich enough to drive fancy cars, and innocent people dying because they get stuck in the middle of turf wars. Legalize drugs and while you won't get rid of the problem of substance abuse, you'll get rid of these other things. A person will go to a pharmacy to buy drugs the same as they go to a liquor store to buy alcohol. I think once the illegality is taken away, drug use will suddenly seem less attractive to those thinking about starting. You'll have fewer who try it, and long term fewer who get hooked. Short term you won't change the number of hard core users, but they all die within ten years or so anyway. If few replace them, the problem is solved within a decade or so. The current measures we take to combat the problem will never work. Even worse, many a decent LEO has died needlessly in the ill-fated attempt to rid the nation of drugs. You're starting to get a small number of politicians who see the futility of the situation, and would legalize drugs. Let's hope they're the majority soon. The fact is that the state is not responsible for protecting individuals from themselves, just from others. There are many bad decisions a person can make which result in injury or death. Most of them are not illegal, including smoking and drinking. I don't see why taking drugs should be. Indeed, I see legal drugs as a larger problem. You see quite a few drivers who look stoned because they're taking some sort of legal medication with severe side effects.
[/end rant]
flashlightlens
Newly Enlightened
Thanks for all the input, everyone.
One thing I should mention. I really had no problem with the fact that my neighbors might do drugs in their house - as long as they do so in their own time and inside their house. That's their choice, albeit a fairly unintelligent one. Kind of one of those "don't ask - don't tell" situations - keep me in the dark and I'll act like it doesn't exist.
I had a conversiation with the lady that knows this guy a long time ago right after she moved in and we talked about the kind of people that used to live there. She mentioned she found a LOT of steel wool type material in her place when she moved in and was cleaning it up. I told her that I had no problem with people doing what they want as far as taking drugs in their own house over there, but if it ever affects me or spills outside in the form of dealers, or whatever, that it would be brought to an end then.
After my power washer was stolen, I told her that it's personal now and reminded her of that conversation we had. I made it quite clear to her now that my tolerance for anything was gone and if I so much as smelled the slightest odor of pot coming from here place, the police would be there. We'll see how that works out.
Luckily, last night was VERY quite and peaceful.
DVR card and cameras are on the way to me now. Until I move, there won't be a single thing that goes undocumented in my yard now.
Funny thing too. The whole time I was out there the other morning after the theft, I had my TigerLight (which I was using to look in their cars and the yard for the power washer). In the back of my head, I was eagerly waiting for one of those tweekers to confront me so that I could give them a dose the the *** end spray of the TL. Something sounded fun about doing that. Is that wrong?
One thing I should mention. I really had no problem with the fact that my neighbors might do drugs in their house - as long as they do so in their own time and inside their house. That's their choice, albeit a fairly unintelligent one. Kind of one of those "don't ask - don't tell" situations - keep me in the dark and I'll act like it doesn't exist.
I had a conversiation with the lady that knows this guy a long time ago right after she moved in and we talked about the kind of people that used to live there. She mentioned she found a LOT of steel wool type material in her place when she moved in and was cleaning it up. I told her that I had no problem with people doing what they want as far as taking drugs in their own house over there, but if it ever affects me or spills outside in the form of dealers, or whatever, that it would be brought to an end then.
After my power washer was stolen, I told her that it's personal now and reminded her of that conversation we had. I made it quite clear to her now that my tolerance for anything was gone and if I so much as smelled the slightest odor of pot coming from here place, the police would be there. We'll see how that works out.
Luckily, last night was VERY quite and peaceful.
DVR card and cameras are on the way to me now. Until I move, there won't be a single thing that goes undocumented in my yard now.
Funny thing too. The whole time I was out there the other morning after the theft, I had my TigerLight (which I was using to look in their cars and the yard for the power washer). In the back of my head, I was eagerly waiting for one of those tweekers to confront me so that I could give them a dose the the *** end spray of the TL. Something sounded fun about doing that. Is that wrong?
turbodog
Flashaholic
[ QUOTE ]
flashlightlens.com said:
Thanks for all the input, everyone.
One thing I should mention. I really had no problem with the fact that my neighbors might do drugs in their house - as long as they do so in their own time and inside their house. That's their choice, albeit a fairly unintelligent one. Kind of one of those "don't ask - don't tell" situations - keep me in the dark and I'll act like it doesn't exist.
I had a conversiation with the lady that knows this guy a long time ago right after she moved in and we talked about the kind of people that used to live there. She mentioned she found a LOT of steel wool type material in her place when she moved in and was cleaning it up. I told her that I had no problem with people doing what they want as far as taking drugs in their own house over there, but if it ever affects me or spills outside in the form of dealers, or whatever, that it would be brought to an end then.
After my power washer was stolen, I told her that it's personal now and reminded her of that conversation we had. I made it quite clear to her now that my tolerance for anything was gone and if I so much as smelled the slightest odor of pot coming from here place, the police would be there. We'll see how that works out.
Luckily, last night was VERY quite and peaceful.
DVR card and cameras are on the way to me now. Until I move, there won't be a single thing that goes undocumented in my yard now.
Funny thing too. The whole time I was out there the other morning after the theft, I had my TigerLight (which I was using to look in their cars and the yard for the power washer). In the back of my head, I was eagerly waiting for one of those tweekers to confront me so that I could give them a dose the the *** end spray of the TL. Something sounded fun about doing that. Is that wrong?
[/ QUOTE ]
Only if you miss.
flashlightlens.com said:
Thanks for all the input, everyone.
One thing I should mention. I really had no problem with the fact that my neighbors might do drugs in their house - as long as they do so in their own time and inside their house. That's their choice, albeit a fairly unintelligent one. Kind of one of those "don't ask - don't tell" situations - keep me in the dark and I'll act like it doesn't exist.
I had a conversiation with the lady that knows this guy a long time ago right after she moved in and we talked about the kind of people that used to live there. She mentioned she found a LOT of steel wool type material in her place when she moved in and was cleaning it up. I told her that I had no problem with people doing what they want as far as taking drugs in their own house over there, but if it ever affects me or spills outside in the form of dealers, or whatever, that it would be brought to an end then.
After my power washer was stolen, I told her that it's personal now and reminded her of that conversation we had. I made it quite clear to her now that my tolerance for anything was gone and if I so much as smelled the slightest odor of pot coming from here place, the police would be there. We'll see how that works out.
Luckily, last night was VERY quite and peaceful.
DVR card and cameras are on the way to me now. Until I move, there won't be a single thing that goes undocumented in my yard now.
Funny thing too. The whole time I was out there the other morning after the theft, I had my TigerLight (which I was using to look in their cars and the yard for the power washer). In the back of my head, I was eagerly waiting for one of those tweekers to confront me so that I could give them a dose the the *** end spray of the TL. Something sounded fun about doing that. Is that wrong?
[/ QUOTE ]
Only if you miss.
MichiganMan
Enlightened
[ QUOTE ]
jtr1962 said:
[begin rant]
While I don't condone taking drugs, the fact is that the war on drugs is a monumental failure like prohibition and always will be. ...
[/end rant]
[/ QUOTE ]
Spurts in California and elsewhere notwithstanding, proponents of legalization often ignore significant realities of trying to implement such a strategy in modern day America. Sure, we can say "Let them use whatever they want as long as they bear the responsibility" and then smugly pat ourselves on the back for seeing the solution that none of those idiot politicians do, but complete personal responsibility is a concept that many of us will agree on, but like other universally agreeable concepts, ie. world peace, its purely an academic point because it will never happen.
Ours is a compassionate society that will not, ever, let the completely helpless wither and die in the street without trying as best as is administratively possible to care for them EVEN if their condition is 100% their own fault
Therein lies the obstacle to completely legalizing cocaine, heroin, etc because regardless of what the "Let them use whatever they want, doesn't affect me" crowd says, we would never legally sanction a methamphetamine addict using as much meth as they want because they would quickly and in significant numbers render themselves either permanently incapacitated or dead, all graphically depicted in front of the media's cameras. The public outcry upon viewing mothers dying in the street, bereft of aid because their condition was deemed "their own fault" would be deafening. And inevitably, despite what any libertarian ever promises you about legalization, we will end up shelling out LOTS of money for the addict's care, and we would be right back where we are now, only with cocaine and meth use a protected right. Therefore, arguing that hard drug use doesn't significantly affect the rest of the members of a society, and that we could set up a system that sanctions its unfettered use without financially crippling ourselves is obtuse at best and ignores the empathetic human nature of the average American.
Additionally, the kind of enviroment flashlightlens is currently dealing with in his neighborhood is brought about by the effect of controlled substance addictions upon users, not by the legal status of their substance. IOW, the reason they're not working and are stealing whatever they can is because the drug wipes you out not because it happens to be illegal.
And don't even get me started on the complete disassociation with reality one must exercise to imagine any system of cocaine/methamphetamine/marijuana legalization that would survive American product liability attorneys. Anyone want to buy stock in the company that markets marijuana after the first asthmatic has a fatal attack after smoking their product? We can't get tort reform on the products that are currently legal, does anyone seriously think we could push through lawsuit immunity to anyone that would market cocaine???
I'm not saying the WOD is a success (but neither have been our attempts at stamping out child pornography, all reports indicate its flourishing, if such failure is depicted as a criteria for legalization shall we therefore legalize that?) What I am saying is that legalization is an interesting academic topic to discuss, and it can be a satisfying means to prove how much smarter we are than the folks that actually have to implement the laws in the real world, but its not likely to happen anytime soon.
Hmm, succinct I ain't. Sorry. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
jtr1962 said:
[begin rant]
While I don't condone taking drugs, the fact is that the war on drugs is a monumental failure like prohibition and always will be. ...
[/end rant]
[/ QUOTE ]
Spurts in California and elsewhere notwithstanding, proponents of legalization often ignore significant realities of trying to implement such a strategy in modern day America. Sure, we can say "Let them use whatever they want as long as they bear the responsibility" and then smugly pat ourselves on the back for seeing the solution that none of those idiot politicians do, but complete personal responsibility is a concept that many of us will agree on, but like other universally agreeable concepts, ie. world peace, its purely an academic point because it will never happen.
Ours is a compassionate society that will not, ever, let the completely helpless wither and die in the street without trying as best as is administratively possible to care for them EVEN if their condition is 100% their own fault
Therein lies the obstacle to completely legalizing cocaine, heroin, etc because regardless of what the "Let them use whatever they want, doesn't affect me" crowd says, we would never legally sanction a methamphetamine addict using as much meth as they want because they would quickly and in significant numbers render themselves either permanently incapacitated or dead, all graphically depicted in front of the media's cameras. The public outcry upon viewing mothers dying in the street, bereft of aid because their condition was deemed "their own fault" would be deafening. And inevitably, despite what any libertarian ever promises you about legalization, we will end up shelling out LOTS of money for the addict's care, and we would be right back where we are now, only with cocaine and meth use a protected right. Therefore, arguing that hard drug use doesn't significantly affect the rest of the members of a society, and that we could set up a system that sanctions its unfettered use without financially crippling ourselves is obtuse at best and ignores the empathetic human nature of the average American.
Additionally, the kind of enviroment flashlightlens is currently dealing with in his neighborhood is brought about by the effect of controlled substance addictions upon users, not by the legal status of their substance. IOW, the reason they're not working and are stealing whatever they can is because the drug wipes you out not because it happens to be illegal.
And don't even get me started on the complete disassociation with reality one must exercise to imagine any system of cocaine/methamphetamine/marijuana legalization that would survive American product liability attorneys. Anyone want to buy stock in the company that markets marijuana after the first asthmatic has a fatal attack after smoking their product? We can't get tort reform on the products that are currently legal, does anyone seriously think we could push through lawsuit immunity to anyone that would market cocaine???
I'm not saying the WOD is a success (but neither have been our attempts at stamping out child pornography, all reports indicate its flourishing, if such failure is depicted as a criteria for legalization shall we therefore legalize that?) What I am saying is that legalization is an interesting academic topic to discuss, and it can be a satisfying means to prove how much smarter we are than the folks that actually have to implement the laws in the real world, but its not likely to happen anytime soon.
Hmm, succinct I ain't. Sorry. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I just came acrossed this and looked forward to a cop giving an honest answer if not a few jumping in since they use the products mentioned here. Sad to say its not to my likeing, nor am I really surprised.
My family and I moved from an apartment complex that was going down hill, both the grounds, interrior and tenents. THey started to have to deal with smoke from the smokers below, loud music and cars coming in and out of the neighborhood. They moved to a new home in a new development. Sad to say ten years later they moved out. It too ran down hill. The grounds wer ekept less and less, traffic became an issue at all times of the day and night, music, junk cars in yards, sheriffs putting orange notices on peoples doors, coming home to find cars parked in our driveway and yard, dirt in the gas tanks, parts removed from the cars, damage to the house, we put up a fense in the back and front yard as well as got locking gas tops. After a neighbor was hacked to death with a hatchet the next street over during the day we moved to an apartment as our new home in a rural area was being built.
In the middle had called cops. Not a single thing came out of it. Infact, that was when the luvers from the cars went missing the day after talking to the cops.
Living in a rural area was the trick. Of course its 45 minutes from anything, its great.
Being disabled and needing transportation I have moved to a some what run down college apartment area. Needless to say the traffic, noise and smells exist. Right now I smell either paint or starter fluid. Not the first time i have smelled it, but reported it to maintenance. I rather not call the cops as I LIVE HERE TOO and hate to draw any attention. I leave a light on in both rooms and a radio and lay low. I dont answer the door for no one.
Wished I could of offered some advice or read some from someone else here.
My family and I moved from an apartment complex that was going down hill, both the grounds, interrior and tenents. THey started to have to deal with smoke from the smokers below, loud music and cars coming in and out of the neighborhood. They moved to a new home in a new development. Sad to say ten years later they moved out. It too ran down hill. The grounds wer ekept less and less, traffic became an issue at all times of the day and night, music, junk cars in yards, sheriffs putting orange notices on peoples doors, coming home to find cars parked in our driveway and yard, dirt in the gas tanks, parts removed from the cars, damage to the house, we put up a fense in the back and front yard as well as got locking gas tops. After a neighbor was hacked to death with a hatchet the next street over during the day we moved to an apartment as our new home in a rural area was being built.
In the middle had called cops. Not a single thing came out of it. Infact, that was when the luvers from the cars went missing the day after talking to the cops.
Living in a rural area was the trick. Of course its 45 minutes from anything, its great.
Being disabled and needing transportation I have moved to a some what run down college apartment area. Needless to say the traffic, noise and smells exist. Right now I smell either paint or starter fluid. Not the first time i have smelled it, but reported it to maintenance. I rather not call the cops as I LIVE HERE TOO and hate to draw any attention. I leave a light on in both rooms and a radio and lay low. I dont answer the door for no one.
Wished I could of offered some advice or read some from someone else here.
jtr1962
Flashaholic
[ QUOTE ]
MichiganMan said:
Therein lies the obstacle to completely legalizing cocaine, heroin, etc because regardless of what the "Let them use whatever they want, doesn't affect me" crowd says, we would never legally sanction a methamphetamine addict using as much meth as they want because they would quickly and in significant numbers render themselves either permanently incapacitated or dead, all graphically depicted in front of the media's cameras.
[/ QUOTE ]
But isn't that the situation now? The fact that these drugs are illegal doesn't prevent people from doing exactly this right now. We had a hard core drug user about my age a few houses down from us a while back. He inherited the house from his parents free and clear, along with a few hundred thousand dollars (at least) from his grandmother. He could have been set for life without working. Instead, he wasted it all on drugs, turned his house into a drug den, and ultimately lost it in foreclosure for $70,000. The illegality of what he was doing didn't deter him, nor did it interrupt the supply. I'd rather he had given the money he spent on drugs to a legitimate business which paid taxes. To the best of my knowledge, his many arrests didn't change the situation one iota. I don't know where he is now, but I imagine it isn't good.
[ QUOTE ]
And inevitably, despite what any libertarian ever promises you about legalization, we will end up shelling out LOTS of money for the addict's care, and we would be right back where we are now, only with cocaine and meth use a protected right.
[/ QUOTE ]
If we as a society are to ever avoid going bankrupt taking care of those who cause their own condition (that includes alcoholics, smokers, people who are obese) we're going to have to come to terms sooner or later with the concept of just letting nature run its course. We can make everything that's bad for you illegal, but all that does is create a black market and foster a nanny state. Also, I might add that drug treatment programs are failures. Once a druggie always a druggie. I have yet to see anything positive come out of these programs. As soon as the person is detoxed, they go right back to the dealer. It doesn't matter if they were in the program a week, a month, or a year. All they know is that once they face a problem they can't cope with it's back to the needle or crack pipe. To me it's another form of suicide. You might try to help a person who wants to commit suicide once or twice. By the third or fourth time you just say f*ck it, if that's what they want, who am I to interfere. Often the people who turn to drugs or commit suicide have no worse problems than anyone else.
I think we're too compassionate of a society for our own good. It's starting to hurt those who play by the rules now. Spending on Medicare and Medicaid, as well as a whole host of social programs, is financially crippling us right now. I have no problems feeding someone who lost their job, and helping them find a new one, but it ends there. Remember that the US was the world's fastest growing economy in the 150 years when we weren't hampered by paying for social programs of all sorts. Society didn't fall apart and we didn't have people dying in the streets. Indeed, welfare advocates predicted gloom and doom when Guiliani cut the welfare roles in NYC in half. Guess what? It didn't happen.
[ QUOTE ]
Additionally, the kind of enviroment flashlightlens is currently dealing with in his neighborhood is brought about by the effect of controlled substance addictions upon users, not by the legal status of their substance. IOW, the reason they're not working and are stealing whatever they can is because the drug wipes you out not because it happens to be illegal.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, but the very illegality of it is what may have started these people on drug use to begin with. Alcoholism increased markedly during prohibition. We can draw a parallel from that. Ultimately, I tend to think substance abuse stems from a poor upbringing where you fail to learn proper coping skills. Maybe the best way to attack the problem (and a whole host of other social ills) is to license parents. Granted, there are many practical aspects of implementing that which are thorny, but it's food for thought.
[ QUOTE ]
And don't even get me started on the complete disassociation with reality one must exercise to imagine any system of cocaine/methamphetamine/marijuana legalization that would survive American product liability attorneys.
[/ QUOTE ]
Wouldn't a simple disclaimer on the packaging be enough, or perhaps having the buyer sign a form in which they waive their right to sue? Let's face it, if you take drugs long enough you're going to die. Suing is as silly as someone suing a bullet maker because the bullet kills someone they know. That's what it's designing to do. Ditto for drugs used in excessive quantities. While I don't condone smoking either I think any attempts to sue the tobacco industry should have been laughed right out of the courts. Cigarettes have had warnings for at least 40 years, if not more. Regardless, we really need tort reform in this country. There are cases were lawsuits have resulted in better products or improved conditions. Nowadays it's mostly frivilous lawsuits which enrich lawyers at the expense of society. How about we solve the problem of too many lawyers by paying them a few million each to never practice law again? That seems like a viable solution to me.
[ QUOTE ]
I'm not saying the WOD is a success (but neither have been our attempts at stamping out child pornography, all reports indicate its flourishing, if such failure is depicted as a criteria for legalization shall we therefore legalize that?)
[/ QUOTE ]
The WOD is a miserable failure any way you slice it. It has cost billions and many lives with little effect. If you want a legal solution to drug use, then I have one but you may not care for it. Attack the demand side instead of the supply side. If someone is arrested for drug possession in small amounts (a few doses) give them two chances to clean up. Kill dealers with more doses on the spot. The third time that the users are arrested execute them too. No appeals, no long stays. Do it right after the trial. Eventually all the hard core users will be gone and almost nobody new will even think of getting started using this garbage. The dealers will be put out of business. Harsh? Yes. But it would probably work. I believe Malaysia has a similar law on the books. They don't have a drug problem. As for child pornography, until and unless it's outlawed worldwide there will be no chance of stopping it. It's perfectly legal in quite a few countries. Also, very few countries are as restrictive as the US in their definitions of what constitutes a "minor". 12 or 13 is a pretty common age of consent in much of the world, so what would be child pornography in the US is simply regular pornography in those countries. BTW, I don't look at porno, child or otherwise. I frankly think it's all disgusting and degrading to females. However, I support the right of anyone who wishes to look at it, so long as none of the sex acts were forced.
[ QUOTE ]
Hmm, succinct I ain't. Sorry. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
I think I've found competition for who can type the longest posts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
MichiganMan said:
Therein lies the obstacle to completely legalizing cocaine, heroin, etc because regardless of what the "Let them use whatever they want, doesn't affect me" crowd says, we would never legally sanction a methamphetamine addict using as much meth as they want because they would quickly and in significant numbers render themselves either permanently incapacitated or dead, all graphically depicted in front of the media's cameras.
[/ QUOTE ]
But isn't that the situation now? The fact that these drugs are illegal doesn't prevent people from doing exactly this right now. We had a hard core drug user about my age a few houses down from us a while back. He inherited the house from his parents free and clear, along with a few hundred thousand dollars (at least) from his grandmother. He could have been set for life without working. Instead, he wasted it all on drugs, turned his house into a drug den, and ultimately lost it in foreclosure for $70,000. The illegality of what he was doing didn't deter him, nor did it interrupt the supply. I'd rather he had given the money he spent on drugs to a legitimate business which paid taxes. To the best of my knowledge, his many arrests didn't change the situation one iota. I don't know where he is now, but I imagine it isn't good.
[ QUOTE ]
And inevitably, despite what any libertarian ever promises you about legalization, we will end up shelling out LOTS of money for the addict's care, and we would be right back where we are now, only with cocaine and meth use a protected right.
[/ QUOTE ]
If we as a society are to ever avoid going bankrupt taking care of those who cause their own condition (that includes alcoholics, smokers, people who are obese) we're going to have to come to terms sooner or later with the concept of just letting nature run its course. We can make everything that's bad for you illegal, but all that does is create a black market and foster a nanny state. Also, I might add that drug treatment programs are failures. Once a druggie always a druggie. I have yet to see anything positive come out of these programs. As soon as the person is detoxed, they go right back to the dealer. It doesn't matter if they were in the program a week, a month, or a year. All they know is that once they face a problem they can't cope with it's back to the needle or crack pipe. To me it's another form of suicide. You might try to help a person who wants to commit suicide once or twice. By the third or fourth time you just say f*ck it, if that's what they want, who am I to interfere. Often the people who turn to drugs or commit suicide have no worse problems than anyone else.
I think we're too compassionate of a society for our own good. It's starting to hurt those who play by the rules now. Spending on Medicare and Medicaid, as well as a whole host of social programs, is financially crippling us right now. I have no problems feeding someone who lost their job, and helping them find a new one, but it ends there. Remember that the US was the world's fastest growing economy in the 150 years when we weren't hampered by paying for social programs of all sorts. Society didn't fall apart and we didn't have people dying in the streets. Indeed, welfare advocates predicted gloom and doom when Guiliani cut the welfare roles in NYC in half. Guess what? It didn't happen.
[ QUOTE ]
Additionally, the kind of enviroment flashlightlens is currently dealing with in his neighborhood is brought about by the effect of controlled substance addictions upon users, not by the legal status of their substance. IOW, the reason they're not working and are stealing whatever they can is because the drug wipes you out not because it happens to be illegal.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, but the very illegality of it is what may have started these people on drug use to begin with. Alcoholism increased markedly during prohibition. We can draw a parallel from that. Ultimately, I tend to think substance abuse stems from a poor upbringing where you fail to learn proper coping skills. Maybe the best way to attack the problem (and a whole host of other social ills) is to license parents. Granted, there are many practical aspects of implementing that which are thorny, but it's food for thought.
[ QUOTE ]
And don't even get me started on the complete disassociation with reality one must exercise to imagine any system of cocaine/methamphetamine/marijuana legalization that would survive American product liability attorneys.
[/ QUOTE ]
Wouldn't a simple disclaimer on the packaging be enough, or perhaps having the buyer sign a form in which they waive their right to sue? Let's face it, if you take drugs long enough you're going to die. Suing is as silly as someone suing a bullet maker because the bullet kills someone they know. That's what it's designing to do. Ditto for drugs used in excessive quantities. While I don't condone smoking either I think any attempts to sue the tobacco industry should have been laughed right out of the courts. Cigarettes have had warnings for at least 40 years, if not more. Regardless, we really need tort reform in this country. There are cases were lawsuits have resulted in better products or improved conditions. Nowadays it's mostly frivilous lawsuits which enrich lawyers at the expense of society. How about we solve the problem of too many lawyers by paying them a few million each to never practice law again? That seems like a viable solution to me.
[ QUOTE ]
I'm not saying the WOD is a success (but neither have been our attempts at stamping out child pornography, all reports indicate its flourishing, if such failure is depicted as a criteria for legalization shall we therefore legalize that?)
[/ QUOTE ]
The WOD is a miserable failure any way you slice it. It has cost billions and many lives with little effect. If you want a legal solution to drug use, then I have one but you may not care for it. Attack the demand side instead of the supply side. If someone is arrested for drug possession in small amounts (a few doses) give them two chances to clean up. Kill dealers with more doses on the spot. The third time that the users are arrested execute them too. No appeals, no long stays. Do it right after the trial. Eventually all the hard core users will be gone and almost nobody new will even think of getting started using this garbage. The dealers will be put out of business. Harsh? Yes. But it would probably work. I believe Malaysia has a similar law on the books. They don't have a drug problem. As for child pornography, until and unless it's outlawed worldwide there will be no chance of stopping it. It's perfectly legal in quite a few countries. Also, very few countries are as restrictive as the US in their definitions of what constitutes a "minor". 12 or 13 is a pretty common age of consent in much of the world, so what would be child pornography in the US is simply regular pornography in those countries. BTW, I don't look at porno, child or otherwise. I frankly think it's all disgusting and degrading to females. However, I support the right of anyone who wishes to look at it, so long as none of the sex acts were forced.
[ QUOTE ]
Hmm, succinct I ain't. Sorry. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
[/ QUOTE ]
I think I've found competition for who can type the longest posts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
