"Poll question: What would you do about vagrant on your stoop?"
This message came up on my block list (used AI to shorten and anonymize):
"Hi neighbors, I’m looking for advice on a situation that’s becoming difficult to manage. There’s a young man named Daekwon (not sure of the spelling) who often hangs out in our neighborhood. He talks to himself loudly but has generally been peaceful and friendly—often sitting on our stoop to smoke for 20–30 minutes.
Lately, though, he’s been leaving trash and matches behind. I recently asked him not to sit there anymore, which seems to have escalated things. He now insists he owns our house, accuses me of harassment, and tells me to call the police—though he eventually leaves, he keeps returning and refusing to go.
We’re hesitant to involve the police out of concern for his well-being, but we’re not sure how to resolve this. Any advice on how to de-escalate peacefully would be greatly appreciated."
I am curious how they handle it because they are a super liberal couple (administrator at the most liberal east coast school you can think of) and a activist writer.
In Bed Sty I don't think a Black family or brother would have any issues removing this cat any way they see fit, but in my liberal part of BK it seems like a huge moral dilemma. I am eager to see how the other folks from the block respond but I bet folks just privately message them it's okay to call the cops.
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 82574 posts
Wed Jun-04-25 11:08 AM
1. "I aint calling the cops but he gotta go the old school way" In response to Reply # 0
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
2. "This used to happen on my last stoop in Bed STuy" In response to Reply # 0
we were nice. We'd ask them to leave. One woman was more accommodating and would SLOWLY pack her shit up while tweaking. Another woman would begrudgingly leave - but she used to talk back to my wife.
Cops aint worth a call for these situations -- if not because they won't show up.
Other neighbors dragged them off, grabbed their shit and threw it, another woman poured maybe hot water or water with bleach on them from a window above
--- "though time has passed, im still the future" (c) black thought
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 82574 posts
Wed Jun-04-25 03:25 PM
3. "pouring water with bleach is cruel" In response to Reply # 2
but gotdamn, repeatedly posting up on someone’s stoop and refusing to leave is how you get hit with random shit.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 82574 posts
Sat Jun-07-25 10:55 AM
7. "that dude coming right back for another $20 the next day" In response to Reply # 4
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
there was a guy that hung out on my block in BK. i passed him everyday for two years. then one day he asked me for $10 for some alcohol and I gave it to him. never saw him again...
He was a funny dude. Reminded me of the vagrant in The Forty-Year-Old Version on netflix
-- Sometimes you have to look reality in the face and say 'No!' -Ben (Reaper)
would love to see an ATL episode where that $10 gets flipped a few rimes and changes his life.. but unfortunately its usually much darker.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
5. "Why did they IMMEDIATELY go to "Don't sit here." as opposed to...." In response to Reply # 0
Please don't leave trash on my stoop?
Weird.
Also, why not put homeboy to work? I'd give him $20 a week to watch the house when I'm gone.
We had a crackhead in our neighborhood named "Cowboy" He was like neighborhood watch. We was pretty handy, so folks all up and down the block would hire him for odd jobs here and there. Hell we hired him to fix our irrigation hose, did a damned good job too! One day he caught some silly boy trying to break into one of the cars on the block.
smh
He beat the B R A K E S off that boy. Once the cops rolled up on him on the block, asking for ID, in 2.5 seconds all the men on the block came out of their house and 'asked politely' for the police to leave (we live DEEP in the hood - with that many of us they'd have never made it out alive)
It was beautiful really.
I haven't seen him in awhile, I moved to a different block... I hope he's ok.
6. "I was looking for this reply. thank you so much" In response to Reply # 5
cuz like wtf there are so many ways to handle this situation
d
"i do more for both our communities than you'll ever know." - Heinz "But rest assured, in my luxurious house built on the backs of people darker than me, I am sipping fine scotch and scoffing at how stupid you are." - bshelly
27. "They probably didn't put homey to work because I understand crackheads" In response to Reply # 5
are notoriously unreliable. So I heard. I actually think dude would be offended offering him money to leave. Remember, he claims that it's his house that he is at.
BTW, I don't think it IMMEDIATELY went to "Don't sit here." I shortened the actual post but here is what they actually wrote:
"Over the past few weeks, unfortunately, we’ve started having some problems. While he still is in no way threatening, he has more recently been leaving matches and other trash on our stoop, AND DOESN'T SEEM TO BE WILLING TO CLEAN UP AFTER HIMSELF CONSISTENTLY (emphasis added). Accordingly, I asked him to not sit on our stoop anymore, which unfortunately seems to have escalated the situation.
Knowing these folks, I trust that they tried to work with guy far more than I would.
They could have continued to clean up behind dude and let them chill on their property, but I also think they had a right to not have it.
Absolutely nothing weird about that. Weird to me is thinking it's weird to not want some strange dude with obvious mental health issues not chilling on your stoop. A family with two young daughters by the way.
********** "Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson
I mean if AWL that doesn't work, sure you prolly gotta use some type of force. I think the point of all those kumbaya suggestions is NEVER make it to the point where you HAVE to use force.
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 82574 posts
Wed Jun-11-25 10:19 AM
12. "that dude man.. lol." In response to Reply # 11
a gun? Really?
Spoken like a man who doesn’t own a gun.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 82574 posts
Thu Jun-12-25 08:56 AM
17. "lmao.. All Stah had to be an alias" In response to Reply # 16
him and bobblehead have to be the same person.
the takes are wild
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
14. "very white response." In response to Reply # 9
"i do more for both our communities than you'll ever know." - Heinz "But rest assured, in my luxurious house built on the backs of people darker than me, I am sipping fine scotch and scoffing at how stupid you are." - bshelly
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 82574 posts
Wed Jun-11-25 02:48 PM
15. "def a white response" In response to Reply # 14
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
23. "violent thugs, the lot of them. smh" In response to Reply # 15
"i do more for both our communities than you'll ever know." - Heinz "But rest assured, in my luxurious house built on the backs of people darker than me, I am sipping fine scotch and scoffing at how stupid you are." - bshelly
25. "a gun? in NYC? Enjoy your stay in Rikers nm" In response to Reply # 9
>at what point does someone just say well, guess i have to >point a gun at your face to get my point across? > >because i don't even have a gun and when i read "accuses me of >harassment" my mind immediately went to "buy a gun, point it >in his face" > >
------------------- I wanna go to where the martyrs went the brown figures on the walls of my apart-a-ment...
22. "Based on the letter that aint the problem." In response to Reply # 19
Perhaps he sits on a different stoop each day for a 30min smoke and the neighbors have probably found ways to work with him be it helping groceries up the stoop, odd jobs around the home, look out for the boot-man.
The op should’ve just asked him to keep the premises clean.
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