Don't Disrespect The High-Strung Teens Or They Will Punch You

Flickr user naftels

Brownstone Brooklyn residents are living in fear of the roving gang of violent teenagers roaming the streets, punching anyone who gets in their way. But they can't help it! They're just high-strung!

The Brooklyn Paper talks to a Cobble Hill man who was walking down Boerum Place toward Bergen Street when he was interrupted by a gang of eight teenagers, who were rudely "taking up the entire sidewalk." One the teens leaned toward the man and hollered "Boo!," which, while unoriginal, did manage to scare the bejesus out of the chap, who responded with a kindly "What the fuck are you doing?" before getting punched in face by another teen. Teens in the area have been doing all sorts of damage lately, from smashing parked cars with golf clubs to attacking unsuspecting passerby with icy snowballs.

“My friends like to fuck with people. They find it funny,” one ninth grader at the School of International Studies in Cobble Hill told the Paper. “Some kids are really high-strung, and if they feel disrespected they’ll hit somebody.”

The neighborhood has evolved so much that the gentrifiers are pushing property values of brownstones up—one longtime resident, shocked that a home was listed at $2.5 million, told the NY Times she paid $17,000 for her brownstone in 1972— while situated between two public housing projects (namely the Gowanus Houses and Wyckoff Gardens). “You got too much ‘ippity’ folks around here,” another longtime Boerum Hill resident said. “They’re uppity, but I call them ‘ippity.' They look at you like you don’t belong here.” Maybe everyone should just get together and move a few blocks over to Park Slope instead?

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jamie Feldmar in News on October 25, 2011 12:25 PM

Comments [rss]

ed_Ex2

I was once attacked on the subway back in '06 by a punk kid, probabkly around 15 or 16 years old who's girlfriend spit on my boot. I said, "What the fuck?" The kid came up next to me and said, "You better watch your "five."" I replied, "It's "six." As the train pulled into the station and the doors opened, one stop before mine, he tried to punch me, I blocked it and hit him square in the jaw, probably breaking it.

I got out and made a run for it. At the top of the stairs were two black police officers. I told them story and they told me, "go home, wash your hands, and go to sleep, he deserved it." Normally I would have probably ignored it, but that's what a night filled with bourbon does to a man, makes him invincible.

Jonathan Niccolls

HMMMMMM.....Answer: Since home discipline is illegal, and attacking a minor is a felony, the the only thing to do is lower the minor age. I say make it 14!

ed_Ex2

eff that, make it 10.

Robert Lichtenstein

This happened to me in Bed-Stuy in the summer of 09. Right after I got off the J train and crossed the street towards my house, there was a pack of at least 10 teens all wearing baggy white shirts walking in a line the entire length of the street. They're leader was a bit ahead of them so foolishly I cut through to cross to the other sidewalk and after walking about 30 ft one of em threw a burger smack in the back of my head and got ketchup all over me. So I turned around and said "what the fuck" when two of the dudes came walking up towards me, the guy on the left saying shit like "yeah I threw that burger, whats up?" I stood my ground and by the time they got up close to me the dude to his right sucker punched me in the face.

manposeur

Time to destroy the projects and disperse those people. As for those roving black teens, its time for them to go to jail.

Gigantricks

I say shoot the punk ass mother fuckers and put them out of their misery now. They're never going to amount to anything. All they have to look forward to is a future of welfare, spousal abuse and prison.

Rocknrope

Nothing that an expandable baton to the temple couldn't solve.

TeddyNYC

Projects/minority teens/crappy transportation system - the antidote to gentrification.

robingee

>> “They’re uppity, but I call them ‘ippity.' >>

Cool story bro.

Jake

When the hell will people learn...you can't take shit, gentrify it and come out with a golden nugget. All that fancy wealthy facade doesn't mean squat if you don't clean up the shit first. Brooklyn is a shit place to live. Unless you are living behind 15 foot high gates you will inevitably come across pieces of shit like these teenagers. They do not belong with the rest of civilized society, they should be thrown into cages and buried at sea like Bin Laden. They should be beaten into bloody pulps until somebody gets the point. This "gentrification" crap doesn't work if you don't get rid of the shit first. Otherwise don't complain when you get your ass kicked the next time you walk down the street.

Gigantricks

I completely agree!

John Doe

interestingly, stories about the groper(s) who seem to also consistently be of a certain demographic usually get 1/3 of the comments of stories where _________ are involved.Also, usually jokes are made to make light of the situation and no slurs are used. Proceed with the beatings boys....

Tony

Fucking niggers.

robingee

You spelled hipsters wrong.

RobertMosesSupposesErroneously

Because Brooklyn's gentrification was so rapid and patchy, cutesy luxury neighborhoods are cheek-by-jowl with sketchy ghettos. At the border between Clinton Hill and Bed-Stuy, one block separates overpriced artisan panini shops from hoods with nightly gunfire.
Few other cities in America are like this - it is both a blessing and a curse in NYC.

robingee

I find Philly to be in a similar situation.

Adam Moreira

This is why NYC should encourage concealed carry...if they are high strung, they are a threat to society and should be dealt with as such.

Then they won't find it funny when one of their friends is bleeding to death because they attacked someone and he fired his gun in self-defense.

Gadea

They surely must be Asian & Hasidic Teens attacking people on the street.
They wouldn't be minority youth, because they are so well behaved, looking forward
to going to college, not Rikers Island.