Friday, July 23, 2010
Memphis and First Impressions
Posted by Bruce VanWyngarden on Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 11:08 AM
I stumbled on to this travel and arts blog via a "Memphis" Google alert. Though the writer didn't leave the Memphis airport, his impressions of the local people he ran into (and the local alt-weekly) were quite favorable. And I quote:
I picked up the alternative newspaper "Memphis Flyer," and was struck by how professional and serious it was compared with our similar products in Atlanta. I almost bought a Memphis Commercial Appeal, but decided not to, since it seemed to have the exact same news as the Jackson Clarion-Ledger I'd perused back at the hotel. I couldn't take another account of Mississippi State's quarterback prospects, from a report on the SEC's media days. I was also impressed by the fall lineup of Memphis' theater company, with plays like "Superior Donuts" and "August, Osage County" and others. Again, Atlanta seemed curiously short in comparison: The Memphis company's lineup seemed more inviting than what I'd seen for Atlanta's Alliance Theater, which seems adrift ...
First impressions of Memphis have been on my mind for the past couple of days. My wife and I hosted a visiting business-writer/journalist from Agence-France Press. While the Memphis Council for International Visitors did the heavy lifting, getting him to meetings with local businesspeople and the Chamber of Commerce, I squired him around a little as well. We had coffee and scones at Miss Cordelia's Thursday morning and he was impressed with the lively scene — joggers, businesspeople, mothers with strollers, all passing by our sidewalk table. He'd been in the states for a couple of weeks, traveling from city to city. "Most cities I've seen don't have any kind of life or community like this downtown," he said. He was impressed. He also enjoyed the Civil Rights Museum and the "old buildings" that make up our skyline. We took him out to dinner at Cafe 1912, and I think he felt at home. As I shook his hand this morning on his departure, he said he was impressed with Memphis, and I think he meant it.
There were two other visitors here this week, a female professor and her interpreter from Thailand, also under the auspices of International Visitors. Their first impression wasn't so good, or so I was told by the CIV representative who dined with us last night. They were put up at the Sleep Inn downtown, and when they attempted to walk through Court Square toward the Peabody, they became so frightened by the aggressive panhandlers who accosted them that they retreated to their hotel and wouldn't leave without accompaniment. Needless to say, these two won't be writing lovely blog-odes to Memphis. Just the opposite, I suspect.
No city can be everything to all people, but this disparity of impressions garnered by our visitors says something about us. We're friendly, progressive in many ways. Lots of people like us, they really do. But as long as we allow aggressive street-bums to freely intimidate and frighten visitors on our downtown streets, lots of people will also not like us so much. This week, when it came to international visitors, we went "one for three."
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Great Idea, zip. That's good old American ingenuity for you. MY idea would be a punch in the nose if I get harassed. YOurs is much more creative.
I hate those MFers. But before the Center for Serving Food in the Middle of Downtown Because The Residents Don't Like It chimes in, we are not talking about the homeless. We are not talking about the homeless. We are not talking about the homeless.
Packy, maybe you could hand out anal bleaching coupons to the panhandlers. Might improve their attitude. I know it did mine. Nothing like a clean, minty-fresh ass to put a sparkle in your day. Almost made me want to get off welfare.
Exactly. We're talking about the scam-artists who hang around downtown and go HOME at night. They have homes.
How's this: make some counterfeit Five-dollar bills, and when approached by "Skuse me, Sir! Sir ...Lemme aks you a queshun." Answer the gentleman's question by passing along a fake fin. (You're not purchasing anything, so you can't really be accused of forgery.) Yet when he goes to buy a quot of brer with it, THEN! he'll be removed from the pool of accosters. Otherwise, he'll continue to get his payments from the guilt-ridden white tourists who'll never return. He'll get his free lunch either way, only indoors! Also, the MPD won't have to look the other way.
Man, that's cold, hoodatbe, but I'm feelin ya. Court Square should be called Vulture Circle. Glad VW's French guest was impressed. It's surprising to hear he got outta here w/o melting. How do you say "inferno" in French?
re: rantboy - French FRY. Ah, if only ...back to the glory days of the 80/90's at The Court House Deli. "Mister, we could use a man like Michael Roby again!"
But seriously, what I always say when approached by someone saying something to the effect of "Can I ask you a question? (Which is always some variation of 'How's about 52 cent till next Tuesday/Got a Solid Quarter/What about bus fare to Clarksdale for me and my pregnant gf?" Anyway: "Can I ask you a question?" YOU JUST DID!! Next?
Those panhandlers are soooo aggressive.
How many of the city's countless murders were committed by downtown panhandlers last year?
Oh thats right -- none.
People are dying in Memphis streets weekly, and you think that a bunch of harmless bums begging for drug money is a priority?
Get real.
The real part is that some of these panhandlers are very aggressive. It's only a matter of time before someone shoots one of them because they feel threatened. What's going to happen then? A family's life will be turned upside down and the blame game will begin; MPD, CCC, city council, handgun permit holders, etc, etc, etc.
I discovered a (for me) new approach from a panhandler last weekend that's much kinder and gentler but no less intrusive. As my wife and I sat with friends in an "open-window" area of The Flying Saucer an old guy walked up and sang a medley of wartime standards, stuff like "I'll Be Seeing You" and "These Foolish Things." He was very good. IMO beats screaming and spitting for beer money. Which is pretty much what I do after a few hours at The Saucer.
Course, the only obvious solution is to legalize drugs, and outlaw panhandling.
Oh thats right -- it already is.
I only donate to legitimate beggars (those with a permit.)
Kinda like being "Legally Drunk."
CountDracula............... BINGO.............. you win the grand prize. Agressive Panhandling is an oxymoron.
As the most successful President in the history of the DNA I scoffed at the socialites who fabricate this so-called threat. These street people rarely, if ever commit violence, yet we hear all the time of idiots who beat up on these folks OR exploit them a la Bumfights videos.
I remember Bob Lundy whining about this all the time. His wife was terrified of them, of course she also thought farts were gale force winds. The truths of the matter are these........
Memphis is like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Indy, Flint, etc. It is a hard, dirty town made up of a lot of minorities and a lot of people who are without. We are never going to be a squeaky clean model city.
The majority of people living downtown are socialites and there is no debating it. These are people who are fish out of water and really have no concept of what Cosmopolitain life is. These aren't people who have ever lived in downtown's before.
They are suburban socialites and midtown liberal kooks who think that the future of downtown is to become more like a quiet, peaceful town. To people like me who were raised in a melting pot tough inner city the panhandlers are all but invisible.
To people like the DNA members? They're crapping heir pants in fear. All because they don't know any better. To them, street people are the Taliban.
Whenever I eat at Rendezvous, Cathy and I order more than we can eat and upon leaving put 2 carry out baskets together, a few ribs some of a Rendezvous special,a couple rolls and 2 large cokes to go. On the way out we hand it off to a couple of these evil folks.
Here's my take. When Christ walks again, hopefully I won't be here, but if I am, I am 100% confident that he will look like one of those folks and NOT like Bob Lundy, Jim Murray, Joan Robinson or any of the other whack-o socialites that are displaced downtown.
There is no such thing as aggressive panhandling and the arrest records show this to be the case.
Interesting that liberal hypocrites want these legal folks run out, but they want to kiss the backsides of the illegals who ARE breaking laws and killing people in Arizona.
I purged the DNA of the liberal socialites, and the organization for the first time in many years was able to support itself solely on memberships and advertizing. Now? Now the group has dwindled it's checkbook to rougly half of where I left it, they can't afford a monthly newsletter, business memberships are down as are all memberships and yet, they continue to be an effete clique.
The problem in Downtown is old fart, liberal socialites who loathe anything that doesn't look like a mirror image of themselves. THAT's who needs to be removed from downtown. THAT is our social disease!
If you want to escape agressive panhandling go to the "romantic city" of Paris. You will find people defecating, fornicating and urinating on the streets and in alley ways. You will find beggars, prostitutes and street vendors opening their trench coats to wow you.
Ah, to be civil like Paris!
Alright Tommy, I have to disagree here. I personally love Paris. I like to go every opportunity I get. Sure there are panhandlers and beggars, but not once have I ever been threatened by one if I didn't give them some money. That is the problem here in Memphis. Yes, Memphis is a gritty, dirty, "real" city as you like to put it. I understand that there will be panhandlers, beggars, prostitutes, and every other form of scam artist in an urban setting. But that is no excuse for these people to approach in an aggressive manner, demand in an intimidating (and profane) tone, follow people, and make threats for pocket change. There is such a thing as aggressive panhandling and it is alive and well in downtown.
As for the other comments about Paris, I've never seen anyone defecating, flashing their trench coat open, and prostitutes tend to stay in specific areas. Hell even the pick pockets tend to stay in specific areas. I suppose you were in favor of "Freedom Fries" as well.
Count Dracula - I hope the city is able to work on more than one issue at a time.
Gang/drug violence is a completely separate (and much more complex) issue than panhandling.
Should everything else be put on hold until Memphis' gang problem is under control?
Tommy,
You, again, are an idiot, and you just make stuff up.
There have been several instances of the so called "aggressive panhandlers" being violent. One raped a lady across from 201.
It really isn't about the downtowners, we have all mostly learned how to deal with the street Tommies. It is about the people who visit Memphis and get harassed. Not everyone is an oversized fat ass from Youngstown. And for a 115 pound lady from Tokyo, it can be quite disconcerting. But you wouldn't get that. Because you are nothing more than a talking bipedal chimp.
"The majority of people living downtown are socialites and there is no debating it. " You obviously don't know downtown. Well, I guess anybody with social skills is a socialite compared to you. Fork and knife usage probably offends you.
"Whenever I eat at Rendezvous, Cathy and I order more than we can eat". How noble. I would like to see how much you would have to order to have some leftovers. Do you throw the scraps from a balcony?
I really wish you would stop saying "We" when you talk about Memphis. You aren't Memphis. You don't know Memphis.
Tommy, you got ran out of downtown. Everyone knows it. The DNA was left to clean up the mess you made when you turned the newsletter into a personal crusade for christ. That did wonders for the ad dollars I am sure. It shows what a great bizness man you are.
Tommy, I hope you are OK, do you need any help cleaning your piss off your pants since zip just pimp-slapped your fat ass right out of the park?
This is Tommy: http://www.memphisflyer.com/imager/tommy-v…
And this is Tommy when he expresses an opinion, on anything: http://www.lifeisajoke.com/Pictures/head_u… Smitty, as you can plainly see, he REALLY needs you.
As is common of the perspective of someone perpetually engaged in proctological self examination, he gets many things (actually, everything) wrong. For example:
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/americas…
http://www.forbes.com/2010/06/04/best-plac…
Oh, and I'm sure the panhandlers are appreciative of getting his Rendezvous charity. I guess he doesn't have any cake to give them.
Funny thing, though: I can't remember a panhandler EVER asking "hey mister, can you spare a rib?" Could it be because what they really want isn't food (which they can get from several places), it's MONEY. I doubt they can trade a Rendezvous rib for a half-pint of MD 20/20.
The panhandler population has been growing in recent months in the South Main neighborhood, and I fear many of them are just shifting out of the Downtown core and moving south. This hasn't been a problem for the past few years, but I've noticed increasing numbers of panhandlers along South Main in recent months. I hope that Mayor Wharton's Downtown safety initiative doesn't forget about South Main. While we have a very responsive and active police substation in the neighborhood, it seems as if a once small problem is becoming a more urgent issue south of the Downtown core.
Combatting the Pan Handlers while showing the love of Christ was always a constant battle in Court Square and in my conscience. I eventually resolved to feed anyone who asked for food but allow no touching or persistant harassing of people trying to enjoy Court Square during my 15 years of ownint/operating the Court House Deli. Memphis and it's citizens must be ever vigilant and compassionate at the same time and I pray for the great city that I still call home even though I now reside in the more peaceful yet demure Jackson, TN. I miss the hollering winos at lunch every now and then. :)
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