urbanSTL

Yes, he said he was from St. Charles and unemployed so he needed to sell the gun for $250. Bus rides are an experience.

Some people who trash the crime rankings as not accurate are also quick to point out that St. Louis is a safe region compared to its peers. I think that downplays the extremely serious crime problem in the City, which these people seem fine with ignoring because it isn't in their county or south side neighborhood. It doesn't matter how St. Louis City ranks or if it should be considered a part of the region. We have some extremely dangerous areas in the City where people are in greater danger of being harmed. If it wasn't the case you wouldn't see often white politicians saying St. Louis isn't that dangerous, compared to African Americans calling for the National Guard, security cameras, gunshot sensors, and concealed weapons. Dangerous for whom is the question.

I am in town doing research on downtown parking. I have no idea if it was a good deal. I should have called the police while waiting for the bus, however I was about to pass out from walking around all day. I was also busy reading about Greenways and how they improve regional transportation options.

Here's a fun quote from outside STL. From earlier today...

"There are pockets of our society that are not just broken, but are frankly sick. It is a complete lack of responsibility in parts of our society, people allowed to feel the world owes them something, that their rights outweigh their responsibilities and their actions do not have consequences. Well they do have consequences."
- British Prime Minister David Cameron, amidst the riots in London, Birmingham, and Liverpool
(Story on the riots: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/ ... 0-13-49-03)

... Applicable in STL? After all, we've had 4 murders in the time they've had 3.

^^Saw the press conference where Mr. Cameron gave that speech...These lines were the ones that jumped out to me as well...A very good point he is making...And don't think the Prime Minister is discounting other reasons for the repeated riots there, but forcefully states obvious points...

I have worked with TOO many people in North St. Louis who follow the law and do the right things and live in poverty...Yes, poor economic realities will cause different people to react in different ways...But theft is always theft and destruction of property is always destruction of property, activities that are flat wrong no matter how big one's W2 or savings account balance...I'm fairly certain many of us agree with that point...And frankly, given the much larger and stronger safety net of Great Britain, it is difficult to understand any rational justification excusing the rioters activities as credible and necessary choices given the also real economic disparities in western societies...If anyone has tried to absolve or justify the riots...I'd rather not fight straw men...blah...Whether its wealthy mortgage lenders making subprime loans willy nilly, Wall Street types bundling garbage and putting gold paint on it, middle class income tax cheaters or poor, disenfranchised young people looting, breaking (or stretching) the law (and reasoned sense) for selfish gain is harmful and destructive to all of us...We can and should UNDERSTAND all of the above, but no way can we JUSTIFY or just let those things go without consequence...See quote below =p

^Do you have a pamphlet you'd like to pass out or something?
Welcome back to STL.

Focus: Feds rolling strong into East STL
Source: http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2011/08/11/ ... ide-crime/

Highlights:
- The average street in East STL is TWICE as dangerous, statistically, than the worst street in Chicago
- Public Housing in East STL hailed as possibly most dangerous places in the US
- US Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) goes right off on the state of the "city":

The club scene in East STL is a crime scene... (and) you cannot have this club scene turn out to be the wild west, where innocent people are victimized by it, no matter what the revenue is to East STL. And, you can't open liquor stores on every corner near housing developments and expect good things to come if you're open all night.

Side note is that I know some Federal elements have been working overtime on organized crime (gang) issues for some time, that this has been the only way to enforce any semblance of order when one can just cross the river and the state border. Still, this goes into the federalization of a "city" or at least its law enforcement, probably the most failed city in the US, and hopefully bringing in change that's been a long time coming.

And yes, this is getting some national news coverage. Good times.

There are many examples of wealthy criminals...Law breaking in the end is a moral choice made by a free thinking human being...While in Afghanistan I saw and met many poor, disaffected citizens who never broke laws and were embarrassed that some of their brethren do...The idea that rioters in Vancouver, New Orleans or London are innocent victims of an unfair world really makes the point these rioters are more animal than human...Not really a point that helps the cause of these poor folks...

West of the railroad tracks there is Bevo Mill.