Tales From The Block: Grand Theft Auto

Family, how goes it out there? I thought it was a good time to hit you with another story from the block. Let me tell you straight, being out here on the streets, I hear and see all kinds of shit. This is yet another one of those stories.

The picture above was taken in the West End, not too far away from the famous black colleges many of you hear about or attend. Alot goes on at an intersection like this in the city. You'll find plenty of hustlers crowded around this area selling everything from sunglasses, to body oils and even freshly made fruit cups. I'm serious. Anyway let's go ahead with today's program.

One day I was chillin' in a barber shop. I had just gotten the fresh cut from my man Will. Will's a cool dude and about the only person I let touch my hair. You know what I'm talking about, especially you ladies. When you find a good barber/hair stylist you stick with them till the end. Moving on... As I'm chopping up conversation in the shop from the distance outside you hear tires schreeching and engines reving. I didn't think too much about it until someone walked into the shop from outside.

"Damn!" he said. "Buddy just got his car stolen!" The shop responded with the usual "What?" and "What happened?" and "Who's car got stolen?" question and answer session. The shop begin to buzz a little. Now whenever something happens in one of my spots, I always make it a point to get as much detail as possible. Why? To keep drama out of my spot. Drama like this brings heat, which eventually means the folks (police) will watch the spot more closely which in turn makes it hard for a brother to eat, feel me? I'm protective over my spot like a father watching his daughter go on her first date.

I shook my head and swaggered outside. I needed info. Posted infront of the barbershop are one of the resident master chop technicians and a regular to the shop. I directed my inquiry to the barber. "What happened? Someone's car got jacked?". He replied with a smirk, "Yea, buddy over there." He nodded in the direction of the cell phone store a few yards away. I looked and saw victim dude looking damn sad. He looks in our direction and we're looking back. Our expressions said it all, we know what happened to you dude, you got caught slippin'. How the hell did that happen? Don't you know where you are? The expression he returned was more like disbelief.

Quick backround information. Anyone who lives in or around College Park knows that this is a notorious chop shop area. If you know the right people, you could literally jack cars for a living, Which appeared to be the case here. The barber O continued, "Yea, he parked on the curb. Left his car runing with the keys in it. Then he went into the cell phone shop. Probably thought he was going to be quick. Someone must've been watching cause his car just sped out of the lot and a white van followed behind it. You didn't hear those tires peeling out?" I replied I did. I laughed on the inside, come the fuck on! How dumb can you be? Whoever it was had definently been casing the area. O, the barber, said the white van had been in the parking lot for about 3 or 4 hours. This was yet another car jack in this area bringing the total to 4 in a little over 2 months. I made a mental note to keep a look out for a white van in the future. And informed anyone who would listen to never leave their keys in the car if they parked on the curb.

Now Fam, the car jack isn't even the sad part of the story. What's really sad was dude had to wait like an hour just for the folks to show up and make a report. Good old reliable Fulton County police. A whole hour! That car was easily chopped up by that time. I hope victim dude had a damn good insurance plan. He won't be seeing his car again.

Thanks to everyone who takes their time to read these words and I'll be back at you tomorrow with more hotness of the written word. Be easy and keep it moving like your Hustleman.

P.S. If you're ever in College Park, please don't leave your damn keys in your car when it's unattended. If someone wants to steal your car, at least make them work a little for it LOL.