Soldiers deployed in New Orleans

[greeneyedgirl]

Quote by: Wailer Nawlins...I've never been and never have had a desire to go. Greeneyed Girl, you say the city is beautiful. I've heard the opposite. I've heard stories of piss ridden streets and alleyways, murder and mayhem being the norm, and the cops being the most corrupt in the nation. This was long before Katrina. Matter of fact, since Katrina, I've heard complaints that some Katrina refugees have been blamed for a spike in crime rates in cities across the country.

Yes, you are correct in that sense. NO is very dirty and the smell of urine does permeate the air. There's a little alleyway in the Quarter nicknamed "piss alley" and you can go there anytime of the day and find some drunk soul relieving himself against the Faulkner house. And Bourbon Street is a filthy, dirty mess. At dusk, the cops close the street off to traffic and by midnight, the gutters along the sidewalk run with beer and god knows what else. Gutter punks and runaways line the streets begging for change, little kids as young as 5 are forced out by their alcoholic mothers to tapdance on the street for money. Con artists, pickpockets, hookers,and drug dealers roam the patrol about the Quarter. Outside of the Quarter in the CBD (the business district) school kids brawl and riot in the middle of the day. Puddles of blood can be found lining the sidewalks. Down further, past the cemetaries, begin the housing projects. The cemetaries were a big tourist draw, but so many crackheads and criminals inhabit them, that tourists are scared to go there now. The 9th Ward was so bad that the cops wouldn't step foot in it.

But despite all of that - the city definitely has a certain charm about it. It's dirty, but its a decayed dirty..the city pulsates with history. It's hard to explain. And there are a few nice sections that have been de-ghetto-ized. The warehouse district was once a dead body dumping ground, but many artists and yuppies moved in and now it's nice and pretty safe to walk around in at night.

I will say that if you are white, it is best to stay in the whiter areas (which are few and far between.) The Quarter appears safe because there are tons of horse riding cops patrolling, but late at night, a lot of the ghetto trash comes down and starts harrassing the tourists.

[abub]

Quote by: Matt W http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5096924.stm Um. Can anyone say 'martial law'?? I really don't think this is a good thing.... :eek:

why not? the military could be way more effective against violent crime than cops, especially the cops in new orleans. somebody has to maintain order in the city and protect the good guys trying to live their lives in peace.

[Wailer]

Greeneyed Girl,

You wrote two paragraphs about the cons of Nawlins, but only one itty-bitty paragraph about the pros. Hmm...doesn't sound very inviting to me.

Wailer

[greeneyedgirl]

Quote by: Wailer Greeneyed Girl, You wrote two paragraphs about the cons of Nawlins, but only one itty-bitty paragraph about the pros. Hmm...doesn't sound very inviting to me. Wailer

Because the pros are hard to explain. New Orleans is a wierd place. I have travelled extensively through the US and Europe and I have never seen any other place like it. It's beauty and decay rolled into one and there is something almost magical about the place, yet it's kind of scary too. You walk around and there's jazz music coming from every building, secret gardens all over the place, excellent cuisine, beautiful architecture, flowers blooming everwhere, interesting people to look at. But there is a down side to it. If you go there, and you're smart, you'll have a good time and have a positive experience. Unfortunately, when dealing with the people, it is a place where you have to leave your PC ideals behind and get a little street smart. A lot of people don't do that and find themselves in trouble.

[rmnunez]

Merchants in "Nawlins" terrorized by tranvestites:
http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.co...er=dailyUpdate

[Samildanach]

I went there once on a business trip for a week, before the disaster, and I found the place pretty cool actually....didnt see a lot of the stuff that greeneyedgirl speaks of. I saw maybe one tramp, and I stuck to bourbon street and the stripclubs....all in all I had a great time.

[Wailer]

Nunez,

Ha Ha Ha! That was one helluvan article! I am still laughing!

I can just hear it now, "My name Delicious and I fixin' to rob yo azz."

Proof that martial law is necessary in New Orleans. These people are simply incapable of being civilized.