Gang Initiation - 31 Women - Hoax or not?

Ugh...I've been hearing about this for days from my high school students in Brownsville. Such bullshit. Gangs are real, yes, but this is bullshit--and incredibly offensive. Not to mention the reason that there are so few girls in my classes today.

Yeah, the school called me and asked if I could let my student intern go home early.

I do not know about Bloods but this type of story has been circulating since I was young but with different gang names

Unless I hear it from KWAC (or any other authority), it's tripe.

Made the NY times but no concrete confirmaiotn, just confirmation of the existence of rumors:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4D91531F93BA15753C1A961958260

I heard that there have been several face slashings in Prospect Heights, Crown Heights and Downtown Brooklyn. One of the guys I work with has a brother who is a cop in Brooklyn he said that there have been several slashings and gang disputes that have resulted in arrests. He said be aware of your surroundings....

homeowner wrote: [quote=Lo Kee]Made the NY times but no concrete confirmaiotn, just confirmation of the existence of rumors:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4D91531F93BA15753C1A961958260

That article is from 1997.

Oh, that's funny.

poshspice wrote: This is the same urban myth that's been circulating since the 80s. Seriously, I remember this from middle school in KANSAS.

You're not in KANSAS anymore. Be carefull tonight and every night.

This is relevant to this year, but not too close to PH:

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2008/10/extra_police_protection_around.html

The night before Halloween was considered "Devil's Night" in Detroit. Pranks and burning down places was what stupid people use to do back when I was growing up. It was a real problem at that time cuz some people would actually go set an abandoned home , building , or whatever on fire. They had a curfew for anyone under the age of 18. We couldn't be outside after 6 or 7pm. They had cops patrolling the areas. Finally the Mayor , no not that one , the good one --> Mayor Archer changed it to "Angels Night". They ask residents to go to the police stations and volunteer to help patrol the neighborhoods. They give you an orange flashing light to put on your car for a 3 days. Things got much better after that.

trick or treat?

There was some idle trash-talking about it (met with others calling it total b.s.) lately on the following site mentioned in a prior gangs-related thread:

http://thehoodup.com/board/viewforum.php?f=22

Here's Police Commissioner Ray Kelly knocking it down to just rumors, mentioning that there's been no specific evidence to support a credible, specific alert other than the usual heightened activity that occurs around Halloween.

And the Gothamist newsmap thingy ain't exactly lighting up either, if that means anything.

So I'm gonna go with the usual old hoax explanation here unless matters indicate otherwise. And watch my back.

Q. E. D.

1 - same rumor went around in my PA hometown when i was a kid.

2 - i was at dinner last night and a young woman came to our table to tell us her grandma had just called and said 2 people had been cut on the subway train right in front of her ... she said if we were staying in brooklyn to take the bus or walk. weird

3 - i teach elementary school and we had to have males escort our kids to their blocks because of GROWN MEN throwing eggs off of roof tops at LITTLE CHILDREN. i HATE halloween.