just another damn day in the hood

Bust, again. Across the street in one of the upstairs apartments. You know the ones, right? The ones selling crack....only they probably don't think it's illegal to sell crack here since.... you can go right downstairs and legally buy a crack pipe from this "CONVENIENCE STORE." Go figure. I don't really understand that one myself...nor do I understand the city granting this woman a business license. Once again, I can't buy a frickin' tomato there, but I can get a crack pipe, cigarettes, condoms and lighters...It says GROCERIES on her awning, not CRACK SUPPLIES.

This brown van? He drives around selling drugs. He was parked outside her store for a long time selling drugs to folks going in for pipes and such, though from the scary look of the guy, I would guess he may be moving meth. Of course, he's gone before the police ever respond. I know cuz we have called repeatedly about this van. I should just get a video camera and give a power point presentation at the next city council meeting....where I will be poo-pooed and I will once again watch the mayor's eyes roll in exasperation that we down here in the South End should want or deserve safe streets. I have watched those eyes roll personally more than once.

Here is a hooker getting into this blue van. She has just been to the brown van and to the store. I am really sorry that I didn't get the camera up in time. She was dressed like she was going to the Hooker's Ball or something. In-freaking-credible. I almost hope she comes back cuz I want to see the next outfit.

This is all happening in the course of a single morning...and only what I have taken pictures of...I know I rant often and I hope you can all bear with me. My hope being that maybe somebody(many somebodies) out there are Googling Nanaimo right now and hoping to come and visit. I hope that when they Google all the bright sunny sites that rave about Nanaimo, the will see mine, too. They will see that a vital, historic and beautiful neighbourhood in the precious downtown core is being regularly overlooked in the process of beautifying the downtown proper. The open air drug market of China Steps has absolutely been driven into the residential south end neighbourhoods. And though the RCMP and City Council could not turn a blind eye to it in the midst of the shopping district, they sure can turn a blind eye here...well, some of them just ROLL their eyes.

Last night was a crying shame and I don't even want to go into the whole story because I wouldn't know where to start or when to end. Okay, short story. Three cop cars, and seven cops confronted a car with a prostitute and her pimp who were selling drugs on our street. There were WITNESSES, hello? We all called in. And all three cars and seven officers? Let them stay. Didn't check the car, the backpack, didn't even smell the guy's breath and he was parked two feet away from the curb! Someone would have me walk a toe to toe line, touch my nose with my eyes closed for that parking job!!! My friend and neighbour has been hauled to jail for sleeping in his car on the street and he wasn't high, or drunk, or a prostitute, or selling drugs.....damn, I said it would be short, huh? Sorry.

So, let's go for a dog walk and get away for a bit, okay? To Morrell Wildlife Sanctuary...and Sanctuary for the broken downtown Nanaimo homeowner.

And ducks.

C'mon pile in the car with us....

We're on our way....

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Here we are. Much better.

I will try to be shiny and happy tomorrow...you know, I didn't even really feel that awful today(we had sunshine)....but once I started telling you about it, it just poured out. I am off to take some St. John's Wort.