Don't think that all Minnesotans are nice. Exhibit A: Joe High School and about six of his friends, some on bikes and one in a car, parked bikes and car on East River Terrance and went to explore the abandoned box cars that sit on a railroad siding nearby. They left the bikes for a long time, moving on to other parts of the neighborhood. When they returned, the bikes were immobilized by padlocks through the gears. Both bikes and car had threatening notes suggesting that the kids were graffiti artists and gang members and that the note writer had pictures and license plate numbers. Joe is not a tagger--he can barely hold a pencil, let alone manipulate a spray can or fat marker. And there is nothing in the city ordinances that encourages individual citizens to act by targeting relatively innocent teens.
I was furious. Second precinct cops would not cut the locks, as the bike rack was on private property belong to St. Frances Cabrini church. Local neighborhood leaders shook their heads and reminded me that graffiti was a problem in that part of the neighborhood. The church administrator was unaware of any their neighbors taking matters into their own hands. The second precinct community liaison officer was not too surprised, partly because she knew about the neighborhood graffiti problem. But she did want to see the note, leading me to believe that maybe she had an idea. But I doubt it.
In addition to the inconvenience of Joe having his bike unavailable, this cost me work time and $20.00 for bolt cutters after our less sturdy ones broke. And then there are the threatening notes. Stay tuned. This ain't over.
And, lest you think that Minnesota is a totally blue state, remember the past. There's a history of vigilante action in this region that goes back to the beginning and continues to this day. That may be why no one seems especially surprised at or concerned with Joe's predicament.
