Absolutely Anything Else

klsallee wrote:

Commenting from:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 99#3491885

fluffy2560 wrote:

.....Paranoid or what!

IMHO -- Yes. A bit paranoid. And maybe self defeating in the long run. That is, consider this: if you "look" like you have something to steal, you may deter the petty criminal but you are also maybe presenting a case for the more hardened and determined criminal to think you have really, really something of great value to steal. And if one thinks the rewards will be greater, then a more sinister, hardened criminal, who is willing to take more risks and cause more personal damage, may be attracted to your home.

And if you use all those cameras and get a photo of the thief? And, then what? So the police know who to wag their finger at and say "now don't do that again"? Assuming they did not just pull a pair of cheap nylons over their head.

And security doors and windows -- well those are good. But a sledge hammer can poke a hole in a wall without too much difficulty. (I know, I installed a new window in such a wall). There are (usually low tech) ways around most any security feature you might install.

I prefer using psychology....

Well, maybe it works other places but most petty criminals are not that smart.  Not those ones who do burglaries anyway.  You have to be a mentally deficient, too young to have sense, extremely desperate or motivated by unclear thinking (mentally ill, drug addled etc) to carry out that kind of crime because the risks are so high and the rewards so low.   I could be hiding in there with shotgun, a .38, an Uzi and a bazooka. And typing here, I think I'd use them (or at least wave them about).

In any case, it's all pretty subtle.  They cannot tell if our doors are metal sandwiched nor can they tell our shutters are actually metal.  They can see the burglar alarm flashing light and know it has a siren but they don't know what it does (like call the cops).  And we've got nosey neighbours with dogs.   

We can never have perfect security but we can slow them down so the rewards vs risk ratio is changed.  It'd take them ages to get through the walls and someone will inevitably see them.

Why go after us when others are less protected?   

In any case they'd be disappointed - we spent all our money on protecting a pile our junk. Just worn out trash.

Correction - we spent it on protecting us.

Heard the Christmas money was for "low income HU seniors" was 10,000 forints, not sure though, just what we heard.
Husband didn't get any of this "windfall".
All good though, I suppose it will come in handy to those in need.
Growing up where we did , my mother used to always leave the back door of the house open when she just popped over to the shop when we were expected home from school.
She often forgot to close the garage door overnight. It was full of tools and packed with goods. No one ever robbed us.
My mom left windows open etc. but then again she slept with a loaded gun under her pillow and her "special bat" under her bed, it had long sharp nails driven into it for extra " traction" on impact.
Maybe people knew that crazy loud women with all those kids was not someone to mess with.
Actually our town was known and perhaps still is known to be one of the safest little cities in the USA.
Every other house or two is owned by either a cop a fireman or a red neck with guns.People just know it's not worth it to even try to break in. Could even be owned by a crazy old lady such as my mom was, more dangerous then a Doberman/Rottie/Pit Bull mix.
Funny now to think about what a tough little person my mom was vs what is normal behavior these days.
Everyone now seems a bit passive when under attack.
Everyone seems afraid to get in "trouble" themselves if they defend themselves.
Maybe it is against the law to defend yourself?
My mom was never bothered by social constrains when it came to the safety of herself or her family.
Once when my 40 year old mom and my 28 year old step- dad( she was a cougar before it was cool) were still dating they stopped in a bar for a few drinks.
In the parking lot in the dark they were kissing before getting into the car.
Out of the blue a strange man swung my step-dad around and punched him hard in the face, he fell down on the pavement.
Without skipping a beat, my mom jumped on the guys back and started giving him a head pounding he will never forget.
Gave my step-dad time to get a few licks in.
They stranger seems to have been overly drunk and thought my mom was his cheating wife!
All good, no one called the cops and my step-dad had a black eye for a few weeks, not sure what the other guy looked like after my mom got finished with him, all 5'4" of her!
New meaning to "standing by your man"!

Was thinking about how actually"safe" my home town really was.
1. It was home of the Rocketdyne plant, they had the worst nuke melt down in the US back in 1959. Not much news coverage about that but it can be googled. Worst then 3 mile Island.
2. It was the home of the "Blackburn Cult" in 1922. They were Devil Worshipers who had bodies buried under the house of their cult headquarters. Also can be looked up on google search.
3. Home of Spahn Ranch, the hang out of the Manson family.
4. Home of the Ronald Reagen Museum, that might be the scariest fact of all!

fluffy2560 wrote:

Well, maybe it works other places but most petty criminals are not that smart.  Not those ones who do burglaries anyway.  You have to be a mentally deficient, too young to have sense, extremely desperate or motivated by unclear thinking (mentally ill, drug addled etc) to carry out that kind of crime because the risks are so high and the rewards so low.

First mistake:

Underestimating the criminal and the criminal mind.

Yes, some criminals are as described, but those are not the real threats. Average security can easily deal with those types.

fluffy2560 wrote:

I could be hiding in there with shotgun, a .38, an Uzi and a bazooka.

Second mistake:

While I understand and appreciate the use of hyperbole to make a point, given Hungarian firearm law, the odds you are hiding with any firearm in your home is about zero. And the criminal knows this.

fluffy2560 wrote:

And typing here, I think I'd use them (or at least wave them about).

In which case, you may end up going to prison in Hungary longer than the burglar.

fluffy2560 wrote:

In any case, it's all pretty subtle.  They cannot tell if our doors are metal sandwiched nor can they tell our shutters are actually metal.

Third mistake:

But you had to buy all that from someone. You had to have someone install them. And all the while your neighbors were watching. In short, a lot of people "know" your setup. And they may talk. And do consider, IMHO, if gossip was an Olympic Event, Hungarians would take Platinum.

And the moment a petty criminal does try to breach your security, and finds it above average, he then knows this, and via gossip, every criminal in the country will then also know this. Nothing can be obfuscated in Hungary for long. And they all start thinking.... What is he trying to protect? Must be really something expensive. Maybe worth the risk....

fluffy2560 wrote:

They can see the burglar alarm flashing light and know it has a siren but they don't know what it does (like call the cops).  And we've got nosey neighbours with dogs.

Have you ever had to call the "cops" in Hungary? I have. A lot can happen in a few minutes. And there are houses around here with such alarms. I have heard them go off. I have never seen the police come. Even as long as 30 minutes with the alarm blaring. Mostly a neighbor who was "hired" to care take the house finally comes and turns off the alarm.

Dogs bark all the time. If I walk through my village, all the dogs bark. I think most people now ignore dogs barking. Your dog barking is only a security alert to you and you alone, and thus only works if you are home. Do not count on any neighbor calling the police because dogs bark or alarms go off (because they probably won't).

Side note: A good guard dog will have a different bark between someone walking by and someone on the property. Not all dogs, or dog breads, do this. But a well trained dog should do this so you can also ignore the difference.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Why go after us when others are less protected?

Petty criminals will not. But you only need "average" security for that. I was refering to when one adds "extended" security, then problems may arise with "hardened" criminals. And those are not dumb people. And often are in gangs.

fluffy2560 wrote:

In any case they'd be disappointed - we spent all our money on protecting a pile our junk. Just worn out trash.

Correction - we spent it on protecting us.

All good. But an average petty criminal going after your pile of junk will almost always not harm you (and do not forget, one man's junk may be another man's treasure). Protection against these only require average security.

But in the end, this is all your decision of course. To this I can only say: Good luck.

klsallee wrote:

,.... To this I can only say: Good luck.

That sounds quite ominous.   

But thanks.

I think.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Heard the Christmas money was for "low income HU seniors" was 10,000 forints, not sure though, just what we heard.

The devil is in the details.

Starting with the announcement earlier this month of just a pathetic 0.9% increase in income for such low income seniors. Then the disarray in the government trying to "correct" criticism about that. It was all over the HU news earlier this month. Really, IMHO, an example of chickens running around with their heads cut off and "if the king speaks, all must follow".

Personally, I think such low income seniors deserve far, far more. Not just political rhetoric and one off payments. And I am willing to give my tax income to them. But not to a kleptocracy. I have even heard (unconfirmed so take that as rumor without basis at this time) that 3% of this money goes to some private "company" run by government approved oligarchs as a fee to process these payments.

fluffy2560 wrote:

klsallee wrote:

,.... To this I can only say: Good luck.

That sounds quite ominous.   

But thanks.

I think.

Well then, how about then: Mazel tov.

That may sound better (at least phonetically). 

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

klsallee wrote:

,.... To this I can only say: Good luck.

That sounds quite ominous.   

But thanks.

I think.

Well then, how about then: Mazel tov.

That may sound better (at least phonetically). 

Yes, better.  I'll take it.  Thanks. And as it's Xmas. Prost too to all!

fluffy2560 wrote:

Supposedly a thread for blabbing about anything you want and hopefully nothing will be off topic.

i just want to say... Merry Xmas to everyone here

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Why go after us when others are less protected?

Petty criminals will not. But you only need "average" security for that. I was refering to when one adds "extended" security, then problems may arise with "hardened" criminals. And those are not dumb people. And often are in gangs.

But in the end, this is all your decision of course. To this I can only say: Good luck.

i agree with this too. i was buying a security safe.
so i wanted a large harden safe that would be difficult to move, maybe need 4 or 5 men to lift it up a trolley.
i mean, no point getting a hard safe that can be carried by a man. the burgler would just run off with that safe right? hence i want a large, heavy safe

so my friend was telling me, if u meet a hardened criminal who is displeased at leaving with little money. he will wake u up and force u to open the safe for him.
and u really do not want that.

denmarker wrote:

....i mean, no point getting a hard safe that can be carried by a man. the burglar would just run off with that safe right? hence i want a large, heavy safe.....so my friend was telling me, if u meet a hardened criminal who is displeased at leaving with little money. he will wake u up and force u to open the safe for him. and u really do not want that.

Good point. 

I thought about fixing a safe in the wall with large concrete anchors.  But actually the safe would be worth more than the stuff inside it.

BTW, anti-burglar tip is - when going to sleep - to always take your car keys and laptop upstairs (assuming you have an upstairs and if not, put them under the bed).  If the evil-doers get your car keys as well, they will put all your valuables in the car and take it with them and then probably burn it out or dismantle it. 

Best thing to do is slow them down and make it more difficult and therefore increase the chances of them being caught out/discovered.

BTW, regarding calling the police, most alarms I am told are either connected to the police or to a security company who sends someone around pronto. Apparently it costs HUF 5K per call out and HUF 5K a month to maintain the service.    On call out they will do a drive by and walk around. If it looks like a real incident,they  contact the local cops and wait until they come. 

In my area, the police have hardly anything to do judging by the amount of traffic stops they carry out so chasing burglars would be a major excitement.

fluffy2560 wrote:

denmarker wrote:

....i mean, no point getting a hard safe that can be carried by a man. the burglar would just run off with that safe right? hence i want a large, heavy safe.....so my friend was telling me, if u meet a hardened criminal who is displeased at leaving with little money. he will wake u up and force u to open the safe for him. and u really do not want that.

Good point. 

I thought about fixing a safe in the wall with large concrete anchors.  But actually the safe would be worth more than the stuff inside it.

BTW, anti-burglar tip is - when going to sleep - to always take your car keys and laptop upstairs (assuming you have an upstairs and if not, put them under the bed).  If the evil-doers get your car keys as well, they will put all your valuables in the car and take it with them and then probably burn it out or dismantle it. 

Best thing to do is slow them down and make it more difficult and therefore increase the chances of them being caught out/discovered.

BTW, regarding calling the police, most alarms I am told are either connected to the police or to a security company who sends someone around pronto. Apparently it costs HUF 5K per call out and HUF 5K a month to maintain the service.    On call out they will do a drive by and walk around. If it looks like a real incident,they  contact the local cops and wait until they come. 

In my area, the police have hardly anything to do judging by the amount of traffic stops they carry out so chasing burglars would be a major excitement.

lol. u got a good point.. the safe would be an expensive safe to buy. haha
maybe the thief would try to sell it....

wow. did not realised that each call-out is charge able. but i guess it is worth it when u really need that someone to come take a look.

Without giving away too many details, we knew of a gang of HU second story men in Ca.
Knew who they were and made sure to stay far, far away from any HU event, IE birthday's cocktail parties etc.where they may just happen to show up. ( Several now are dead and several have been deported back to HU) Actaully ran into one of these deportee's on the st. here in HU, oh yes, two actually!!
Hated even knowing them, every time we took a holiday I had to pack up half my house and put things in the safety of my mother's home, pay neighbors to watch our house, put ID numbers on any large items with a ID gun borrowed from the police dept. Not fun to even know dark minded people., Just always afraid somehow they would know we were on vacation. Not fun to be honest and know dishonest people who like to prey on innocents.We knew several other innocent HU in the US who were abused and robbed by their so called"fellow countrymen".
There are now a few we know of who are living the high life here in HU, no problems though they are on the Buda side in their huge homes....
We were invited a few times here in HU for a old time HU/CA get to gather but we always said no thanks... live under the radar.
HU crimmies are usually very smart and tricky.
There was a write up about the FBI investigating a gang of HU white collar criminal rings. etc. We knew who the big players were friends of friends etc. We totally took ourselves out of the social circle for over 30 years just because we are workers not robbers etc.
No need to be on anyone list while a huge investigation is going on...
We were just a happy little family that worked for whatever little we had, no easy money etc.
Guns in HU, well again we know some people may have them via all the troubles years ago in Serbia, the old black market route.
Again, honest hard working people do not usually break those sort of rules so you can imagine who has gun here where they are not really legal without going through a back ground check etc.
I grew up around guns in the house, I have no problem with having a background check done on myself if I ever wanted to have a weapon.I have nothing to hide. Had FBI background checks done on myself every few years because I worked in a casino. Also doing hair in the US requires background checks with the state you work in. Casino checks are federal.
I think in HU there is more white collar crime then out and out st. crime.

Most of the real crime anywhere is organized. A few low level people may do outside jobs with the risk of exposing the whole operation if they are nabbed.
In Ca. in the 70's the FBI was investigating HU organized crime rings.
We knew who the big players were by name and by looks but never got anywhere near them because they were seriously bad.
Nothing was too much, even murder...
It had allot to do with credit cards, insurance fraud and imbezzlement some organized drugs too.
Many people who immigrate to strange new countries without proper job skills can fall into the trap of crime.That's what I find very scary about the wave of refugees into Europe.
They are desperate and desperate people do horrible things sometimes.
Out of the nearly 40 or more HU we used to now in the US about 1/4 th were hard working, honest and do things by the book, the others ,well... They didn't want to wait and wanted the American dream overnight.A few got away with it and most paid a price over the years. Some with half a brain did well and are still doing well, went legit. Makes one sick to see how they twisted things and now seem like one of the power players.
Most belong behind bars.
Happy to report that most are now 6 feet under.

My husband worked for a very wealthy HU guy in Ca. in the 70's. He was a engineer,
He one day just outright paid cash for another building for his business, over 5 million bucks in the early 80's.
Husband went to the guys house a few times, lovely house with Persian carpets so thick you couldn't feel your feet, felt like walking on clouds.
To see this guy out in public you would probably give him your spare change. He looked needy.
He drove a beat the heck up old Volvo and always looked unshaved and his curly hair was just wild.
Most wealthy people don't wish to show it for safety reasons.
The man highly valued my husband and his work. Wish my husband had not quit to try his own business. This guy knew the value of a skilled worker.
He actually paid for a moving truck when we moved and paid people to do the moving for us because he valued a days work out of my husband more then letting him have the day off to move.
Always dropped anything he was doing if my husband came to him asking for a special tool, the guy would send out another worker to buy any tooling my husband ever asked for because he wanted perfect parts. Was never cheap with anything to do with his business or his workers.
When we went on holiday to Hungary he even gave my husband a extra bonus to make sure he had a relaxing good time. My husband was not even his normal employee but a sub contractor.
These HU criminal types used to always overdo everything from wearing pricey suits to driving flash cars, people who know how to make honest money know the value of money and don't waste it, those who make easy money really do spend easy.

denmarker wrote:

...wow. did not realised that each call-out is charge able. but i guess it is worth it when u really need that someone to come take a look.

Yes, presumably it's a cost reduction strategy.  I think if you own a palace you can have it connected directly to the police - I think it also costs money.  Private security services always have an air of a dodgy business.  But lots of people pay.

But you do, when you subscribe, get some stickers for your windows and your front gate.  That is enough should scare them all away.   That and the machine gun post and guard tower with floodlights. 

But I could print my own signs maybe and put them up.  Might work.  Fluffy Security has a certain plausibility to it.

fluffy2560 wrote:

most alarms I am told are either connected to the police or to a security company who sends someone around pronto.

Depends on where you live, I think. Around where I live, in the sticks, I would not hold my breath awaiting for arrival of even hired security. See my above comment regarding anyone coming by with such alarms, as an example.

In other words, on one hand, there may be the security company's slick promotional material, and then there is reality. The two may, or may not, converge. 

Not sure what to say about security.
In the year 2000 we rented a house through a well connected old friend in the lake Velence area.
My husband and I went out to the movies for the night while our 20 something year old son stayed in the lake area to attend a night of dancing in a local dance club.
He got home before we did and forgot to take the house key with him.
He had his HU passport with him, he is a dual citizen of HU and US.
Because the house was a "villa" that we rented in a nice area of the lake, the police came to the house while he was only sitting outside by himself waiting for us to come home and let him in.
I think in certain neighborhoods like the one was stayed in, the cops patrol more often and keep their eyes out for anything or anyone who is doing something not "normal" like sitting outside like my son did.I did feel a bit sad for my son, the cops asked him over to their squad car, he showed them his HU passport and laughed their heads of at him for not being able to speak much HU with his HU ID.
Hurt his pride a bit.
Looks like the police do patrol "better" areas.

klsallee wrote:

.....Depends on where you live, I think. Around where I live, in the sticks, I would not hold my breath awaiting for arrival of even hired security. See my above comment regarding anyone coming by with such alarms, as an example.

In other words, on one hand, there may be the security company's slick promotional material, and then there is reality. The two may, or may not, converge. 

I think just the threat of turning up might work. What they'd do is probably not much.  One wonders what the guards in Tesco could do when there's an incident. Obviously they are there to call in the cavalry. 

In my varied career I've lived in compounds with armed guards and had people lounging in my office while packing AK47s and wearing bullet proof vests - and these were the good guys!  I felt intense trepidation having weaponry in my office even if the guys were friendly enough.   At one place I went on a project, getting into the office involved being scanned, waving and smiling at the soldiers hanging about outside.  I noticed they didn't seem to have any magazines in their rifles.  Dogs without a bite.

And I certainly did not believe the armed guards at the compound would do anything but run away if faced with a really serious threat. I think mainly to keep the riff-raff out. 

Alarm will do the same I hope along with the other measures.

Think you're correct, most guards are only there to call in for back up.
We lived in S. Cal during the riots of the Rodney King trial. ( In fact another fact about my "wonderful hometown" the Rodney King trials were held in our local courthouse...)
My bro at the time was working at LAX and lived in nearly ground zero for those riots.
He and his black  ex wife who is a retired US Army PM herself, were both at home while fires and riots were just blocks away from their apt.
I called my bro up to ask how they were holding out.
He also is a ex military man.
He said not to worry about them, they were both sitting in their living room in rocking chairs to stay half awake during the night with their AK-47's in their laps! Fully locked and loaded!
He said anyone entering was not leaving.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

He said not to worry about them, they were both sitting in their living room in rocking chairs to stay half awake during the night with their AK-47's in their laps! Fully locked and loaded!
He said anyone entering was not leaving.

lol. thats an awesome quote of the day. haha

Thanks, we are actually very peaceful people.
Learned though to never start a fight but never walk away from one either.
Had a tough mom, she would would actually give us a few wacks if she ever found out we ran away from a fight, better take our chances in a fist fight then deal with mom's wrath.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Thanks, we are actually very peaceful people.
Learned though to never start a fight but never walk away from one either.
Had a tough mom, she would would actually give us a few wacks if she ever found out we ran away from a fight, better take our chances in a fist fight then deal with mom's wrath.

wow ur mom's has some unusual way of handling kids. but effective! lol
better to solve a problem asap than letting it simmer and grow

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Thanks, we are actually very peaceful people.
Learned though to never start a fight but never walk away from one either.
Had a tough mom, she would would actually give us a few wacks if she ever found out we ran away from a fight, better take our chances in a fist fight then deal with mom's wrath.

Speak softly and carry a big stick......or an AK47.

Yes,my mum was "unusual" by today's standards of child raising.
She lost her mum when she was very young, her full blooded Mohawk grandmother and 2 aunts raised my mom and her younger sister in the late 1920's-30's in the US.
They had to be tough because of living in a hard time with little money. Mom had to quit school at age 14 and take on a full time job to help raise her sister and chip into the family budget.
She learned early in life that you can't cry about every little drama.
Have to be tough and just get on with it.
I also think growing up with a native granny my mum had learned some of the old customs. Native people at least the Mohawks were known to be tough and never cry, not to run from a fight etc.
My mom also had 6 kids and couldn't take the time to handle all our issues with playmates and other kids, We were on our own if someone hurt us, stole a toy or wasn't playing fair.
Only time she got involved was if we were outnumbered or if the kids were older and stronger then us.
My mum has been known to even give a few well deserved wacks to the neighbors kids as well! They all loved  her for it too believe it or not.They never smart mouthed my mom although they did to their own parents.
She would also give them treats if they were nice but if they acted up she took over like a parent.
These days people can't even handle their own kids let alone the neighbors kids.
My uncle was 3/4th native and 19 years older then my mum.
The only way for him to get what he wanted in life was to learn to fight. He was actually Jack Dempsey's sparing partner and in his day a bit famous as a professional boxer. My mom learned her moves from her big bro and taught us a few of them.
This uncle married a full blooded Hungarian women who arrived in the US as a 15 year old with her parents .
I have cousins who are native American and Hungarian, now that is a fighting combo .

fluffy2560 wrote:

In my varied career I've lived in compounds with armed guards and had people lounging in my office while packing AK47s and wearing bullet proof vests.

My varied career did not include quite that extreme. I have had armed protection, however, from time to time.

But....

In (I won't name the country) in (I won't name the continent), during some nationally relevant contract related job I had, I was often invited to dine with a high level person who had a house in the President's compound. I walked there, and the military guards just waved me through when I named the person I was dining with. No frisking of my body. No checking what I may be carrying. no background checks.

Then, on the other hand, in another country, to even step on one little piece of property to do my job, I had to get fully vetted (finger prints, and the whole works), cleared and okay-ed with significant background checks. Then I had to get my day pass from the main security building before entering the area. And then was checked by Military Police at the gate (and they were really, really big scary guys). And this all happened in the 20th Century before all the **** hit the fan on 9/11. Oops. I maybe just gave away this other country..... 

Security is an odd thing. And IMHO, it is lacking too much in critical areas in today's world. And done wrong: too much where it is not needed and not enough where it is. Need i mention the "obvious" simple actions, like the need to put up even simple, mobile concrete road barriers around social events like Christmas Markets in today's world? Sadly, I guess I need to.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Speak softly and carry a big stick......or an AK47.

Teddy Roosevelt and Mikhail Kalashnikov, together again?

For what it is worth....

This is Hungary. Automatic weapons are completely, absolutely and totally illegal for private individuals. 

But.... a Louisville Slugger (aka a big stick), those anyone here can own (but I find an ax handle to be an adequate, cheaper substitute). If you did not grow up "on the streets", then take lessons how to use one effectively. 

I am not "special" but then again, I sort of feel I am in some ways as a born US citizen of native American background, I get really testy when traveling and get the old "feel up" at the security checks.
My ex-sadly, friend is in a wheelchair, a total JAP with pale skin and long beautiful red hair. They treat her like a " mass murdering piece of C***just because she is in a wheelchair. They pull her out of her chair and give her the treatment.
She has basically given up flying although her husband is now retired from a major US airline and they both get free travel perks.
It has become a very sad world when we do not vet people who don't know a thing about the western culture but then we give our own citizens the 3rd degree and then some.
I dislike traveling these days and it takes allot to get my on a flight.
Dang it, I am sort of glad my parents are not alive and traveling.
My step- dad would be having a s*** fit at the airport considering he was a 2 X US POW with a ton of purple hearts plus having lost his cousin a Pearl Harbor... I am personally just sick of the BS with all this immigration stuff. I  suppose I do feel a bit entitled but there is good reason to feel so.
Once while traveling about 10 years back with my son we both were pulled out of different lines at the airport for "further screening" we are both pale as a ghost , tall, slim with red hair and we both just happened to be wearing black leather jackets that day.  I felt insulted that the TSA had picked on the both of us.

Louisville slugger, funny.
When I was 16-17 years old my friends and I were being slightly "tormented" by a gang of low riders.
Most of the girls that were out for our blood didn't even go to our school, they went to the adult school because of their bad behavior, they  were thrown out of normal school.
No gates around our large school back then, no security checks etc.
We had told the school staff about this issue, that we couldn't even use the WC because we might be ganged up on. This was back in 1971-72. The school staff told us we could use the staff WC, That was their solution. No wonder schools have continued to be unsafe places. School bullying is nothing new.
My older sisters went to school in the SF Valley with many Mexican gang kids riding their school bus. The girls used to rat their hair sky high . Fun fact, the reason they had those high hairdo's was to cushion their own scalps from the one way razor blades they used as "ornaments", came in handy during those cat fights when hair was being pulled.
My sister said one day on the bus a girls hair was set on fire, they used so much hairspray that it just went up in flames.
These roaming gangs of girls would enter our school property and bother us.
We stood out, not really trying to do so but we did. Hippie girls in a red neck world in the 70's did stand out just by the way we dressed.
We were not wearing super short skirts, 10 kilos of makeup with false eyelashes on and white lipstick with ratted out mile high hairdo's.
One day after school my best friend( still is my BFF) mom came to pick us up from school. She had never done that before but something made her just show up to collect us.
Good thing too, that gang of low rider low lives had all their friends waiting to ambush us at the local "Dairy Queen" stand across from the school grounds.
I am not kidding, there were at least 45 to 50 older boys and girls waiting to "rumble" with us 5 or 6 little skinny hIppie girls.
They looked like something from a 50's film, sitting on top of the hoods of their low rider cars .greased up hair etc. Really insane.
All my friends freaked out, they ran out the back gate to escape this fight. My friend and i had had enough of this hassle with these girls. It had been several months in the making, them chasing us on the st. Me getting clobbered over the head with a 3 inch thick history book from a sneak attack by 3 girls and having to fight them off by myself until it was broken up by school staff.
The two of us decided to take them all on, die or fight,we told her mom to watch from across the st. near the phone ready to call the cops up. She said ok, she had brought her Louisville  Slugger with her, already had my  mother packing up her two toddlers in the car and bringing her bat to the fight. My friend and I took the long walk to doom, shaking and crying knowing we were going to either be victorious or in the hospital.
When we approached this gang we had already pulled ourselves together, stopped crying , still shaking but called them out. We told them ok, just make it a fair fight, one on one, we would take them all on in order.
Of course the older boys realized we were not a threat and they were embarrassed, got in their cars and drove off, we told them to leave us alone or we would be seeing them again.
So "West Side Story", so lame.

We walked away without a single scratch, turned the corner and then cried in fear and relief.
I really do dislike my old town and those odd people that lived there.
There was a old HS reunion 2 years ago in Vegas, I happened to be visiting the US at that time. One old friend lives there and my BFF who was with me in our time of doom took a 6 hour bus ride from Ca., We didn't want to see anyone from our old school days, so we had our own reunion while all those who had tormented us had theirs.I am sure we had a better time then they did.
People might wonder why Americans seem so ready to fight, just how we grew up.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Speak softly and carry a big stick......or an AK47.

Teddy Roosevelt and Mikhail Kalashnikov, together again?...

I've visited Tula the "home of the AK47" near Moscow and at that time (not that long ago and well after the post-collapse of communism), Mr Lenin was still proudly outside the front of the government office where I was having a meeting.  I found it all intensely uncomfortable meeting with some very opinionated people who resented every moment of the meeting at their office.  They had to suck it up due to their financial problems (kleptomania rules). However, after they were friendly and happy to ply me with vodka at lunch time in some sort of seedy pole dancing club they'd hired for lunch.  I was happy to give them an off the cuff toast of the "fraternal friendship" type speeches beloved of the Soviets. To me it was a parody. To them a compliment.  The whole thing, reminded me of those incredibly embarrassing incidents when a well oiled Yeltsin was publicly showing he was drunk as a skunk with the likes of Bill Clinton and even dancing on stage.  I was able to keep my head while trying to head for the door asap.  Trapped in Kalashnikov Town with hostile natives.  They didn't need big sticks.  I was intimidated enough.

Oh, and Happy Xmas!

That is a very funny story Mr. Fluffy.
Vodka, strippers and Russia.
memories...Speaking of old Teddy, my grandfather ran away from home at age 14 from a rather wealthy German/American family to join Teddy in the Spanish American War.
He was 6'4" tall so they believed him when he signed up, said he was 16.
He was a horse and water boy and I suppose a bit of a hero, he saved the life of another soldier.
He also set the path of being dis inherited , only son to a fortune who wouldn't listen to his parents...
He lived his life as an old soldier , my mom , his first child didn't arrive till he was nearly 50 years old.

In the world today, humor is sometimes the best response. A political characterized cartoon is often more effective, and to the point, than 100 intellectually written articles:

Satire one of few remaining bastions in Orban's Hungary

Loved the joke about two ply toilet paper in the communist era, as it seems again so applicable today. 

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Mr. Fluffy.

Thanks for the laugh

(transferred from the Citizenship thread...)

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....Suppose I do not do things the American Way.

What's the American way?   How is "it" different to "another" way?

Oops, I answered on the other site already.
Americans....
My fellow "patriots" There are many hard and fast social rules that do tend to slightly vary depending on what coast and what state one lives in but in general.
Talk loud, drive a truck, call everyone,"Dude" even the women!
Drink Coors or Bud beer, watch football and eat chips, always salute the flag or respect it( I do that by way of habit, the old girl scout in me).
Be overly friendly but don't really mean it, go to church on Sundays but do everyone over the rest of the week.
OK, guess I am getting a bit mean, make a ton of money but have zero taste when spending.

I'll stop before I put my foot in it.

That was my fav as well!

I almost forgot, Have a Great Day Dudes! 
American me...

fluffy2560 wrote:

What's the American way?   How is "it" different to "another" way?

Some examples:

Google
Apple
Facebook
Twitter
AirBnB
Uber
etc....

All American companies. Good or bad, right or wrong, there is nothing, really, comparable (by scale or scope), company wise, in Europe. Mainly due to EU regulations. So, in short, one may even say, over regulation that can not allow "disruptive technologies" is one EU way, but not an "American" way. And that is one difference.

Or in other words, summed up as:

"One of the serious problems in planning the fight against American doctrine, is that the Americans do not read their manuals, nor do they feel any obligation to follow their doctrine..."

-- From a Soviet Junior Lt's Notebook

And.... If that does not yet answer your question, see how the "American" way of directly expressing opinion about Kelles Kaviar (Americans: "this is not food".... "you don't want to serve that to people, dude" (yes, the "dude" comment  )):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMyfZydK-4s

Compares to the Hungarian way (the woman says, in Hungarian, basically, "that is terrible/disgusting" but then says "Yes" when asked in English if she likes it -- but look at her facial expression  ):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yspCiq3WnU

Vicces1 wrote:

That was my fav as well!

I meant this.... Satire one of few remaining bastions in Orban's Hungary

Loved the joke about two ply toilet paper in the communist era, as it seems again so applicable today.