Be careful about who you buzz in.
This may be filed under obvious, but I just had someone buzz my intercom claiming to be a restaurant delivery, asking me to buzz the door. It's 4 am. My reply: "Wrong." I also called the cops, who said they'd drive by and take a look. The person had what sounded to be a black male voice, was not drunk or slurred, but was being purposefully unintelligible.
Considering the buzz woke me out of a sound sleep, all it would have taken is being half awake and just hitting the buzzer out of habit for deliverymen for that to have been a bad scene.
Please be aware.
Considering the buzz woke me out of a sound sleep, all it would have taken is being half awake and just hitting the buzzer out of habit for deliverymen for that to have been a bad scene.
Please be aware.
Comments
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Great advice....
Also interesting to know, that "black males" have a certain voice... -
jaha127 wrote: Great advice....
You knew that was coming! Well at least the suspense is over. Don't give me no Walter Payton, either....
Also interesting to know, that "black males" have a certain voice... -
jaha127 wrote: Great advice....
1) This is about crime, not race. Trying to make it about race dilutes the issue of an attempted crime, which I don't think is very productive.
Also interesting to know, that "black males" have a certain voice...
2) Perhaps I should have typed "a male voice speaking in a New York accented African-American dialect." We cool now?
3) Humor is a way of dealing with stress, so go nuts with your Beastie Boy and other jokes. It's fine. As long as people realize that someone is trying to commit a crime here. With the recent string of arsons, I'd rather be overly vocal about something that's likely a common criminal tactic than just keep quiet, not care about my neighbors enough to say anything and hope for the best. That's not a strategy. -
JamesOnDean wrote: [quote=jaha127]Great advice....
1) This is about crime, not race. Trying to make it about race dilutes the issue of an attempted crime, which I don't think is very productive.
Also interesting to know, that "black males" have a certain voice...
2) Perhaps I should have typed "a male voice speaking in a New York accented African-American dialect." We cool now?
Maybe it was AdRock, MCA, or Mike D. -
Hey, I just found what your description interesting. I’ve been told that I talk like a white girl, but hey everyone is entitled to their own opinions and observations.
But, getting back to the true essence of your post, I do totally agree with you that you should be mindful of who you buzz in, didn’t some random person buzz in the Psycho Rapist in Chelsea… -
JamesOnDean wrote: [quote=jaha127]Great advice....
1) This is about crime, not race. Trying to make it about race dilutes the issue of an attempted crime, which I don't think is very productive.
Also interesting to know, that "black males" have a certain voice...
2) Perhaps I should have typed "a male voice speaking in a New York accented African-American dialect." We cool now?
3) Humor is a way of dealing with stress, so go nuts with your Beastie Boy and other jokes. It's fine. As long as people realize that someone is trying to commit a crime here. With the recent string of arsons, I'd rather be overly vocal about something that's likely a common criminal tactic than just keep quiet, not care about my neighbors enough to say anything and hope for the best. That's not a strategy.
Aw c'mon. I'm on your side in my own pain-in-the-ass sorta way, and I know exactly what you meant. But the first thing I thought when I read your post was, "Even though I know what this person means, the way he/she expressed it is going to result in the very next post being about the 'black male voice" thing." When it happened precisely as I supposed, I couldn't help but gloat a little. So, sorry.
And, yeah, the Beastie Boys thing was a total lark. I just wanted to throw them in the mix.
98% chance it was just some drunk if that makes you feel better. -
Drano wrote: Aw c'mon. I'm on your side in my own pain-in-the-ass sorta way, and I know exactly what you meant. But the first thing I thought when I read your post was, "Even though I know what this person means, the way he/she expressed it is going to result in the very next post being about the 'black male voice" thing." When it happened precisely as I supposed, I couldn't help but gloat a little. So, sorry.
I wish, but no. This was a lucid (no drugs or alcohol) voice, trying to sound reasonable but not wholly clear. It went something like this:
And, yeah, the Beastie Boys thing was a total lark. I just wanted to throw them in the mix.
98% chance it was just some drunk if that makes you feel better.
Me: "Who is it?"
Him: "BludahbludahbluDelivery, could you please buzz the door?"
Me: "Wrong."
4am. Not drunk, trying to get inside the building. Not good. -
UNBUZZ YOU DOORS
-
devincf wrote: UNBUZZ YOU DOORS
lmao. Perfect. -
Subject: Voice Profiling
Would you have metioned the ethnicity of the person had he been white? Would you have written, "He sounded like a white man?"
That said, we've had problems for years with people sleeping in our hallways and loitering. Old timers in days past have buzzed anyone in...Last year, my x found two homeless people sleeping in the hallway near the roof...he said it looked like they were having sex. This has been a recurrent problem in the neighborhood for years! -
Subject: Re: Voice Profiling
RBG wrote: Would you have metioned the ethnicity of the person had he been white? Would you have written, "He sounded like a white man?"
Outstanding question. Anything that identified the voice, sure. I was trying to spread awareness, not fear.
"You can never tell anybody anything."
--Andy Warhol -
Would you have mentioned if he sounded gay?
-
Alex wrote: Would you have mentioned if he sounded gay?
That would have narrowed the possibilities even more!
Male 49% (of the neighborhood population)
Black male 25%
Gay male 5%
Gay black male 2.5%?!
all figures are pure estimates, of course! -
Yeah, it is kind of sexist to point out the male thing. What are you saying, males are more prone to committing crime?
UNBUZZ, lol -
JamesOnDean wrote:
Aw, let's give the guy a break. At least he said please. He didn't say, "Open the door White-Ass scared neighbor bitch!" Or something like that. (Not saying that you are or anything. Just saying.)
I wish, but no. This was a lucid (no drugs or alcohol) voice, trying to sound reasonable but not wholly clear. It went something like this:
Me: "Who is it?"
Him: "BludahbludahbluDelivery, could you please buzz the door?"
Me: "Wrong."
4am. Not drunk, trying to get inside the building. Not good. -
Subject: Re: Voice Profiling
JamesOnDean wrote: [quote=RBG]Would you have metioned the ethnicity of the person had he been white? Would you have written, "He sounded like a white man?"
Outstanding question. Anything that identified the voice, sure. I was trying to spread awareness, not fear.
"You can never tell anybody anything."
--Andy Warhol
How did someone trying to break into a building turn into a race issue?? Since this has gotten quite off track, I wanted to thank JamesOnDean for spreading awareness. -
PHeightsGirl wrote: Aw, let's give the guy a break. At least he said please. He didn't say, "Open the door White-Ass scared neighbor bitch!" Or something like that.
I would dare someone to do that this weekend... -
Subject: Re: Voice Profiling
amyskittysitting wrote: How did someone trying to break into a building turn into a race issue?? Since this has gotten quite off track, I wanted to thank JamesOnDean for spreading awareness.
I believe it turned into a race issue when the man was described as black from the jump. -
How did I know when I saw there were 18 replies to this posting it would be an outpouring of judgement over describing someone as sounding black. You know what... working class black folks speak differently than middle class white folks. Are there exceptions? Yes. Observing difference isn't any form of racism or predjudice. "Trying" so hard to be politically correct is a crutch guilt consciousessness.
There is so much judgement and self-consciousness on this message board. Am I generalizing when I write this? Am I being predjudiced?Folks need to relax. -
Candicissima wrote: [quote=PHeightsGirl]Aw, let's give the guy a break. At least he said please. He didn't say, "Open the door White-Ass scared neighbor bitch!" Or something like that.
I would dare someone to do that this weekend...
that's the funniest thing I've read all week... -
Alecorock wrote: How did I know when I saw there were 18 replies to this posting it would be an outpouring of judgement over describing someone as sounding black. You know what... working class black folks speak differently than middle class white folks. Are there exceptions? Yes. Observing difference isn't any form of racism or predjudice. "Trying" so hard to be politically correct is a crutch guilt consciousessness.
Whoa, left field. Did you read all the posts? Cause most of them were tongue in cheek humor, my friend. You relax.
There is so much judgement and self-consciousness on this message board. Am I generalizing when I write this? Am I being predjudiced?Folks need to relax.
Nobody stated they were offended. Nobody cried "racism" -- except, of course, for the people who argued that it wasn't racism to say he was black, this isn't a race issue, etc. -
Subject: Re: Voice Profiling
PHeightsGirl wrote: [quote=amyskittysitting]How did someone trying to break into a building turn into a race issue?? Since this has gotten quite off track, I wanted to thank JamesOnDean for spreading awareness.
I believe it turned into a race issue when the man was described as black from the jump.
That's probhably the terminology the NYPD uses, so chill people! If the suspect had had any other accent/ tone James would have reported that.
This board is way too #$%#$%&!! sensitive. Fight crime not each other. -
JamesOnDean wrote: I wish, but no. This was a lucid (no drugs or alcohol) voice, trying to sound reasonable but not wholly clear. It went something like this:
Maybe it really was a delivery service and he was trying to be not so obvious about it (though he had the wrong bell). "It's Toots & Buds 'R' Us, I've got your $200 order!"
Me: "Who is it?"
Him: "BludahbludahbluDelivery, could you please buzz the door?"
Me: "Wrong."
4am. Not drunk, trying to get inside the building. Not good. -
Yeah, see. Our building is crack only, so toots & buds man was full of shit.
Footnote: I've spoken w/tenants on the other three floors at this point. The guy also buzzed the first floor tenant, who was smart enough not to get out of bed. He didn't buzz the second or third floors, both of which have two tenants each. You can see that on the mailboxes, which are visible from the front door. Anyway, everyone's informed now, so hopefully delivery guy will have to move along to a less aware hood. -
JamesOnDean wrote: Yeah, see. Our building is crack only, so toots & buds man was full of shit.
Now, that was funny. HUMOR, PEOPLE! It's a beautiful thing. -
Candicissima wrote: "It's Toots & Buds 'R' Us, I've got your $200 order!"
if thats so, thats the latest-operating delivery service ive ever heard of!
also: thread digressions like what happened here suck. -
This conversation became a race issue the minute the writer described the voice as that of a black man. And the terminology the NYPD uses in "male black," not "black male." Would you have let the person in had he said, "hey buddy...can you buzz me in..i don't have my key, dude..."
would we be having this conversation if the guy who rang your bell "sounded white." The Son of Sam probably "sounded white." The Preppy Killer sho nuff "sounded white." What if the Unibomber rang your bell at 4am? He probably would've sounded white, too. Shall I go on about all the dangerous people who didn't sound black, but white. Be very careful when a sinister sounding white person rings your bell at 4am, saying "Hey Dude...can you buzz me in." Doublelock your doors and call the police, pronto. -
Ad hominem, then I'm done.
RBG, you don't appear interested in conversation. You certainly are assuming a lot about me, too. Given your history here, I'm hardly shocked. Regardless, I've accomplished my mission, which was to inform people in my neighborhood of an attempted crime. Treat my choice of words as some nefarious code if you wish. I did acknowledge how I otherwise could have worded it, but you seem stuck on your one issue.
Fuck me for trying to help out, you know? -
RBG wrote: This conversation became a race issue the minute the writer described the voice as that of a black man. And the terminology the NYPD uses in "male black," not "black male." Would you have let the person in had he said, "hey buddy...can you buzz me in..i don't have my key, dude..."
Are you for real? Really... are you?
would we be having this conversation if the guy who rang your bell "sounded white." The Son of Sam probably "sounded white." The Preppy Killer sho nuff "sounded white." What if the Unibomber rang your bell at 4am? He probably would've sounded white, too. Shall I go on about all the dangerous people who didn't sound black, but white. Be very careful when a sinister sounding white person rings your bell at 4am, saying "Hey Dude...can you buzz me in." Doublelock your doors and call the police, pronto. -
nybt wrote: Are you for real? Really... are you?
[white devil voice]Hey, buddy- let it go. 'Kay, dude?[/white devil voice]
FYI: all white people sound like Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High
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