Sunday, April 4, 2010

And Verily It Came To Pass...In The Land Of North Minneapolis...

Contributed photo, blog post by John Hoff

A North Minneapolis resident sent me this photo taken mere minutes ago of some dude taking a leak against the wall of a neighboring house. Apparently, this happens a couple times a week. The resident can't figure out if the house lacks adequate plumbing or if the residents and guests just lack bladder control, and so need to constantly urinate in their yard. I say, "Let 311 sort it out."

Free advice from Johnny Northside: be a good citizen in North Minneapolis, you never know when somebody with a digital camera is watching, click here for another example.

One can't help but be reminded of a Bible verse at 1 Kings 16:11, as follows:

"And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolk, nor of his friends."

Why do I bring this up? Because in a recent blog discussion on the comment threads, a certain resident of upper Willard Homewood said if a phrase is offensive, it should not be used. And I responded, well, what about certain very graphic phrases in the Bible? Do you include THAT? Rather than letting that discussion lie buried in the comment threads, I thought I would bring it to the front burner. If a phrase is offensive to some people, should it not be used?

(Do not click "Read More")

62 comments:

Anonymous said...

It looks to me like his genitals aren't exposed. And everyone needs to pee. In Europe they have outdoor urinals. I don't see why you're so uptight.

Morgan said...

Peeing outside is very important in some cultures. It's culturally insensitive to rush to judgment about what this man is doing. This could be an important part of his cultural heritage and beliefs.

I wouldn't call 311 so quickly, because I respect the cultural diversity of others.

King Minos said...

Anon 757:
civilization evolved to the point where we invented indoor plumbing.

Natural Selection will take care of the guy who isn't civilized enough to piss indoors, the kid who can't resolve conflict without resorting to violence, and you.

Here's to NoMi. Here's to Natural Selection.

Anonymous said...

That's a good point. My dog pees in the yard, the outcome is the same. If one is hidden from view is there even a crime? I know there is "public urination" but I assume that's public property. I've myself stepped out back on my own property and had some relief when no one could see. If no one sees the junk is there really a sound?

Jeff Skrenes said...

Public urination is a 911 call.

emma said...

Public urination is a misdemeanor, $80 fine

227.180. Public urination prohibited. Any person who urinates or
defecates on any public street, alley, sidewalk or floor of any public building or of
any building where the public gathers or has access, or in any other place,
whether public or private, where such act could be observed by any member of
the public, except in such place that has been designated as a restroom is guilty
of a misdemeanor.

Tre Tre said...

You think the cops are going to show for a guy taking a pee? Can they get there in 30 seconds?

Anonymous said...

How about when you're camping?

Ella said...

I have to say that it is very disrespectful to the people around you to pee in front of them (especially if you can hear it). Also if they aren't paying their water/sewer bill then maybe they shouldn't be allowed to piss outside, maybe they should pay their bills and as for it being a "cultural" thing, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want men washing their "genitals" in your bird baths or no toilet paper in the woman's room just a bucket... i say call 911.. they will take them somewhere where there's water and plenty of people to watch them pee.

Anonymous said...

seen it happen, yes.

Anonymous said...

My bathroom is not working, and I can't afford a plumber. I've been peeiing in my neighbor's yard, but they called the police, so I started peeing in my own yard instead. But the other day, their daughter walked out and saw me urinating on my herbs. She went in screaming, and her parents called the police AGAIN! I'm worried they will arrest if this appends again! What should I do?

Anonymous said...

RE: genitals being exposed/not exposed and seeing junk -

I am the one who snapped the photo and part of my fury is that I HAVE been exposed to genitals and junk. Not all the guys that partake in this uncivilized behavior have been AS discreet as this gentleman and as I walk about my house I HAVE accidentally seen the junk.

Jeff Skrenes said...

No, the cops aren't going to get there in 30 seconds. But my neighbors have, in plain sight, urinated against the wall of the house they rent while having loud, boisterous parties. If the cops get there in a reasonable time, the piss marks are still there.

And if not, at least it creates a record of what kind of behavior occurs there so that when the hammer finally DOES come down the cops can say, "Oh yeah, this is the place with eight public urination calls, eleven noise ordinance violations, etc."

Don DuMonet said...

This is north minneapolis. You guys have a lot bigger problems than people peeing in bushes or behind houses. Have you ever seen the place?

I pee in my yard all the time, but I live out in Orono and have a huge back yard.

You guys should go outside and pick up all the trash that litters your ghetto neighborhood instead of whining about people who obscure themselves when they urinate outside. And to think you ghetto dwellers call us suburbanites uptight?

Res ipsa loquitur said...

This isn't worthy of discussion.

This guy should be banned from the City of Minneapolis for life.

If all he can do is piss on it, then society judges him unworthy to enjoy it.

Put the property in the hands of those who will respect it and use it productively.

Res ipsa loquitur.

Jeff Skrenes said...

Don DuMonet,

What makes you think that we aren't working on the bigger problems too? We can do that and address these types of behavior as well. Plus, as the whole Urban Exposure incident has shown, there's often a correlation between things like this and the "bigger" issues.

M. Clinton said...

@ Hawthorne Hawkman - I have seen your neighbors peeing against the side of their garage too. I admit that I pee outdoors when I'm Up North, but in a high density, urban, environment, it just is not appropriate. If anyone has a cultural background that predisposes one to peeing outdoors, it would be me. I grew up out in the woods, and have lived without indoor plumbing,. We peed outdoor all of the time. I still pee outdoors when I'm home. But I realize that when I'm in MPLS, I'm in a different environment and therefore my behavior must modify accordingly.

Kevin said...

Don

We don't call you suburbanites "uptight". We call you "dropouts". Your answer to the problems in society is to run away from them. That's why you live where you live. You're running away. Not a hell-of-a lot to be admired there now is there? I suspect you'll be running the rest of your life and probably be teaching your kids to do the same.

la_vie_en_rose said...

I grew up in the countryside, so urinating outside when you were too far from the house (or outhouse, if the case may be) was a common sense.

My neighbors dropping drawers to pee wouldn't necessarily bother me, but I have to admit that they've got a lot of balls to do it where everyone else can see. I sure as hell don't have the guts to do that now that I don't live near woods.

Ella said...

What I'm wondering is why this man from Orono is reading a blog about northside.... hmmmm why???

And how naive he is to think that we don't pick up all the trash that litters our neighborhood. I spend my morning coffee time picking up trash that blows into my yard.

Also people who don't pay their bills or let something like a clogged toilet get out of control does not care about their surroundings so clearly they don't care about throwing their beer cans and hot cheeto bags on the ground. So what do we do? We get these people out, and put people that care about their surroundings and welfare of their neighborhood.

I'm just sayin'

Anonymous said...

Would you guys chill out if Jack Nicholson lived in NOMI? Camon if it's good enough for Hollywood it's GREAT for NOMI.

Nicholson: 'Friends can pee in my garden'
Sunday, March 7 2010, 2:06pm EST

By Marcell Minaya, Entertainment Reporter


Rex Features
Jack Nicholson has made his friends urinate in his garden.

The Oscar-winning actor, who was showing a group of male friends around his Hollywood Hills home, asked them to make sure they relieve themselves outside to stop wild racoons from coming too close to his home.

According to the National Enquirer, the 72-year-old said: "Hey, whenever you guys have to go, feel free to come out here and urinate in the yard.

"No, seriously, it helps keeps the raccoons away!"

SKIORDIE said...

just sayin "pissing outside is far better than inside" also is that his yard? if so then leave him alone!
NOMI people are as uptight as don trump! gimme a break-you live in an urban center so people will do what they want, just as if they lived in the periphery. NOMI will never be safe for cakeeating families!@

Don DuMonet said...

Ella,

My neighbor pointed out this blog to me. And I have to say, he is correct, it is one of the most unintentionally hilarious things I have seen in a long time.

You people should just embrace the ghetto fabulousness of North Minneapolis and sit around smoking crack and selling your copper plumbing for drug money like the rest of your neighbors. I will let you in on a little secret though, the rest of the state wants your neighborhood to stay the ghetto. It's called a containment strategy. If we keep all of our perverts, crackheads and losers in one place then it is easy to keep an eye on them and they are less likely to bother the god fearing citizens of the rest of the state.

And as far as running from a problem, if I stand accused of wanting to live nowhere near north Minneapolis, I am guilty as charged.

Anonymous said...

Don,

Your a judgmental jerk And that's people like YOU stay in the burbs.

Just Sayin'.

Almost seems like you come here to make people feel bad, well way to go you are far superior then us. Now go to your big yard and read a blog about the greatness that is Orno...Nothing great to say about a city ran by a bunch a rich jerks? eh... oh well..

la_vie_en_rose said...

Don's right about one thing -- cities do have areas (or ghettos; whatever term you prefer) where they try to keep the bad elements contained, and they don't do much else beyond "clean up work". I've lived in three other cities -- Cincinnati, Grand Rapids (MI), and Indianapolis, respectively -- and of course, they all had the horrible hoods that no one would do anything about except for the people living there (they tried, at least).

However, the problem about "containment zones" is that nothing is truly contained for long. I can't speak about Grand Rapids because I haven't been back in years, but I can say that both Indy and Cincy are having problems now in the connecting neighborhoods, and it's starting to spread even into the richer suburbs.

So Don, you can sit down there in safety for now, but if nothing is done about the crap going on in NoMi, it will eventually make its way over to you, too. Cheers.

veg*nation said...

"I will let you in on a little secret though, the rest of the state wants your neighborhood to stay the ghetto."

wow, i didn't know this was supposed to be a secret. good luck with that.

Anonymous said...

This is in response to Mr.DooMonet,that's right, Doo as in shit.If you actually exist, i am beginning to wonder if this blog response section is made up of a bunch of fakes just trying to get laughs at the expense of real North Minneapolis citizens.Well if you are a fake or not you can "mange maird" all day long.But i will guarantee you do not possess either a right or a left testicle.You say you are from Morono and i am positive because you sound like a moron.The fact of the matter is you're looking for any responder to assume that you are a chicken shit caucasion looking for the expected reply from one of our proud Black citizens to call you out.I'm a caucasian and i will take care of their dirty work.Caucasians like you give Caucasians a bad name.I understand that you do not care and get a kick out of this, as you say,that this blog site is unintentionally hilarious. I also realize that Black people also live in the suburbs and God forbid you may someday have a Black person as a next door neighbor.With that said, Mr. eatshitnonuts,are you caucasian on occasion and would you visit NoMi or do you need persuasion? I believe NoNuts has ran from many problems and may be guilty of many things but he will never be accused of having a pair.Boathead is back and trying to tone it down so he can have this outlet to bring chomos and racists to their ultimate Waterloo.

CONCRETE ROSA said...

First signs on the telephone poles, and now this? Call the FBI!!

CONCRETE ROSA

Emily said...

Don,

I can't believe how close minded you are! I grew up in north minneapolis and I am not a crackhead, and nether is my family, they are hard working people. We just got a house in north minneapolis cause unlike the rest of the world we live within our means. Living in a town that is so perfect makes me ill. It also makes me ill that people like you are still projecting that image of north minneapolis. Shame on you, you make me SICK. Another reason that you make me rethink humanity is how can you think its ok to put all the poor, drug addicted people into a "ghetto". Last time I checked putting people in a ghetto to keep the from tainting the rest of the world was the holocaust.

Anonymous said...

Personally, I can't believe there's even a discussion occuring about whether or not it's "appropriate" to pee in someone else's backyard.

Public urinals in Europe, or the woods in a rural setting are a far-cry from a neighbor's backyard.

There's no justification for the action and to even discuss it gives the "act" credibility.

Anyone stating a different opinion on the matter is just egging the rest of you on. They'd be far less tolerant if they woke-up and found the guy peeing in THEIR backyard.

Anonymous said...

Morgan said...
Peeing outside is very important in some cultures. It's culturally insensitive to rush to judgment about what this man is doing. This could be an important part of his cultural heritage and beliefs.

ROTFLMAO.... Now that's funny.... I had a distant relative that robbed trains and stage coaches for a living about 140 years ago. His ancestors were from a feudal society in eastern Europe, and they basically took what they needed as well to survive. Is it okay for me to go rob a bank? Apparently it's a cultural part of my heritage...

What color is the sky in your world Morgan?

Anonymous said...

Oh wait Morgan. I have an even better idea.

So that we can be sure an include the appropriate amount of cultural sensitivity for all possible residents in NOMI, maybe we should propose a new city ordinance that required toilet paper rolls firmly attached to the back of all residences?

We'll have to give a little bit of thought regarding the building code. We'd want to make sure it was handi-cap accessible.....

geektopia's keeper said...

Don DuMonet- You disgust me. North Minneapolis is not a ghetto, we are allowed to come and go as we please. I choose to live here because I love my vibrant, multifaceted city. You should stay in your suburb. It is a great distaste to me to deal with your type when I encounter them on their gawking tours of my city. My guess is there are as many drug addicts in your suburb as there are anywhere else, go check out your high schools. My neighbors and I are not going to suffer your attitude. Every absentee landlord that I have encountered, that has allowed criminal activities to happen on their property, that does not repair their properties, that charge tenants $1200 per month for the privilege to live in squalor, that has allowed 80 substandard dwellings to go into foreclosure, they have all lived in a suburb. It is the suburbs that are distressing my neighborhood. That is no secret. The difference is that we are not allowing this to happen anymore. We are in this for the long haul. I am not going to stop working towards my goals. Every year that I have lived in North Minneapolis, more people have joined me in those goals. Believe me we would also be very happy for you to live as far away from North Minneapolis as possible.

Tre Tre said...

I thought about you folks as I was peeing off my back step enjoying a cig on this fine night. God bless Minneapolis.

SKIORDIE said...

Anonymous, get a life!

Jeffry M said...

Did you get this guys permission to post him like this? He seems to be trying to get some privacy and it appears you may have violated that.

Johnny Northside! said...

To Jeffry M:

I don't need anybody's "permission" to post a photo that was taken from private property where the person taking the photo had every right to be nor, for that matter, to post pictures taken from public property, out in the street, etc.

I know there's a misconception among thug types that somebody must or should ask "permission" to take a picture.

That misconception is, well, a misconception.

Anonymous said...

I'd be willing to bet that the guy urinating on the house in the photo isn't actually peeing on his own property. Nobody who owns a house and busts their butt working to pay a mortgage would turn around and pee on their own stucco. If anybody has the actual address where this happened, I'd love to check it on the city website to see if it's homesteaded. My guess is this guy is damaging his landlord's property, not his own.

Anonymous said...

@ Anon330am - DING DING DING - You are right. Actually he doesn't even 'live' there he just always hangs out there with the rest of his posse. But it is indeed a rental.

The address will NOT be published, obviously it would implicate me in the photo credits and with Shamika, TreTre,Dontrell,James Washington and the rest thughuggers that have appeared here recently I'm sure someone would love to run to the address and tell the poor, widdle, harmless pissers that the snitchers are talking about them on the internet again.

"On the what? Whats the internet?"

Shamika said...

If you're going to be a snitch, at least own it. If snitching is such an honorable activity, shouldn't you be proud of it and want your name to be associated with your snitching?

Anonymous said...

Maybe a eco friendly form of tagging.

Jermaine said...

The honorable treatment of snitching in this time of mourning Jesus' untimely downfall at the hand of snitches is offensive.

Jeff Skrenes said...

Jermaine,

Not only are you on the wrong side of the "We watch, we call" movement, you also need to get a clue about what time of year the church is in. Lent and Holy Week are done, so we're not mourning Jesus' passing. Easter has happened and the church is celebrating the resurrection.

You're not helping your fundamentally flawed point of view by getting basic facts wrong.

Anonymous said...

the idea that there is any connection whatsoever between Judas and someone who calls 9-1-1 because some asshole is urinating in public across the street from the caller's house is just plain stupid. Let's see... in your analogy that makes the f^cker who is peeing, Jesus. that's kind of funny.

Kudos to the caller.
Keep calling.

Anonymous said...

Who wants to be walking down the street and suddenly be overcome with the smell of piss?!? This probably isn't the only time this has happened here and that odor will become overpowering as the weather warms up.

It's disgusting and dispicable. Stop behaving like animals and use the indoor plumbing.

I had a party-house next door and was awakened one evening when several men were using MY HOUSE as their public urinal. It's disgusting and disrespectful.

They probably piss in the pool, too.

Jane said...

Perhaps Jermaine is a member of the Greek Orthodox church or some other denomination that does not celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. As Northsiders, we should be as culturally sensitive as possible.

Jeff Skrenes said...

Jane, how many Greek Orthodox church members are named Jermaine? There's a distinction between being cultural sensitivity and making reasonable assumptions. Based on his statement, I'm making a reasonable assumption that Jermaine is an idiot.

Anonymous said...

Jane is a dork.

Unknown said...

Usually I don't mind if people urinate outside, so long as they take some measures to conceal their genitals, but in this case I agree with John. North Minneapolis has an unpleasant smell at the best of times. Adding more urine into the mix only compounds the problem.

Anonymous said...

@Anon444am - you are right this is not the first time it has happened here. It happens all the time. (I'm the photographer.) It happens so much that I can predict *when* it will happen which is how the photo was snapped in the first place.

There are a double handful of guys who do this, at several different spots on the back of this house, and some of them are not as discreet as this particular gentleman . I remember one day my boyfriend was over, and he saw it happening and he yelled to me "Oh My God, quick, come look at this" and I did, and I got an eyeful of "flesh".

I had to go scrub my eyes with bleach. I was almost as *pissed* (no pun) at my bfriend for showing me as I was at the idiot who was the pissing. To his defense, the bfriend's that is, he said he was just so shocked it was his immediate reaction, and being a man taking into consideration the men's public restrooms, he didn't have the same *flesh* reaction as I did. He apologized and we still laugh about it. He's the one who encouraged me to try to snap a photo and send it to Johnny Northside.

Anonymous said...

Are you saying a Black Man can't be Greek Orthodox?

Jeff Skrenes said...

Anon 10:54, YOU identified "Jermaine" as a black man, not me. And I'm not saying that a black man (or anyone named Jermaine) can't be Greek Orthodox. But what, we have ONE such church in Minneapolis, is that right? Anyone care to find out from St. Mary's how many Jermaine's go there?

I'm even giving Jermaine the benefit of the doubt as to whether he's an actual person. But a pro-thug person coming to a north Minneapolis-centric blog making statements like that either has no church affiliation or identifies with the Protestant, Baptist, or Catholic denominations of Christianity. As such, his comment is not based on the calendar of whatever church he may be affiliated with.

Anonymous said...

THE Hawthorne Hawkman lays it on the line and tells it like it is!Bravo Johnny Northside and fellow activists also!You guys will be receiving alot of help this upcoming summer with my extra sets of eyes i have recruited to be top level A-One snitches.We will outsnitch anyone and we will be doing it right smack under their noses without them realizing it.Stay Tuned.

Anonymous said...

Pisser photographer here again: so yesterday I was driving down Penn, headed towards Broadway right near 26th. There was a car pulled over to the right curb and a man standing in the open doorway of the drivers door. As we got closer I said to my boyfriend "Is he urinating???" Sure enough as we passed by him we could see exactly what he was doing. This was about 630pm, broad daylight. Unbelievable. He probably hangs out at my neighbors with the rest of the pissers.

Anonymous said...

This week I saw a woman squatting and taking a piss on the sidewalk next to the community garden on 26th and Knox.

Mr Opportunity said...

You should film it and make a website. www.nomipissers.com probably make a ton of money.

Anonymous said...

I thought someone kept letting their dog do their business on the property line between my lot and a vacant. Then last night I peek out and see a gang banger copping a squat in my yard. I saw him again later in the day. Should I be calling 911 or 311 about this?

Shamika said...

I don't mind someone peeing in their back yard, but pooping is a bit much.

I bet that was cold in the winter.

Anonymous said...

Pisser Photographer here.

Well, one question was answered this morning: they must have had water at the house at the time the photo was taken, but they sure don't have water now. I just watched the city crew stop and disconnect them at the boulevard.

So I imagine I'll be graced with a lot more urination in the side &back yard. Nice.

Anonymous said...

occupied w/out utilities.
placard time.

Anonymous said...

Maybe they could come in and use your bathroom?

Anonymous said...

Ok this is not cool at all. First on my lawn, now I open up my hot tub cover and find three floaters in there. I can't believe some people.