Get Out Of My Neighborhood, Street Walkers

Photos By John Hoff

A posting by Hawthorne's newest blogger which mentioned chasing some prostitutes off her street reminded me of a recent incident on Lyndale Avenue North...

I was driving my van "Chick Magnet 2" near the Eco Village, when a woman tried to hail me like I was a taxi of loooooooooooooooove.

She used a crooked finger "come thee hither" gesture, which is interesting...I've never seen a hooker use that particular gesture before. But there are a lot of variations on the basic "Hey, sailor" hail, everything from meaningful repeated head jerks to the frantic double-hand-wave with full flailing arms, like you're trying to make yourself visible to a Medivac helicopter.

How odd, I thought. Hookers on Lyndale Avenue North during the BEGINNING of the month, and not the END of the month. The economy is getting worse before it gets better, it appears, just like Obama said.

I circled the block, calling 911, and when I went around the block a second time the (alleged) hooker was far from the bus stop, expecting me to pull over, smiling broadly. The third time I went around the block, I had my camera out. That was when the (alleged) prostitute and her shorter, arguably much prettier companion began walking rapidly toward Lowry Avenue North, but the taller one had been walking to my car until I pulled out my camera.

I got a couple of pictures, then yelled to inform them I'd called the police, and it was best not to return to this part of the neighborhood. Words to that effect. I don't know if the police came or had other more urgent calls, but sometimes the police work as a promise rather than something actually delivered.

Not five minutes later, I was in the middle of ANOTHER incident on that part of Lyndale Avenue North. See next blog post.