Semi-Wild Night 06022014

[Gannon]

The last hour or so has been interesting.

For at least a half hour, around midnight, we could hear motorcycle racing in the distance. Since we could hear the Indy racing the last two mornings, and those were at least five miles away, I know these were at least halfway closer...likely not far from the Chrysler/Jeep plant on Conner, my best guess.

The bulk of that noise went away not long ago, but the din from the city in both the west and north from us is borderline anarchy. Loud partying...hootin' and hollerin'...people are getting DOWN tonight.

But the sound that drove me from the bed and outside to identify more clearly, was a loud fight happening nearby...turned out to be the foster home around the block. Someone owes someone else money...and it sounds like trouble. This is only the second time in four years there've been any issues from them.

I guess Summer is here, and if this much insanity can happen on a Sunday night...during a New Moon...I'm wondering if anyone else is feeling the same anxiety as I do now. Not a full-blown fear, but an unease that is disturbing.

Before anyone asks sincerely, or jokes inappropriately, I DO sense The Hum more strongly tonight...almost as strong as it gets when it rains. This is not the first time I sensed it after shutting down the house for the night, then noticed the whole damn city electric with activity. I feel there is a correlation, but without keeping a journal I have no solid tracking or any other proof.

I heard a series of car alarms, which seem to be coming from the plant as well...we have seen bunches of cars flashing while we've passed the lot on the Mack Bridge, and even witnessed a high-speed escape of a white Jeep one early morning...it was obviously stolen off the lot around the same time fifteen to twenty cars were flashing and honking. We wondered then if they had been set off deliberately as a diversion. They have an electric fence around that lot, so they've obviously had trouble in the past.

All that we're missing, so far, are the gunshots, there are usually a decent volley of them at some point between one and two-thirty. No, I'm not cheering 'em on, just describing what I hear.

But all in all, it has been a semi-wild night on the near-east side. Churning anarchy...but in the fifteen minutes since I began writing this it seems to be calming down quite a bit. All I hear are occasional hollers to the north. Way more than normal for a Sunday night.

Sincerely,
John

[Gannon]

They might've merely moved the motorcycle racing. It is back now. Earlier, it was two at a time, short runs...like a quarter mile...now it is much longer, like they're running a circuit.

Many years ago...likely the Summer of 1997...I used to regularly drop into Farouk's Mediterranean Cafe around the corner from Greektown in the wee hours of the morning. One time a young white guy was fidgeting at the end counter seat...mumbling aloud about not having a good night and how he'd not be able to sleep.

I really wasn't interested in conversation that morning, but it was just too much bait and I took it, asked him what had him so worked up. He went on and on about losing his first race on this clandestine circuit that had been running around town for years. People lost a ton of money on him, as he'd gained quite a reputation on his sickly fast Kawasaki...so he became a favorite bet.

When I lived in Eastern Market, you'd occasionally hear them run up that street just west of the railroad tracks that went up to the new Federal Reserve facility. I never bothered to wander over to see them, I always thought they'd be busted like in Fast 'n' Furious.

This racing didn't last long, it is now dead again. Twenty minutes. ugh

No cheers on this one...

[pgn421]

Gannon- i can remember back in the 70's and 80's, while trying to sleep, would hear a pounding noise. Turns out it was the Chrysler Stamping plant, it was by Mack and Conner. We lived by Mack and Cadieux, that would keep me awake at night

[Gannon]

Gannon- i can remember back in the 70's and 80's, while trying to sleep, would hear a pounding noise. Turns out it was the Chrysler Stamping plant, it was by Mack and Conner. We lived by Mack and Cadieux, that would keep me awake at night

yeah, those types of sounds are easy to differentiate from the rest, not unlike the train and boat sounds.


As for the drag racing, I just stumbled upon this:

http://www.clickondetroit.com/seenon...again/26294612

[ABetterDetroit]

Racing crotch rockets on the quality of pavement of public roads in this state is just the thinning of the gene pool in motion. One of them met his end a couple hundred yards from my house 2 summers ago late at night. Trust, those things are loud and the are very prevelant out here in the burbs as well.

[softailrider]

There are two types of motorcycle riders: safety minded and idiots. I really don't think there's any in between.

[Cliffy]

Its not even racing. Riding a motorcycle is suicide. Forget about every other person owning an F-150, there is the fact that we have monster potholes everywhere. There is not one road where I can say that I experience a smooth ride down here.

[Honky Tonk]

Racing crotch rockets on the quality of pavement of public roads in this state is just the thinning of the gene pool in motion. One of them met his end a couple hundred yards from my house 2 summers ago late at night. Trust, those things are loud and the are very prevelant out here in the burbs as well.

Around here the Hardley's don't do a bad job of annoying either. They pull the baffles out of the exhaust pipes, so they're louder then loud, than add 1000 watt stereos, cranked up even louder over the exhaust. I don't get it. Buy a Walkman for Christ sake, it'll run you less money.

[yupislyr]

But what's the use of having a motorcycle if not to show off? That's the way it seems most of the time. It's apparently no good to ride unless you are noticed as very few bikes are all that quiet.

It's the adult equivalent of stuffing playing cards in bike spokes to get noticed.

[FbO Vorcha]

But what's the use of having a motorcycle if not to show off? That's the way it seems most of the time. It's apparently no good to ride unless you are noticed as very few bikes are all that quiet.

You just don't notice the quiet ones. Yes, motorcycles are generally louder than cars, but they also produce much more power per cc than automobiles. Part of getting more power from them is putting more fuel through the engine, part of that is reducing the restrictions on the exhaust as well as the intakes, that's why the exhaust is louder.

With regard to the loud pipes save lives crowd, they're also the ones usually riding around with no safety gear, in shorts and flip-flops and no shirt. Doesn't really seem consistent with their concern about safety expressed in their motto. So, I would say that these might be the guys putting playing cards in their spokes.

[Honky Tonk]

But what's the use of having a motorcycle if not to show off? That's the way it seems most of the time. It's apparently no good to ride unless you are noticed as very few bikes are all that quiet.

It's the adult equivalent of stuffing playing cards in bike spokes to get noticed.

WOW, are YOU old! I can understand that, the sound, the low rumble, etc., it's the people that take it over the top I have a problem with.

[Dan Wesson]

But what's the use of having a motorcycle if not to show off? That's the way it seems most of the time. It's apparently no good to ride unless you are noticed as very few bikes are all that quiet.

It's the adult equivalent of stuffing playing cards in bike spokes to get noticed.

We used ballons. I don't know if the ballons of today could stand up.

[Honky Tonk]

We used ballons. I don't know if the ballons of today could stand up.

I don't know if the spokes of today could stand up.