I know there is a hanky code that involves bandanas mostly in the gay world. I was wondering more about the gang version of the bandanas. Where did it start? What bandanas mean what things? Does wearing it on a certain part of the body mean something different.
I saw a couple guys on the metro a few days ago wearing their red bandanas in their right back pocket. The first thing I thought was that they were fisting bottoms. I won’t explain that one for those who don’t know. But, after the first quick glance, I knew they were gangsters. The only two colours I know are red and blue referring to crips and bloods (won’t capitalize it…they don’t deserve that type of respect). Is that everywhere?
Are there any former or current gangsters around here? What made you go into the gang? Did you want the respect of the few people you hung around with and gain the dislike/hate of almost everyone else?
Please inform us what you think. Moderators, please feel free to move this forum as seen fit.
Could be under cover cops. They use articles of clothing,newspapers,umbrella’s etc. as tools for non verbal communications during surveillance. eg…turned left, turned right etc. Or they could just be ordinary citizens with sweaty brows to mop.
I have always suspected that the bandana thing is nothing more than a modern version of the standard or crest from Medieval heraldry. Bandanas are more easily obtained and portable than shields or standards, so our modern knights errant (no, they don’t deserve that kind of respect either, but I’m feeling metaphorical today) wear them wherever they feel like it - heads, back pockets, just below the knee, whatever.
By the way, if you expect they are gay submissives, why not just go up and ask them? I mean, what could possibly be the harm in going up to a close-knit group of adolescent males who are obviously very insecure about their masculinity, and asking them if they like other guys to
…
man I can just BARELY keep my sense of humor in check today.
Bloods = red
Crips = blue
Latin Kings = black and gold (yellow)
NETA = red, white, and blue
Brotherhood = black and silver (white)
Colored items can be bandanas, sports teams jackets, rosary beads, or whatever else may be popular.
And the location of where something is worn can also indicate gang affiliation. If you wear something on the left you’re “People”. Wear it on the right, you’re “Folks”.
LittleNemo has it correct.
those are the larger, main gangs in existence of course.
there are smaller gangs all over, but not so small you want to go up to them and ask them about fisting or what their favorite cocktail drink is… :chuckle:,
i remember growing up in Coney Island there was always a group on my block that had the typical leather jackets, and red bandanas, but they called themselves something else, not bloods. On Delancey St. downtown Manhattan, every once in a while when i was younger, you could see a guy come running down the street, not far from Essex, by the Brooklyn Bridge, yelling “the dragons, the dragons”, and everyone cleared the streets quick as you can blink. These guys were no joke, they looked like drop outs of the KATUSA Rock Army.
Nowadays i don’t see so many gangs like i did when i was growing up, but i think that’s mostly becuase Guliani (the jerk) cleaned up this city pretty well. i still think he’s a jerk anyway, even though he does a good job.
sorry… but aside from location of where things are worn, the colors (and thats how they refer to the bandanas, “yo, these are my colors!”), they have secret handshakes, limited sign language, closer to the baseball hand signals type of thing, patterns using the same idea as kilts i suppose, and names for things.
I’ve never been in a gang, poor Jewish kid like me doesn’t often get that opportunity in his life… hehe, er, um…
but i’ve gone to school, and worked in the past with some gang members and ex gang members. most of it seems pretty childish by the description, even primitive, but i suppose that,s ignorance, lack of education, and a poor upbringing coming into play with them.
I’ve always wondered about the massive gang problems of the larger cities in the US. Around here id the cops see a person with “gang colors” are engaged in “gang activities” they just arrest them and send them to prision. What if they didn’t catch them doing anything you ask? just lie, plant some dope on them, and send them up the river. I’m not joking people. So whats up. You people all sensitive to the needs of the crack dealing, women raping, murdering gang community.
well, let me state that I’ve grown up in the poor barrio part of Phoenix(Camelback and 43rd area, for those who live in Phoenix to get an idea of what area I’m talking about), and I’ve been around gangsters most of my short life. Doesn’t help much that I’m one of the only white people, but I can offer my opinion.
Those guys were probably a couple of punks that want to be gangsters or possibly cops. The true gangsters are too smart to advertise themselves like that, they law low most of the time, because they don’t like to attract unnecessary attention.
The problem with gangs here in Phoenix( I don’t know about other places) is that the cops can’t do anything unless they catch the gangsters doing something. That, combined with the police’s EXTREMELY slow reaction time, keeps gangsters out of prison. Personally, I’d just as well kill them all in one fell swoop, but for some reason our legal system has a problem with such justice.
