Last month or so a “fire extinguisher” company moved downstairs below our loft/apartment. The “spokesperson/pr guy” made an effort to shake our hands and tell us that it would also double as a meeting/club house for their auto club. He went on and on about wanting to be “a part of the community” and not be seen as just motorcycle guys “causing trouble”.
I didn’t care one way or the other, but thought it odd that the (rather impressively constructed) store front, didn’t look like a store. Though it DID have an awning that said it was a fire extinguisher business. It also had French doors, and a LOT of seating…. He said they would keep the whole sale extinguishers in the back. Well soon before they even “opened”, they started throwing parties. Every weekend it would be “something special or else they wouldn’t throw it”.
At this point it has become quite apparent that the extinguisher business is just a front and that it’s actually a lounge party house for their auto club. It wouldn’t bother me, but they are SOOO f*cking disrespectful. The bass in their speakers literally shake our walls, and our apartment is not even directly above them!
The other day, I walked outside after peaking in to my neighbor’s – who does live directly above them- Jewish Passover thingy; and there sat 3 motorcycles right in front of my door! Like I literraly had to crawl over them to get out! My neighbor said that if he wasn’t “so pissed” he would say something. To HIS credit he has been talking to them…just too leniently in my opinion. I decided to take it to the streets…as they say. I barged into their meeting, (before I even said anything they said "the bikes”). I told them that “their bikes were right in front of our door. We cant get out of the house, and it was crazy disrespectful with all of the literal space on the street. Why would you do that?” They offered no explanation, but sheepishly went outside and apologized for the “violation”. In sum, I let them know that, despite the neighborhood, I’m a black person and will throw shade on their $hit in a second.
You see my neighbors and loft mates are well meaning liberal minded persons of non minority status. So, while they may not be intimidated perse’ by an all Latino/Black motorcycle gang…they did say that they didn’t think it was “right to call the NYPD on people, especially men, of color ”……I do appreciate their sentiment…but…
I told them that I was a person of color and I have no prob calling the cops on those clown in a second.
But there’s a hitch. Apparently, OUR apartments are commercial spaces. The general thought amongst the roomies is that technically the landlord wasn’t suppose to turn our upper floors into apartments, so we can’t really call the cops on them because no one is “supposed” to be living there. Despite the fact that they have an illegal bar, lounge, and violate city noise limits – they believe we have no options.
I’m at a loss for what to do that doesn’t involve me getting stabbed one night while mouthing off to a motorcycle gang.
If anyone knows anything about law – or can just offer sound REALISTIC mediation advice - it would be much appreciated.
