[NOS2Go4Me]

Gun violence has been a real problem for about the last 15 years. It has accelerated in the last 5 though, I'll grant you that much. When we moved back to Toronto in 1989 from up north, I used to hear gunshots in the parking lot behind my house because 2 MTHA towers were on the other side of Lawrence Ave. They'd deal in the relative safety of a dark corner of a building, and then shoot when price agreements couldn't be made.

Violence on the whole has always been prevalent in Toronto, and it is suffering from "big city" disease. Always has, always will. All cities rot from the core outward. As the throngs of innocents scurry to move out to the "good life", all their rental apartments are soaked up by those who would use them as a "crash pad" and not much more, a drug den, or even a stopover point for illegal immigrants.

It's the way of the world, and that's what happens when you have a willy-nilly immigration system. Ever wonder why some of those MTHA towers stink to high heaven like curry and B.O.? Exactly. People arrive here, fresh off the boat, and they're not used to running water and relaxed living spaces... so they cram 10+ people into an apartment to make it even cheaper, and the resulting chaos is never stopped by anyone in power. It's one thing to move to a new country... it's another to try and ruin it to make it resemble your old one.

I grew up in the "Fairly Badlands" between Weston / Eglinton and Weston / 401. Jane / Lawrence was always overhyped, but that was due to its proximity to a real problem, Trethewey Drive. That's one place you give 24 hours' notice to the unfortunates that live there, and then gas the place and clean house. It's remarkably sad considering 12 Div. is right there.

Even Lambton Av and others right there are downright disgusting at night because of the MTHA towers and low-rise geared-to-income buildings. Entire gangs of wannabes hang out at the corners by the mom-n-pop stores anrd harass the general public. I've never been approached, but that's because... well, let's say my reputation precedes me and leave it at that.

Another big problem? The cops. They don't come out for s**t anymore. They were all too happy to bust a kid with a ponytail for holding down a nigh-shift job and driving his parents' minivan to and from work, but would they clean the jerks off the streets? Nope. Trethewey Drive is a stunning example of complacency. They could have cleaned it out years ago, but they didn't. Now we have Todd Bayliss Drive... I wonder why that is, huh? :rolleyes:

I haven't been "afraid" yet while visiting my parents, but there are some new families on their street, and more than one has regular visits from the local 12 Div. squads.

In a nutshell? The whole town is going to hell. I'm glad I'm here, even though North Bay's crime has gone up as well.