Being scared to death in Detroit on Halloween night; thanks Mayor Bing
Being scared for Halloween is what some folks look forward to. Haunted houses, ghastly looking costumes, porches all decked out with spider webs, scare crows, and witches’ brooms are a spooky sight. The house down the street is always creepy. It has a floor board missing on the front stairs, and the front gates swings back and forth whether there is wind blowing or not. The inhabitants of the house are always in a rush and only leave the house after sunset. The neighborhood kids say that there is a little boy chained to the basement floor and he is only let out at night to scavenge for fresh meat. Tommy Hicks, the kid down the block declares that he has seen the little boy. Tommy swears that the little boy has chains on his wrists, but he can hold the chains with his feet while he runs on the palm of his hands. What’s true or not during the Halloween season is left to the imagination. Moreover, the validity of an occurrence might have to be seen in order to be believed. But, anyone who lives in the City of Detroit might just believe in the goblins that prowl the streets in the darkness of night.
Sites that will haunt you
For the most part, The City of Detroit has left its citizens in the dark—not only at Halloween but all year round. Last Halloween the neighborhood group in North Park Cooperative called Detroit City Lighting about lack of street lights and the added problem of patrolling during Devil’s Night and Halloween. Moving forward one year, the street lights are still out. Leaving Ferndale and heading south into the city can be marked by the darkness as one approaches Detroit; no dividing line or city sign is needed.
Coupled with the overgrown shrubs and trees, the darkness in many Detroit areas is fertile ground for the real boogeyman to hunt fresh meat. Woodward Avenue is a dividing line for the City of Detroit, separating the Eastside from the Westside. Cruising down Woodward, north of the cultural center, one can turn their head east or west and see dark hallow streets just prime for misdeeds and crime. Hopefully, there will be no trick or treaters in those areas on Halloween. Mayor Bing, and Dear City Council, would you like to come trick or treating down Cadillac Street, near Jefferson, on Halloween? Or maybe you would rather travel on the Westside and look for your treats on Buena Vista just east of Linwood. There are many locations in the city without street lighting for you to trick or treat down, but be afraid, be very afraid.
Get out
It seems that street lights are becoming more of a luxury than a right for tax payers. Entering downtown Detroit on Woodward the street lights are so bright that one may mistake the time of day or night. The lights are not only bright, but there are also some very fancy fixtures that frame the lights. No wonder so many people who visit Detroit opt for stopping over in downtown—they can see.
In short, if you are looking to be scared to death, then grab up your trick or treat bag and stroll down one of Detroit’s lightless streets on Halloween night. Someone once said, “The last one to leave Detroit, please turn out the lights.” Well, maybe it should be, “The last one to leave Detroit, just leave; the lights are already out.”
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