The SPARlisted Convenience Stores

[ChriswUfGator]

About you meet me tonight at 2am while I am on my break. We could
meet at the BP?

I'll meet you and we can confront these dealers- hell I'll even bring the pink lady. If there are four of them we better bring a couple dogs or a couple more people. Maybe FSU and Louise can join us since it is there block?

Make sure to tell Louise not to forget her bullhorn...it just adds that extra special touch, while crying kids are watching people get carted off in handcuffs, to have Louise yelling at them over a bullhorn saying what scumbags they are. I hear that night was a real SPAR classic...

Yeah, you definitely don't want to forget the bullhorn, it just wouldn't be SPAR'y enough without it...

[ChriswUfGator]

About you meet me tonight at 2am while I am on my break. We could
meet at the BP?

I'll meet you and we can confront these dealers- hell I'll even bring the pink lady. If there are four of them we better bring a couple dogs or a couple more people. Maybe FSU and Louise can join us since it is there block?

Make sure to tell Louise not to forget her bullhorn...it just adds that extra special touch, while crying kids are watching their parents being carted off in handcuffs, to have Louise yelling at them over a bullhorn saying what scumbags they are. I hear that night was a real SPAR classic...

well if they have their chirrens out at 2am then the scumbags need to have them taken from them. 

And what if they lived in the house that was being raided?

[cindi]

About you meet me tonight at 2am while I am on my break. We could
meet at the BP?

I'll meet you and we can confront these dealers- hell I'll even bring the pink lady. If there are four of them we better bring a couple dogs or a couple more people. Maybe FSU and Louise can join us since it is there block?

Make sure to tell Louise not to forget her bullhorn...it just adds that extra special touch, while crying kids are watching their parents being carted off in handcuffs, to have Louise yelling at them over a bullhorn saying what scumbags they are. I hear that night was a real SPAR classic...

well if they have their chirrens out at 2am then the scumbags need to have them taken from them. 

And what if they lived in the house that was being raided?

if their parents are being hauled off in cuffs, i going out on a limb and saying, perhaps they aren't in the best environment to start with.  guess you would say they should be up for parent of the year?

[ChriswUfGator]

About you meet me tonight at 2am while I am on my break. We could
meet at the BP?

I'll meet you and we can confront these dealers- hell I'll even bring the pink lady. If there are four of them we better bring a couple dogs or a couple more people. Maybe FSU and Louise can join us since it is there block?

Make sure to tell Louise not to forget her bullhorn...it just adds that extra special touch, while crying kids are watching their parents being carted off in handcuffs, to have Louise yelling at them over a bullhorn saying what scumbags they are. I hear that night was a real SPAR classic...

well if they have their chirrens out at 2am then the scumbags need to have them taken from them.  

And what if they lived in the house that was being raided?

if their parents are being hauled off in cuffs, i going out on a limb and saying, perhaps they aren't in the best environment to start with.  guess you would say they should be up for parent of the year?

Maybe. You're probably right. But my point was, shouldn't that be the police's job? Not some pushy woman with a bunch of goons and a bullhorn? Not exactly your typical historic preservation group activity...

[cindi]

Maybe. You're probably right. But my point was, shouldn't that be the police's job? Not some pushy woman with a bunch of goons and a bullhorn? Not exactly your typical historic preservation group activity...

so in one breath we (as neighbors) are told we have to be "more active" in helping jso run these guys off because jso can't be everywhere all the time and in the next breath, it's not our business, let jso handle it.  which is is?

[Springfield Girl]

Ok, so Dave posted on the forum that he was going to check out the store at night. While messaging last night he told me he was coming out on his break and since I was up I told him I would ride along. I didn't even think about it being the end of beer sales for the night as I'm not in the practice of shopping at 2 am. I am not and was not scared. The place was hopping during the 15 minutes we drove around and stopped in to get a soda. There were over 8 guys out front and we saw several exchanges. We drove around several surrounding blocks and it was dead. I actually expected to see more people on the street but they weren't there. All the surrounding streets were empty and when we drove by the Shell at the end of our trip there was one car and one person coming out of the store. It was amazingly quiet and I again, was very suprised. As I went to get in the car at the BP one of the guys came right up to the car and asked if he could get me anything. I asked him what he had and he proceeded to lean into the car and rattle off a laundry list of prescription drugs and weed. I thanked him and we drove off. This had never happened to me in the nine years I've lived here and it was so out there I wondered for a few minutes if the guy could have been undercover. I almost never drive that area and especially not at night so I figured I'd check out what everyone was talking about. I didn't see anything illegal in the store but I have to admit, I wonder what kind of clientele you are expecting to draw with the largest display in the store being 4 large, open coolers of singles. The other prominent displays up front were rolling papers, lottery tickets, male enhancement pills and bling including weed necklaces. The people inside were all polite and no one gave us any looks other than mild curiosity. One woman was buying bread and eggs, the guys were all buying beer and or cigs. There was no problem inside the store other than it being crowded and people having to wait in line. One guy commented that someone was cutting in line but no one got upset. The bad behavior was going on outside with very obvious drug dealing. Again, I just went to see what all the discussion was about and then post my observations.

[Springfield Girl]

Cindi, I know the Shell station has been a huge problem for you guys and I wasn't trying to downplay that. It just happened to be quiet when we went by.

[Springfielder]

I know I'm late coming into this topic, but anyone who says that the Shell station isn't that bad, needs a wake up call! That place is a toilet, at best.

[cindi]

Cindi, I know the Shell station has been a huge problem for you guys and I wasn't trying to downplay that. It just happened to be quiet when we went by.

i understand, but it gets a little old when we see such a big deal made out of the "new upscale" BP (isn't that what it was touted as when it was being redone?) we have lived with the animals that slime in and out of the shell, the shootings, the stabbings, the open sex, the open pissing at the pumps and the overall stench that the scum leaves behind.  so when i hear that there are a few dealers there - sorry, but i laugh.  fact is, no one gives a rat's ass about the shell, or the springfield truck stop since it's not in view of all the pretty springfield people.  good luck over there in that peace bubble.  let me know how it works out for you.  fyi, by NOT openly filming them, you have empowered them - the mace only stings for awhile.

[Springfield Girl]

I understand and completely support you. I'm one of those people that puts the blame on the store owners. You get the kind of business you cater to and these guys are obviously catering to the lowest common denominator. If there wasn't money in selling the singles and the other items they carry they wouldn't be doing it.

[cindi]

i can't see how the shell makes a penny at night since most of the stuff that leaves the store is not paid for.  the gas sales - now that is a joke.  make their environment better?  they recently just switched out all the tanks - i was hoping they would blow the place back to the stone age - now that would have made their environement better.  not sure what you mean by making their environment better? perhaps a nice chaise behind the shell for them to do their tricks on?

[Springfielder]

I'm sure that's what he means, and perhaps a cooler with ice

[cindi]

still not sure what i should do to make it "enviroment friendly".  we call the cops, constantly, we confront the dealers and hookers, we have been maced, we have had the cops tell us to stay inside at night.  we have filmed the activity, we have emailed the peeps downtown with these pix, we have emailed the owners - so, exactly what else would you suggest.  right now i constantly pray the place will go up in flames so i can make smores.  it is an open sewer, filled with filth and two legged animals that see fit to cop a squat whereever they see fit. 

[cindi]

but we have used your theory on the shell station and still have an open toilet.  so now what?

[cindi]

correction, used your suggestions.