The Acyd Test August 2008

Walking through Cambridge on 8/9 was, for the most part, an enjoyable experience. Everyone I nodded to on the sidewalk either stared or looked away, but I get enough of that from family and friends not to really notice. And the girls in the Palace Family Restaurant gave me a new appreciation for Greek culture--or genetics, at least.
And when we parked across from Scoop Station on Muir Street, we met some more of the town's finest. Before I had time to finish my cigarette, a friendly police officer advised me not to loiter, and looked longingly at my Jeep, longing to search it, no doubt.
As punks and other local music fans gathered on the corner, a flock of cops gathered across the street, one or more of which sauntered around peering into parked cars. Those with a lot of bumper stickers received the most attention. Apparently no one left anything in plain view, because there were no searches, but it must have galled them to know that, most assuredly, a stash of drugs and alcohol lay right under their noses.
Is this usual behavior in Cambridge? Or is it, as I suspect, an example of stereotyping? We dress differently. Most smoke and stare blankly at the cops with contempt that can't be concealed. The dangerous element is there, the demeanor, not of sheep being led to slaughter, but of wolves, wolves that would eat the pigs.
So, instead of thinking…"Ah! A gathering of the city's youth at a musical event! It's simply smashing that they're out on a Saturday night exposing themselves to some culture!"…our cop friends see a criminal class. Vagrants. Trouble-makers. Wild dogs that need to be caged. They watch, hoping to spot one wrong move, and when it doesn't come, the group migrates a few blocks to Dunkin Donuts, most likely. Or one big blue-shirted circle jerk, for all I know.
Otherwise, the show at Scoop Station with Press Black, World Class Defects, Napalm in the Mourning, and a few others, was outstanding and a great way to spend a summer evening. Scoop Station is shaping up to be one of the best local venues, especially for underage bands. Check it out, buy some ice cream, and enjoy a local music act. Just try to avoid The Man across the street.

Chris Acyd