Note: This is the tip in full, unedited.
"Just dialed 311 after a security guy near the street asked me and a friend to leave. We heard the cast discussing how rude people in DC were in what we think were their hottub, The police arrived. I have no problem with them protecting the property, but the guy told us he was Park Police. He reached into his back pocket and said he was our worst nightmare. He said he was going to arrest us.
That was my complaint to the MPD when they arrived after we called the non-emergency number. The security officer claimed he worked for an agency he clearly did not. He also should not have reached towards his back pocket and threatened us. Additionally, he made a homophobic comment. When I told him he was not a park policeman, he told me just because I was walking with a girl this did not mean I was straight. As I am gay this statement was true, but it was clearly intended to demean me and make me feel inferior. I asked him why he was making a homophobic comment, but he responded by continuing to insist that we leave the area.
The police arrived. The 311 operator called me back and asked if I wanted to file a report. I said I wanted to get on with my night. When my friend told me the police were leaving the scene I flagged them down. I told them what happened and said a man in a black security shirt had stated he was a park policeman. The police said they could not find him, but I returned to the scene and pointed the man out. When the police approached him and asked him if he was park police and he stated he was not.
The police told me the security were a bunch of "yahoo's". They planned to speak to the head of security.
Just so you are aware, beware if you plan to walk by and stop near S and 20th Streets, NW. Apparently, this areas if off limits until Thanksgiving."
Remember, YOU have rights...you can walk by the house, you can stand out in front of the house. If you get harassed, call 311 just like our tipster did! If RWDC fans like DCist and Woodbridge, VA blogger Spencer can gawk, so can RWDC opponents. Just don't break any laws--we don't, our tipster didn't, and neither should you.
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Remember, YOU have rights...you can walk by the house, you can stand out in front of the house. If you get harassed, call 311 just like our tipster did! If RWDC fans like DCist and Woodbridge, VA blogger Spencer can gawk, so can RWDC opponents. Just don't break any laws--we don't, our tipster didn't, and neither should you.
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44 comments:
I am REPULSED by this and glad you wrote about it. Gonna send it out on twitter and fbook - MTV needs to step up here.
Yeah, one of the things that they don't realize is that their YARD is actually PUBLIC property. In DC you don't own the yard, it belongs to the city.
You can't drink beer in your lawn or on your porch. You can get ticketed/arrested for that act. So, technically, you can stand IN the yard of the house without getting arrested.
aRodeoJock where on earth do you live? You can't just hang out in someone else's back yard uninvited. That's trespassing. You own your property, whether there is a lawn or not. If you're referring to the grass that is in between the street and the sidewalk, that's different. That's owned by the city.
I live in DC. In DC when you buy your house, you just buy your house. You do NOT own the property on which it sits. The city does. Like I said in my previous post, yards are public here.
dear rwdc: we aren't mean, we just don't like you. please, keep being douchebags and proving us right.
Is it me or am I the only one that thinks all of this commotion/realworld hating is far more interesting than the show has been or will ever be!!!
Maybe MTV should film a spinoff! I think this would be a bigger hit!
Anti-Real World DC
This is a true story of 7 people that moved into a house and neighbors from far and wide got together to make their lives hell. See what happens when DC powerhouses stop being polite and start getting REAL!
A protest has been scheduled on Facebook for July 25th at noon!!! Please post this to the blog so others can see. Search on Facebook for Real World Protest!
i'm calling a little bit of shenanigans... first off, the story says "311" but 311 will not get you an MPD officer... they will tell you to dial 911. even for 'non emergencies'
wow - so ridiculous
sounds like you were drunk and looking for a fight
and a Facebook protest? puhleeze
@Dave: 311 will transfer you.
@Brant: The point is that people ARE trying to mind their business. They are being accosted just walking by the house which is in a neighborhood with a lot of foot traffic. If they wanted the house to be left alone, there are plenty of places in this city they could have gone.
When they disrupt OUR lives, they're not allowing us to live our "pathetic lives." I'm not anti-DC, but when tourists come here, they need to realize that there are people that are already here, have been here, and have a city culture that they should EMBRACE not disrupt.
And what exactly does your hatred of Obama have to do with anything? People have been in front of the White House non-stop protesting various causes or presidents for decades. And they will always be there.
They are 7 STRANGERS. THEY have no control over where they are put to live in the city. They are just normal people like me and you, but with cameras following them non stop it draws attention. and those people that are attracted to that attention are you and everyone anti real world. they walk around the city and have the right to do so like everyone else. just because you were randomly born in DC and have not decided to move, or you decided to move there for whatever reason does absolutely NOT make it your city. these tourists that come to visit the city should not be tortured and called names because they are not cooperating with what you had in mind. I live in a town in VA which is home to James Madison - the father of the US constitution. We get tourists all the time that come to visit. sure they can be bothersome but i dont go yelling at them calling them names because they are not from here or are natives to the area. and when you said "if they wanted the house to be left alone, there are plenty of places in the city they could have gone", so where else were they suppose to go? into a more populated area where MORE people like you can become a burden on their lives? give it up. You live in DC, yes. A very famous and well known landmark. but jesus christ it is not your city. you may pay taxes or have a house there but don't claim it as yours. People like the cast of the real world have the right to be there whether you like it or not. don't go giving them shit because they are "taking over" "your city". People like this stupid pathetic anti real world DC shit are the reason tourists who try to come and EMBRACE DC's historic culture and beauty hate it here and never want to return. stop running tourists, visitors, and reality TV show stars out of these places just because you live there and they dont.
and anyone who attends this moronic "protest" on july 25th should be shot on spot. the city of DC should be disgusted with all of you. This makes me never want to return there again.
@brant I'm glad we can find common ground - you should never come in to DC or Dupont, we don't want it and you don't want it.
We also don't like the idea that people ahould be shot for expressing their First Amendment rights (of assembly.)
And for anyone that lives in the neighborhood, how crazy is it that the lights run that bright at night? All night?
@Brant Actually, we aren't encouraging antagonizing. We are saying that when, I dunno, spotlights get shined in your living room or a fight breaks out on your previously quiet corner of the city (where you OWN and pay taxes, not rent or mooch off MTV) that you say something and say it loud.
We're understanding of the situation real world cast members are in. It's understanding that makes it possible for the authors of this blog capable of tolerating a person like yourself!
7 Strangers that had no choice where they lived? LOL. That's a good one. They CHOSE to do the show, they knew exactly where they'd be living. Normal? Puh-leeze. They're attention whores. Have you seen the show lately? It's a mixed up bag of various versions of Paris Hilton.
You don't know me. And you don't live here. I already said I'm not anti-RWDC. I couldn't care less that they're here. But if they're doing the things that they're accused of (impersonating law enforcement, hate crimes, etc.). I don't want them here either. It's a burden on our city to which I do pay taxes.
And as Nerdette said, if people in this city want to bitch about them and even stand on the sidewalk and protest, that is their right. More power to them. It's one thing that we can say happens here all the time. It's part of our culture. You don't like it, don't pay attention and certainly don't threaten to shoot someone for expressing their Constitutional rights.
Where could they have gone? Well, maybe into Southeast. There they could help refurbish homes for people. Or maybe Northeast. They could volunteer in the schools. But where they are is one of the most populated spots in the city. If they didn't want the attention, RWDC couldn't have chosen a worse spot. And it's not like the first few seasons where it was a low key event with people that were just there for the experience.
If the majority of visitors (reality "stars" included; still quite don't understand how someone can be famous for nothing, but I digress...) actually DID respect this city, it would be one thing. They don't. For every one person that gets it, 10 don't. That's the rub.
@nerdett: Yes they should be shot because what they are doing is CREATING PROBLEMS when all could be avoided if they decided not to be such pricks and whine because lights are left on, or because they are uncomfortable with their lives (somehow?) being invaded into their personal space. they are there for a reason and that is to film a TV show. stop disrupting what they are trying to do in your just-so-happen-to-be neighborhood. you know how this works. there have been dozens of real worlds, so Washington DC...don't be the guys who end up looking dumb in the end because you tried to form an anti real world DC group and run the how out of the city. you will only further embarrass yourself. furthermore, anti groups are nothing but trouble especially when they publicly display their idiocy in protests such as the one being held later this month. the more tourists and the more attention the city gets such as with these reality TV shows, the more the money is brought in to help pay for the city. If you want to run all these people away then so be it, just end up paying more money in the end when it could have been coming out of their pockets.
@brant ok, let me make something really clear. The writers of this blog do not advocate violence of any sort to residents of DC, toursists or the cast of Real World. We do encourage snark and sarcasm, and since these people signed up to be on the show, we expect that they know they will be subject to ridicule and scrutiny.
From a taxpayers perspective, let me be clear. Almost all of the contributors to this blog are DC residents. We pay some of the highest local taxes in the country. And half the contributors - including me - grew up in DC.so I do believe we have standing to speak our minds on this topic.
The fact is, the producers decided to pick, as @aRodeaJock pointed out, one of the *most* congested neighborhoods in town. It's also a historic LGBTQ part of town, and the people who live here chose to do so for that reason.
So, I don't mind people stopping on by. But if Bunim-Murray or you or whomever decides they're going to take up residence and throw around slurs, bully neighbors, create light pollution and increase congestion, they better expect a damn fight.
Oh. I cant wait till they flash that badge and get an Secret Service, FBI Agent, or a DC detective. That will be hilarious. It is a federal offense to impersonate a federal officer. And if I have to flash MY badge in response it will be on. I may have to go to super secret safeway just too see.
yes Rodeo they chose to do the show and they might know where they will be staying but they sure as hell are unaware of the fact that their neighbors are going to do nothing but cause trouble and complain every chance they get. They are teenagers and young adults who get a thrill out of being a star on TV. maybe that's their goal. don't mess it up for them just because you might be older and not totally understand the younger generations way of living. the original blog on this page states how someone was confronted by so called law enforcement. but what about the other side of the story? how did they get confronted? probably wandered over there uninvited on what im sure they knew was filming ground for the show. this might be a free country but when someone if filming, say a movie...a random stranger just doesn't go walking into the picture uninvited. If you didn't sign a contract then you are unwanted there. there are certain sections blocked off to where others may not be able to access. and the thing that frustrates me the most is that these people KNOW THIS but yet they still want to cause commotion by looking for trouble. as you stated earlier...it is public property. NOT private. therefore they are allowed there - cameras, lights, noises, and all! complain all you want to, but atleast draw the line somewhere and don't go walking into their personal spaces causing scenes and giving your city a bad name.
they chose to film there in your area. too bad too sad. it's not up to you. if MTV was filming RW in my area...I would understand that it is a free country, i could do nothing about the spot they chose, and i would also be RESPECTFUL to the fact that they aren't from here are they are new to the area. how are they NOT respecting the city? leaving lights on? being loud in the street? going out to the bars and drinking and having fun? THATS THE WHOLE FUCKING POINT OF THE SHOW. this isn't Mr. Rogers neighborhood folks. wake up and smell the coffee.
hey Brant. This is DC. We have this much more important house here called the White House. Leader of the free world lives in that house. Sigh. Silly little want to be Hollyweird. This is the Politicalwood. Your with the big boys now. Trust. This aint Kansas no more. We will have you removed from the house and the show off the air. Yes, we have this little thing called FCC and well... a Supreme Court that believes in taking for the communal good.
Me thinks she doth protest too much.
Nerdett...those people that you may be living next door to...you know the people that have their lights shining in your window at night when you cant sleep, or maybe you can put the shades down? or maybe you can't because your a typical american and have to complain like you have to breathe. Yes them. RWDC. They are making thousand and thousands over there. They are bringing attention to the city, wanted or unwanted. There is a little thing in life called reality. It comes on TV a lot. All of you older folks need to wake up to the younger generation. Did you see last seasons real world? The charming fellow who was deployed for Iraq during the show? yeah, those "bullies" you so call them are serving your country and fighting for it. to be disrespectful over a little noise in the street, a little light in your window, or someone impersonating someone else? give me a damn break. LIGHT POLLUTION? you live in a city there smart one. cities have LOTS of lights. STOP trying to find things to argue about. they are there for the next [?] months filming a show, which will air on TV later on, which will bring in millions of viewers, which will create millions of dollars. thats the way the world works. weird huh?
There is a little thing in life called reality. It comes on TV a lot.
Now you're making sense.
reality TV? reality shows? im not making sense?
What world are you exactly from?
Let's see ...
Reality TV is to reality what someone who doesn't live in the District and created an account today just to post ignorant diatribes is to someone whose opinion matters.
Hope that clears it up.
Children! Why, OH why, is there need for such vitriol, such hate? Such faux righteousness and adolescent behavior! Why don't you just get your own reality show and throw a ham at them (a la Ozzy)?
Brant made a lot of good points. So a TV show is filming in our fair city and in your neighborhood. So f***ing what. Why not take the high (mature) road and treat the RW roommates as you would like to be treated yourself if you were new in town. What a concept! Maybe when the show airs, Washington won’t be portrayed as a city of assholes. That’s all I’m saying.
BTW. You must know that your blog can only galvalize the gawkers and goad the idiot hecklers and harrassers. Hmmm. I wonder where Odd Dog Sprite was hanging when confronted by the security person? Close-enough-to-overhear-conversation was probably at the fence along the alley. I'd call security too if were RWDC. Seems like you guys are already proving THEM right – that Washingtonians are rude. They haven’t been here a day yet and you people have already decided you hate them and you’re going to pick fights whenever you can. Those kids aren’t responsible for the (allegedly) bad behavior of the producers or casts of the previous umpteen RW seasons. But you are responsible for YOUR behavior. So be empathetic, and act like an adult. Even if you aren’t one. And even if they don’t.
Calm the f* down, people.
My apologies to Sprite, the odd dog, who was NOT the person hanging out by the hottub last night. I do beg your pardon.
Someone who finally sees my side of the story :)
Hey everyone! I'm typing this on my phone in the car, so I apologize for typos. I was involved in the incident. I think the comments may be silly, and while a protest is always fun I'll probably pass. So, my friends and I went to the house to check it out. We don't live in the neighborhood, but were in the area last night. I think it's a little past due that RW is here, but it's cool they are. Heck, I made it a few rounds in the casting process back in college. I am not living across the street or near them, so that is not the perspective I am coming from. However, I can see that the disruption might be annoying. The spotlights would make it tough for me to sleep even with blinds, the security, cast and crew are a potential hassle for walking and the loss of parking spaces in that area is a definite downside. The city could have done a better job of giving residents advance notice and working with them to prevent certain problems from arising. But back to my story. It was late at night. We were curious. My boyfriend was with me and actually watches these shows. Security was all over the sidewalk. We stopped. Looked at the house. Heard folks talking under a tent in what sounded like a hot tub. The tent is in the front right next to the sidewalk. Odd? Not really, it's a city. We walked around some more and then were asked to leave. I wanted to know why. That is when the guy told us he was Park Police and was just being an ass. I probably pissed him off when I told him there is no way he was park police. I asked him a few questions and told him what I thought were my rights, but kept walking away. Having held protests before, I know where it is and is not legal to stand. I also get annoyed when someone challenges those rights and lies about their basis. The slur was over the top. I told my boyfriend who stayed across the street. He suggested I tell someone about the impersonation. I called 311. It was a non-emergency. The cops came. I told them I didn't think it was right for security to be impersonating. They agreed. They talked to security, took our info and it was over in ten minutes. I didn't tell the cops about the slur. I don't think it was a hate crime, just some guy being a homophobic jerk. I'm glad the cops are going to work with security now and tell them what is and is not appropriate. I was innocently curious, they were overly zealous in their job and in the end hopefully they learned something. It's not cool to lie. We should all just make sure we don't see a pattern of behavior. My boyfriend remains a fan.
Nice post, Greymurph. Perfectly reasonable, rational story. The hottub tent IS right on the sidewalk (which is pretty dumb); the security guy didn't need to misrepresent himself or make a rude comment.
You're obviously not a trespasser. Nor are you a hater or a hysteric. Kudos.
That's exactly what I've been trying to point out, DCDR. The house is ON THE STREET. It's not like the others that were not so public.
Go to this Google map and look at the "street view" and you'll see exactly how close it is to the street.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2006+S+St+NW+washington+DC&sll=38.900135,-76.975386&sspn=0.007632,0.01339&ie=UTF8&ll=38.915329,-77.045145&spn=0.00763,0.01339&z=16&iwloc=A
If you're going to lie about being a rent-a-cop, why would you pick the Park Police? Yeah, I'm scared of them.
I feel so bad for my old neighbors who have to live near this clusterfuck. I feel even worse for blithering idiots who don't understand what they are attempting to defend, who feel the need to deliver an unintelligible harangue which isn't even courteously divided in to paragraph form.
Some of us have legitimate issues with this MTV-sponsored circus which is infringing on our quality of life. We're not trying to disrupt anything; we just deserve to not be bothered while we go about our business. We were here FIRST. And this isn't about some civic culture of assholery, either. I'm nice to actual tourists, not jerk camera men or D-list Bret Michaels wanna-bes.
What galls me and makes me furious is how *entitled* everyone involved with this fiasco is. I don't give a shit about your reality show. Now don't tell me where I can or cannot stand or walk. MTV, you aren't the boss of me-- or DC. Get the fuck out if you can't be nice to your neighbors.
In this town we are used to being inconvenienced by many things from tourists who can't ride escalators to daily motorcades which block off streets. We fully understand that is a part of living in the District. The problem is here that you have people coming into a residential neighborhood that continue to not respect the residents who live there.
Suitablegirl, so where do you live now? And why are you so furious?
I'm sure your old neighbors are having to deal with some major and minor inconveniences due to the presence of RWDC. Washington has movies and TV shows filming in neighborhoods all the time with similar disruptions - just not for 5 months at a time.
MTV and the city likely did a terrible job of working with the residents to address their concerns about lights, crowds of curious onlookers and obnoxious hangers-on, blocked streets and sidewalks, etc. But was it really necessary for the people ACTUALLY AFFECTED to incite an angry mob and start a war?
It's kinda funny that this sort of retaliatory behavior is a perfect reflection of how the kids on the show act. Just watch Episode 2 of RW Cancun. (BTW, this tit-for-tat retaliation also strikes me as a cultural reflection of the Bush Administration.)
Have your neighbors tried negotiating with the production company?
Bunim-Murray nor MTV nor anyone else has done active outreach to the neighborhood. They might have attended the first ANC meeting but they did not actively identify themselves or attempt to answer questions.
I agree that the protest might be a bit over the top, but the security detail should know that impersonatig law enforcement professionals is a very bad idea.
Sorry about not using paragraphs. I don't have my computer with me, so I was typing on my phone. We're lucky that what I wrote was even slightly coherent. I told the cops it was strange he chose park police. They thought it was weird too. Maybe it was hyperbole, but one of the officers said there are 101 law enforcement agencies in DC.
In the older part of DC, where the Real World house is located, most buildings were built right at the property line. I.e., They were built without front yards. To make the city more visually interesting, regulations were enacted in the 1870s to allow people to fence off the area between the sidewalk and the property line (i.e., the facade of the house/building) and treat it like a private garden. Those regulations also allowed bays and stairs to extend over the property line into this garden area, also in the hopes to make the city streets more visually appealing. The aim was for people to "park" the city streets by being allowed to fence off the city property between the sidewalks and the property line/ front of their houses. Technically this area is called the 'parking area' (i.e., what in 21st century speak we'd call the 'greening area'). It remains public property and isn't supposed to be used for any purpose other than to green the city with the legal exceptions of the bays and stairs that were allowed to extend into this area ... and the much later exemption for outside eating areas for restaurants.
While the general public doesn't have a right to stand on this public space, because the 1870s regulations allow it to be fenced off, it's still public space and only the specific exemptions allowed by the regulations are permissible. Closing it off with a tent to put a hot tub is not one of those permissable exemptions. I'm surprised (or maybe not) that it is being allowed.
Wow. Lots of apologists here who don't actually live in DC. I don't really know how you can give any kind of opinion as to how the residents of this city should react when you haven't lived here, aren't here now, and don't know how intrusive people are being (MTV crew and gawkers alike). But either way-TV doesn't trump people. You don't become part of some special privileged group that has the right to do whatever, wherever just because it's "TV-OMG!" Let them do whatever they want in their house, but people on the sidewalk have the right to do whatever they want, as long as it's legal by district law. And if that creates trouble for the RW, that's MTV's problem. Why should residents have to "get over it"? Why shouldn't MTV get over themselves? God forbid the residents here not kiss their asses.
311 is no longer a non-emergency number. Not sure how valid this "complaint" is. All police calls go to 911.
However, MTV can't take over the city and prevent people from using public sidewalks.
Just tuned in. A lot of this snark is a waste of time, but I'm glad this incident was brought to light. Keep your eyes open, ARWDC. We're listening.
The property is owned by the Jemal family who has long had the District government in it's back pocket. Any zoning variance required in order to get this lucrative MTV lease pushed through probably wasn't too hard to get considering the family's storied history.
That being said, why doesn't anyone think it's exciting to have a TV show filmed in their neighborhood? Moreover, the people who edit the Real World are among the best and brightest. They create the story, no matter how moronic and ridiculous the cast is.
I am astonished at how many HATERS there are around here.
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