Last night some people were fighting outside our house.

Last night some people were fighting outside our house. Sounded like a dog fight but it was human. At least one voice was a woman. 
Olive said "I'm just gonna check on her." and suddenly bolted into the darkness. In our old neighborhood I would have been right behind her. We were just cheetahs surrounded by lions and hyenas back then. 
In this place we are actually the lions so I don't worry. Olive is plenty ferocious if she wants to be (just not around raccoons, she is NOT hip to sharing space with them) 
She soon had a few neighbors with her chasing the situation down the street, 
The combatants were humandogfighting as well as throwing things into other things so I'm sure it was a splendid train wreck to behold. 
No idea what happened,
 Everyone scattered as soon as someone called the cops.

Arbiter Olive.

Busy day but we had time to stop for burritos.
As I was munching away, behind me I hear a man sit by a vid poker machine. He asked "Is someone here?"
The chair was propped backwards. That means occupied.
A middle aged black lady had been there and had got up to restroom and get her food.
Olive told him it was occupied.
The man put money into it anyway. I keep munching and soon the woman returned. She was livid. "Excuse me Sir, That's my machine, I marked it."
The man grumbled and said something to her in Spanish. She said "Don't grumble at me, get up, pull your money."
They start arguing.
I have my back to them but I was enjoying the Seagull fights...that is until I hear a familiar voice. Olive: "Yeah that was her seat Sir, ya gotta let her have her place." Then the man told the woman"I'm gonna shoot you in the parking lot."
That didn't have the desired effect as now the lady is screaming at him "Oh you gonna shoot me huh?" He added fuel to the fire by putting in more money while looking right at her.
Both Olive and the lady went to the front.
The lady was complaining Olive was being supportive...until the lady added "And you need to speak American!"
That is a great way to lose Olive support but she hung in there.
The man had several landscaper buddies with him. Anything can happen. I'm watching my food and trying to mow it down in case I gotta fight or dodge flying furniture.
I will have a great attitude until I lose my lunch. Times like this make me glad to be a Texan. I have a smile on my face but I'm easily the most ferocious person in the building. For now I'm just gonna watch (hear) the show. So the lady was grumpy, so was Olive (conflicted but still right is right) and soon the owner walks in.
He is about 300 pounds with the huge arms and no humor for this.
There was some more yelling and a little giggling (from me).
Pretty soon the man pulled his money out and slinked away.
The lady sat down and warmly thanked Olive for having her back.
On the way out Olive had a sour expression like most folks in the taco stand at that point. I sure didn't I was laughing my head off.
That was the most entertaining thing that has happened all day. It was also a triumph to see (hear) my partner relentlessly backing up a woman of color even when the threat of guns were involved.

supafightz!we stumbled onto the scene of a fight

Oh-oh spaghetti-O. It kicked off today over on SE 38th. We stopped by the grocery for some grocery just in time to see a dude getting loaded into the meat wagon. Boy was he tore up!

I decided to do some citizen reporting and a bit of a social experiment. I thought "I will go down there and see if I can get the story without asking any questions.
Often when something happens I don't have to ask, there is usually someone standing around who can't wait to tell everyone what happened. Clowns are a magnet for that information and I include it in my security culture tactics when needed. My "no questions" ploy went out the window as soon as I saw the bat on the ground and forgot my social experiment.

I asked "So is it free bat day?" Then the people standing around quickly told me what happened. Two different work trucks in the parking lot of the bank. One truck got towed away. The guys in the other truck thought it was funny, words were exchanged followed by bottles and bats.
It looked like it was 2 on 1 but the one (guy in his late 50's) creamed the two. People kept screaming at the rental cop to break it up. He told them he is only legally allowed to defend himself. I relate.

I don't think the older combatant got arrested. Can you imagine getting your truck towed AND getting the crap beat out of you?
At least he got to get beat up with his colleague. That kind of bonding builds great work chemistry (if they get to stay employed).
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People were tangling on our normally quiet, peaceful street.

Olive just bore witness to a kerfuffle.
2 CAMBs (Come-At-Me- Bro's) had a road rage episode in front of our house.

One CAMB was driving a truck loaded with bikes, the other CAMB was driving down the narrow street and apparently came to a disagreement with CAMB #1. CAMB#2 throws his vehicle in park.
They started screaming at each other inches from each others faces then breaking back. "At least I don't gotta sell bicycles all day" Traffic started backing up.
Cars were honking and CAMB#2 started screaming at them "This is obviously not the street to go down right now!" That was heard by the first car but not the 4 cars behind it. Gridlock!
They were tangling on our normally quiet street. I was close by but totally oblivious. At the time I was watering the plants and rocking out to Rush. I wasn't even wearing headphones. I have Cygnus X1 memorized. Olive tried to get the scoop.
She was still in full clown drag but she is really good at camo mode in front of colorful flowers. She stood there with phone at the ready but the combatant CAMBs were drifting their fight right at her.
So she ran off without getting pics (Good try citizen reporter Rootbeer). So CAMB#1 got in his truck, CAMB#2 got in his janky car and they both reversed at each other stopping just short of bumping tails.
CAMB#1 took off yelling and CAMB#2 quickly peeled out (still in reverse) in chase. Olive eventually found me asking "Did you see that?" Me: "Nope."