How does Austin's East Side deal with crime? With a Rainbow Connection, natch. [PHOTOS]
Last month, several friends on the East Side got robbed, had their purses snatched or their cars broken into. None handled it with more grace than Austin Blogger Awards Blogger of the Year winner Lauren Modery from Hipstercrite.
During SXSW Film, Lauren returned home to find a smashed-in window:
The perp didn’t take anything but a Dollar Store tire gauge, but the window is gonna be crazy expensive for Lauren to fix. While she saves money, Lauren’s friend, Austin director Geoff Marslett, sketched the Muppets on Lauren’s cardbord window substitute, turning it into a car-sized kid’s band-aid:
Over the last few weeks, Lauren has been adding color. And during that time, the car has become sort of an East Side icon. I’ve seen it pop up in several friends’ Instagram and Facebook feeds. Check this pic from Hawk Thompson:
I asked Lauren about the drawing:
There is a cute story behind it: Geoff and I went to see his movie, Mars, at the Alamo. My car got broken into while I was at the screening, and he felt bad so he made me the window the next day.
That’s 2FC! It’s also a reminder to hide EVERYTHING after you park your car–especially on the East Side. I don’t care how expensive/handcrafted the drinks are at the East Side Showroom, the neighborhood ain’t fancy yet, y’all.
On a side note, the Alamo Ritz is hosting a Muppet Movie Sing-a-long this Thursday. I hope they pay Lauren for all the free advertising!
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You might also want to do this if you’re not on the east side. If you follow crime statistics you’ll find this happens pretty uniformly everywhere in Austin. It’s like domestic violence. It’s everywhere.
East Austin’s just where the people with lesser insurance policies (and thus less ability to quickly fix their windows) congregate.
I completely agree, Tim. Hide it or lock it in the trunk. Or just bike
My car also got broken into at the Alamo (Village). I wonder if this is a thing.
Thief only made off with some dirty gym clothes, a pair of thrift store heels and a 7 year old cell phone, but replacing the window was a real pain.
Good advice, but with this modification… Hide items you’re not taking with you BEFORE you park! Someone could watch you put your backpack in the trunk & break in after you leave your car. That happended to me a few years back at a SXSW party
Totally good advice, Laura! Thanks for sharing!
Funny thing is, I have great insurance, but I’ve been shuffling my feet to get the window fixed. I just love my Muppets too much!
Thanks for posting, Chris!
Funny… well funny now but infuriating at the time… story.
My home, yes my damn HOME, got broken into during SXSW.
I don’t trust anyone anymore.
That sux, dude!! Hopefully you had renters insurance?
I think you should blame the free, unsanctioned SXSW parties and the hooligans they attract.
Que??