crack + prostitutes + crime + corruption + church
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10/27/2007
I was born and raised in Memphis and have never lived anywhere else. I hate this city.
As a child:
The schools were decent, maybe some were good. But I didn't feel completely safe or comfortable. There was gang activity, drug use in the restrooms, frequent fistfights, incompetent and racist administration, and a curriculum that was not challenging, even in the honors program.
As a college student at U of M:
I lived near campus, that area was known for car break-ins, armed robberies, and horrible apartments with bad management. I lived below crack dealers and this was not abnormal.
As a working adult:
It seems hard to find a decent job. There's lots of minimum-wage service-industry work, but it would be nice if there were more options. Even skilled labor jobs don't pay a living wage or offer decent benefits.
As an adult:
Crime is everywhere, even in the more exclusive neighborhoods. The criminals follow the money. The drivers are generally bad. The traffic may be light, but the drivers should never have passed the test. The schools seem to have gotten even worse since I was in them. The government is extremely corrupt and wasteful, and so are the police. If you live in Memphis for any substantial amount of time, you're bound to be robbed, mugged, or run into by someone with no auto insurance. Even though I've always heard the South is friendly, everyone here is too scared to look each other in the face. It may be seen as a challenge. Incompentence is so commonplace that nothing is ever done about it. This is from the McDonalds to the University to the mayor. It does have a low cost of living, which is reflected in a low quality of life. It does have Shelby Farms, which is really nice, and there is good music and interesting history. But the ghosts of E.H. Crump and Elvis aren't helping us now.
bryan | Memphis, TN