Monday, July 28, 2014

Spontaneous East 5th Street cookout doesn't go so well this afternoon



This man, not known to the residents here on East Fifth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square, decided to fire up a grill on the stoop.

Paul Kostabi was around to take these photos.

The man used the entire can of lighter fluid. The grill caught on fire.



Someone called the fire department.







The NYPD also stopped by.



In the end, the man was told to leave. And he was allowed to take his meat with him.

27 comments:

Eden Bee said...

AHAHAHAHAHA!

Anonymous said...

Yikes. That could have been a lot worse. He is lucky he didn't get burned.

THE NOTORIOUS L.I.B.E.R.A.T.I.O.N. said...

Meanwhile at the 13th Step, a Bro has vomiting all of his internal organs onto the sidewalk while his friends teabag his unconscious body yet that goes unnoticed.

Anonymous said...

He was going to sell that food! See how the city harasses small business owners?

Anonymous said...

It's not smart to play with fire, especially on the steps of an old building full of apartments. Can you imagine sitting on someone's steps and firing up a barbecue?

Sunny Chapman said...

My old block. When I lived there in the 80's people did far, far worse things on our steps.

Anonymous said...

That's right somehow all the worlds ills can be traced back to the 13th step

Anonymous said...

Upon arrival of the FDNY and the NYPD the meat was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gojira said...

Boy times sure have changed. I recall a day in the early 1980s when a drug dealer on my block over-sampled his own wares and flipped out, running around the block in nothing but his glasses and tighty-whities, waving a .45 and screaming maniacally. I called the Ninth - no 911 yet - to report it, and they didn't even bother to send a squad car to check it out...

Anonymous said...

Officer Chokehold to the rescue! My hero!

moe said...

I am reminded of that rather extended summer blackout of maybe 10 years ago, by about the 2nd night when everyone realized that whatever perishables were in the fridge were not going to survive, and many spontaneous barbecues arose in the streets. I met people that night with whom I had lived silently on the block for more than a decade in some cases, became friends to this day. This guy is OK just 10 years too late.

Anonymous said...

They were just bringing the pepper spray for his burgers and face.

8:13 a.m. said...

He was starting a new foodie trend and concept: farm-to-stoop and BYOG -- bring your own grill.

Anonymous said...

As stupid as it is to light an open fire on the stoop of an old building full of residential apartments, my heart really goes out to the guy. He seems like a simple guy who wanted to grill some steak, and it was probably a stretch for him to procure the grill/charcoal/meat. Very few places he can do that in the city. I wish I could buy him a nice steak.

Anonymous said...

Can't believe some of these BS excuse apologetic comments. If this stoned, shit-for-brains had been some drunk, white"bro", everybody would be jumping all over his head.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anonymous at 9:30 AM, July 29, 2014,

I know what you mean, and echo all your sentiments. I'd like to chip in with you to buy a nice steak for that man as well.

(In the photos it looks like there is something like a potato also?)

--Former East Villager

Anonymous said...

I feel for the guy too but he could've walked a few blocks out to E River park and had himself a grand old cookout without any bullshit hassles. Instead he picks a really bad spot to start a coal fire. Smooth move ex lax.

Anonymous said...

" If this stoned, shit-for-brains had been some drunk, white"bro", everybody would be jumping all over his head."

But he wasn't so...

Anonymous said...

dude just wanted a steak.

Makeout said...

I tried to grill peas once. Didn't work out. Fuckers kept falling through the grate.

Anonymous said...

Anyone else who wants to grill can go right over to the East River. This guy shouldn't have placed that grill on the stairs. He made it even worse by sitting a few steps below. He is lucky the damn thing didn't tumble onto him and set him on fire. Crazy how that pregnant lady was put in a choke hold by police the other day for grilling in front of her own house and this guy doesn't get arrested.

Anonymous said...

The 13th Step has earned their right to be the punchline to every dude/bro/binge/purge/std joke told. That frathole is nothing but a nuisance and the NYPD choose to look the other way.

Anonymous said...

"But he wasn't so…"

Wow. Concept of a double standard… Woosh!
Right over your head, huh?

Anonymous said...

Oh I got it, you just make a weak point.

Anonymous said...

"If this stoned, shit-for-brains had been some drunk, white"bro", everybody would be jumping all over his head."

There was an EV Grieve post, a bit back, about a drunk white bro. His foolish and dangerous behavior ended in his being carted off, unconscious, in an ambulance. Some blog readers jumped all over his head, and other blog readers were quite sympathetic and concerned about him. I didn't comment then, but I was of two minds about the whole incident, as was the EV Grieve reader who posted about the incident.

I would venture however, if this hapless amateur BBQer did somehow set fire to Croman's apartment or burn down a Shaoul property in development, many would be singing justice, laughter would be echoing in the EV and the confused but happy dude would be fĂȘted with steak?

--Former East Villager
PS: When I looked at the photos and saw the burning embers and the man's BBQ dreams crumbling around him, I couldn't help but remember Tad's Steaks...!

Anon said...

This guy was the victim of an assault I had as a pick-up a few years ago when I worked in the 7th Pct. A guy threw him down the stairs at the Essex and delancey train station. He is a sweet guy who has utterly damaged his brain through years of boozing. If you see him on the street, buy him a meal... He can use it.

Ms. Candice said...

i admire yet pity him