Hanging Sneakers

The BBC News broadcasted a report on the 'Mystery of NYC's Hanging Sneakers'. The sight of laced Adidas sneakers draped over telephone wires befuddled the British and their research came up with several reasons for the phenomena thanks to their interviewees. One social worker attributed the occurrence to a sign of gangs. If you were not of the gang then the members would beat up the intruder to their neighborhood and throw his sneakers over the telephone wires as a sign of disrespect. A Harlem resident commented that kids hung the sneakers to commemorate a dead friend, while another pointed out that the sneakers were a sign that drugs were sold in that neighborhood. Another person said it was a sign of respect to their sneakers and i agree with this explanation for I have thrown several pairs of Adidas over the traffic lights at the intersection of East 10th Street and Avenue A.

Right across from the basketball courts.

I only chucked them up there once they were worn to the threads.

Every time I saw them, I thought about playing in them.

An honor to sneakers.

And it ain't easy getting them to get up there.

The police certainly don't like it, thne again they don't like nothing.