It's been a rough few days in the spotlight for the tony Grosse Pointe communities. From charges of racism to an apparent act of secession to this year's oddest display of Puritanism, we have to ask: Which of the Grosse Pointes are the absolute worst?
We'll start with the reports of Grosse Pointe Park building roadblocks into the city last month, blocking off traffic from Detroit. Developers say it's because they're trying to foster walkability for a farmer's market; Detroiters say they're just trying to keep the black people out. It's reminiscent of the time when Grosse Pointe Park started dumping snow at a major intersection last winter, also blocking traffic.
There's a big question mark over that one. Maybe, maybe, GPP is sincere in its efforts to create walkability. Everyone wants to be the next Royal Oak, right? But then these things happened.
Last week, a few citizens complained about Metro Times, the local alt-weekly, because they believe that the ads for sexy chat lines were actually covers for escort services. "I wasn't born yesterday, I know that that's prostitution," one resident says. As a result, the libraries now hide the free alt-weekly out of view.
And then this. A black woman (also an attorney for the city of Detroit) went into the Talbots in Grosse Pointe to exchange some clothing. She left a bag with two items to be exchanged at the front desk while she tried on some more clothes, as many people do when they consider purchasing clothing. Then the police were called while she was in the dressing room. Officers asked to search the woman's belongings, upon which she provided a receipt for the items to be returned. After it was splashed across the news yesterday, the police department apologized.
So maybe the Talbots thing was an isolated incident and maybe there are a few crazies who don't want to read the Metro Times and maybe the roadblocks into the Park are just all a big understanding. Or maybe the Grosse Pointes are the worst and everything is coming to a head this week.
So which of the Pointes are the worst? Could it be the Woods, with its constant tension with Harper Woods? The Farms? The Shores? The Park, which always seem to be at the center of everything? Grosse Pointe proper? (Eastpointe doesn't count.)
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