r/TwinCities

I’m a Somali American Minnesotan, and I’m disturbed by the reports of teenage gun violence in our communities. Violence is unacceptable. Victims deserve justice, neighborhoods deserve safety, and anyone responsible should be held accountable, regardless of their background.

But accountability and collective blame are two different things.

When someone commits a crime, that person is responsible. Their ethnicity does not make everyone who shares it a suspect. Yet in discussions about fraud and now teenage violence, “Somali” too often becomes the headline, the explanation, and the accusation.

Minnesota deals with crimes committed by people from many backgrounds. We generally understand that an individual’s actions do not define an entire ethnic community. Somali Americans deserve that same basic fairness.

I’m not asking anyone to hide facts or avoid discussing difficult issues. If there are gangs, investigate them. If people commit fraud, prosecute them. If teenagers are carrying guns and hurting people, intervene and hold those responsible accountable. Discuss the failures and circumstances that allow these problems to grow.

But attaching “Somali” to every discussion of crime does not explain what happened or help prevent the next incident. It encourages people to associate an entire community with criminal behavior.

And when that framing comes from elected officials, prominent public figures, media outlets, or law enforcement, it carries weight. I worry about what it means for ordinary Somali Americans going to work, raising children, attending school, and living their lives. They should not have to answer for strangers’ crimes or wonder whether someone sees them as a threat because of their name or appearance.

Our community can be horrified by violence, demand accountability, and reject prejudice at the same time. Those positions are completely consistent.

The victims must remain central to this conversation. Their suffering should never become a tool for stirring up hostility toward people who had nothing to do with it.

Let’s demand safer neighborhoods, serious prevention, and equal accountability. We can fight crime without creating more hatred between neighbors.

Hold the people responsible accountable. Don’t put an entire community on trial.

After a long day at work, I finally got to head home from Saint Paul to Minneapolis. I was maybe a bit north of Payne-Phalen. And I was told that I didn't do a proper stop at a stop sign. (Which istg I didn't see. I'm sooo careful about that stuff because I've been hit by a car before.)

So, the lights went on behind me at the stop light, and I was so confused that I just sat there. Then I thought, "Maybe I'm blocking the turn lane, and they need me to move." Readers, that was not the case. Cut to me pulled over and having a full panic attack. I'm terrified of cops after many personal traumatic incidents and stories of people being dragged from their cars during Metro Surge. Pure trauma mode that I wasn't gonna make it home to my kitties. Because they wouldn't know why they were abandoned.

This man, who looked like he was maybe a bit younger than my dad, in a reflective vest or shirt, pulled over on the other side of the road and popped his hood. He wasn't really working on anything, and I could see him standing on the other side, looking through the windows at me. His truck seemed fine, and it seemed apparent that he'd pulled over to monitor the situation. It was a comfort in such a terrifying moment when I, cop traumatized & also autistic person, didn't know if I'd make it home to my babies.

Everything turned out fine enough. I got a ticket for blowing a stop sign. (Which I didn't even think to ask more about because I was so scared.) The cop was nice enough. And I got home to my loves. Idk if that guy actually had truck issues or was looking out, or if he'll ever see this. But thank you. We didn't have folks like you back home. I'm so glad I moved here. Thanks again from me, and the kitties, Artichoke and Juniper.

Looks good but $30+ for a za? How big are they? Is it worth it? Any opinions? Thoughts? I just moved to a new crib across from a location.

Would you guys please help me win a somewhat sizable bet?

Excelsior…is it:

1. “X-Cell-C-Ur”
2. ”X-Cell-Sure”

>Amid the latest surge in gunfire in the west metro — including more than a 100 rounds fired along a Bloomington residential street overnight —Twin Cities law enforcement leaders are calling for a crackdown on what they describe as ongoing violence among Somali American gangs.

>Another spike in shootings began around 8:45 p.m. Monday when gunfire erupted at a Speedway gas station on West 78th Street in Eden Prairie.

The Potluck food hall in the Rosedale Center mall in Roseville will shutter in mid-October, ending years of service, according to Lisa Crain, VP and group manager for Rosedale Center.

The move shutters the mall’s primary dining area, which served customers for years.

Crain did not say why the food hall would close but added that the mall hopes to announce its replacement by early next year.

MnDOT is producing a statewide bicycle system plan and is looking for public comments. They are looking for feedback on infrastructure for biking and bike-like modes of transportation, barriers to use, and motivations to ride.

Someone offered to let me crash on their couch and give me a job at the restaurant they managed. When the time came, they ghosted me and now I'm homeless.

I would like very much to not be homeless.

I've been putting in applications, and using sites like Indeed/LinkedIn, but all I got from that was my identity stolen. Twice.

Lately I've been going to every physical location I can save asking for work like some kind of boomer, with no luck.

If there's any employers out there, I'm looking for work. I'm disabled and I walk with a cane, but I can do pretty much anything as long as I'm able to sit down regularly.

I have a place to sleep, shower, do laundry, and maintain my appearance so you don't need to worry about me looking obviously homeless in front of customers.

I don't drink or smoke, though I do eat gummies from time to time. Apart from that I don't have much in the way of vices.

I'm trying to improve my life and regain some measure of stability, that's all.

Edit: I have a GED, and I use the bus or the light rail for transportation.

I work for Amazon and it has been pretty rough and it’s taken a toll my mental and physical health. I’ve been looking for jobs but worried I’ll fall into the same pattern of constant fear of PIP, layoffs, toxic politics and not meeting arbitrary metrics.

I don’t mind taking a significant pay cut for a low stress job. Honestly at this point I probably need a break anyway. I’ve tried to apply for some gov jobs but have not gotten interviews. I’m guessing they prefer someone from the public sector.

Any suggestions for companies I should look into? Or is it all the same toxic bullshit everywhere 🤣

I'm looking at taking the leap into getting an electric car, which I would like to charge at home. I don't current have 220v service in my garage and I don't think a 15A outlet is going to cut it for long.

If you've had an EVSE and/or 220v service installed who did you use and what did that cost you? Any gotchas I should know about?

Edit: because I forgot it's relevant the house has 200A service. and I think this would also involve running new wire to my (detached) garage because the current wiring is only 15A/120v.

That's all.

I’m looking for an apple orchard to go to with some of my friends this weekend.
What are everyone’s recommendations?

[copied from Google Reviews]

Today, a friend and I parked and paid via posted QR code for all-day parking at the lot surrounding the old Sears at 425 Rice Street during the marathon, so it was pretty packed. We encountered a woman sobbing, saying her car had been towed while she was completing the race and she watched it get carried away even though she paid, so we triple-checked that I got the confirmation email before walking away.

When I returned with my friend a couple hours later (he had a flight to catch and we were on time at that point), my car was gone, and we assumed it had been towed in error too. After 15 minutes of searching the parking lot for a service number, we reached Guardian Recovery Services, and spoke to Haley, who was incredibly helpful. After forwarding the confirmation email, she confirmed my car had been towed in error and would get her team to return it immediately. Haley did not know why the car had been towed, but that Guardian Recovery Services engages as a third party to parking lots like this, and there clearly was some sort of system error/lapse in communication.

While we waited for them to return with my car in the blistering sun, we watched as Guardian Recovery Services had tow truck after tow truck hauling vehicles out of this lot, in a clearly oily manner of preying on event-goers, and wondered how many cars had been similarly towed in error.

After a 60-minute ordeal, Guardian Recovery Services finally returned with my vehicle, which was thankfully intact. The representative who dropped it off said that, “the system thinks the lot costs $5,000, and when you didn’t pay that, it flagged to us as needing to be towed.” I’m unsure what “system” they could be referring to, but the website I used to pay definitely did not ask me to pay that amount, and obviously I wouldn’t have. This meager, placating excuse was not sensible at all and spoke to a pretty low-quality business operation. They couldn’t even look me in the eyes or say another apologetic word as they unlatched my car and drove off.

It was confirmation that Guardian Recovery Services was aware that their system was incorrectly flagging cars without the ability to discern if the cause was legitimate. I was appalled that at no point did human eyes monitor this “system” to identify this error. We watched several cars get towed in the hour we spent on that lot - probably for the same erroneous reason! Clearly Guardian Recovery Services is aware of the issue and needs to stop towing cars until they figure that out - if they couldn’t distinguish that my car was being flagged in error, who knows how many cars they towed in error today.

As we exited the lot, that same truck appeared to have turned themselves around and re-entered the lot. The driver was looking around, as if to catch yet another car to tow. Guardian Recovery Services looks like a disgusting business practice led by incompetent desperate people who are frothing at the mouth for the chance to make money off of well-intentioned drivers, using outdated software and business practices that should probably be reported (I have the rest of the day off and am happily looking into that!)

It ended up being a best-case scenario for me, but this inconvenience should have never happened. Guardian Recovery Services is taking advantage of people, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn about other cars being taken or even damaged in the towing process

I asked where to get cinnamon rolls in the Twin Cities, and the community did not disappoint. If you're looking to celebrate the new season with a bready treat, here are the top recommendations I received!

1. Isles Bun and Coffee (Puppy Tails are also great, apparently)
2. Colossal Cafe
3. Hazel NE
4. Hen House

Honestly, there were so many options that I might do a cinnamon roll tasting tour this fall.

I know this sounds crazy but is anyone missing a pigeon. My friend has one that has adopted her house near Roberts WI. It is banded. Help!!!