Having a neighbor who is in a gang is probably something that most people would nope out of pretty quickly. After all, even if they’re not causing problems themselves, they’re usually the kind of people who tend to attract them. 

But what if someone told you that, sometimes, this can be a positive thing? As one Redditor recently shared, having a good relationship with a gang veteran who lived next to him saved him from a bully once and, to make it even better, made him a profit. Scroll down to read the full story!

More info: Reddit

Being nice to people despite their background costs nothing, and sometimes, it can prove to be very useful

Image credits: Keira Burton (not the actual photo)

A kid selling chocolates was returning home after a good day of business when he encountered a thieving bully

Image credits: Amir M. Mohamadi (not the actual photo)

The bully took the boy’s money and chocolate and told him that he would be expecting more the next day

Image credits: Karabo Lengwadi (not the actual photo)

The following day, the kid tried to avoid the bully by getting off the bus at a later stop but ran into him regardless

Image credits: Frank Krasznavolgyi (not the actual photo)

When he lied and said that he didn’t have anything with him, the thief decided to go back to the kid’s house and get what he wanted from there

Image credits: WoodysMedia (not the actual photo)

The boy recognized the bully’s tattoos, as his friendly neighbor from a gang had the same ones, so he devised a plan for dealing with him

Image credits: No_Yesterday_8836

When they reached the kid’s house, the neighbor noticed the situation and ordered the bully to return the money to the kid and pay him extra for his trouble

The story took place back in the 90s. The OP was then a 12-year-old boy selling chocolates to help raise money for a big field trip that was being planned. Business was going well.

One day, when coming back from school, the kid encountered an older teen that he dubbed ‘Payaso.’ The guy, clearly from one of the many gangs around, came looking for trouble. When he learned that the kid was just a student, Payaso took the OP’s money and some of the chocolates and told him that he’d be expecting more tomorrow or else.

The next day, the boy tried to avoid the bully by getting off at a later bus stop, only to run into him again further down the road. This time, he hid his money and chocolates, pretending he didn’t have them, but to his surprise, Payaso was happy to escort the kid home and extort him there.

Fortunately, the OP noticed the bully’s tattoos, which told him that he was in the same gang as the kid’s neighbor, a gang veteran the author called OG. Since the boy had a good relationship with the man, he devised a perfect plan to put Payaso in his place.

When they approached the poster’s house, the bully noticed familiar faces and stopped the kid to go and greet them. As Payaso was about to approach the OG, the man saw the boy standing further away and asked him what he was doing there. When the OP explained the situation, the man got visibly angry and told the bully that he was to repay the kid $20 for the day before, $50 for the chocolates he had left to sell, and another $50 for his trouble.

The boy was sent home, and a little while later, he heard a knock on the door with Payaso standing behind it. The teen apologized to the OP, gave him the money, and even offered him some Nintendo games. They didn’t interact much past this point, but whenever they did, the bully was always nice to the kid.

The commenters were very engaged with the poster’s story. They had a lot of tales of their own to share, but all of them concluded with the thoughts that, sometimes, it is good to have friends in “low” places, and if you respect and are nice to others, chances are they’ll do the same thing.

Image credits: Tomasz Filipek (not the actual photo)

We, too, were intrigued by the events the OP recounted. Looking for additional details to satisfy our curiosity, Bored Panda reached out to No_Yesterday_8836, who was glad to answer our questions. 

The author said that his story was always very popular among his friends and family, as he would tell it a few times a year during all kinds of get-togethers. But when he decided to post it online, he never expected to get so many positive responses from fellow Redditors. “It’s been interesting to read some of the experiences they’ve had with some hardened individuals.”

Coming back to his own story, the OP recounted that he never expected the bully to return on the same day. “When I opened the door for him, he didn’t look like the same cocky, mean individual I had encountered,” shared the man, adding that he handed him a bag with games and quickly left the moment he heard “thank you.”

This experience was not only an exciting story for the author to tell but also a good life lesson. Growing up in the hood surrounded by gangs, he learned how to avoid problems with these guys, be quick on his feet, be aware of the situation, and not draw attention to himself. However, the encounter with Payaso made him much more careful in all these aspects.

“Another thing living like this did for me was really encourage me to do well in school so I can go to a good college, get a good job, and live in a good neighborhood,” added the OP, happily sharing that he managed to do exactly that.

For the ending, the poster left us with some advice that could really save us a lot of trouble if any of us ever end up in a similar situation. “No one deserves to be a victim, but everyone has a responsibility not to make themselves an easy target. Get a really good feel for the ‘vibe’ of where you live/work so that you can immediately recognize when something is out of place, and you can then respond accordingly.”

To summarize, as some commenters said, it can really be good to have friends in low places. However, even if you do know people like that, it’s always wise to take care so that you don’t end up in situations where you might need their help in the first place because no matter who comes out on top afterward, the experience leading to it is unlikely to be pleasant. 

Have you ever had any similar experiences? Do you have any other related advice you’d like to share? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The commenters were very engaged with the poster’s story and summarized that sometimes it is good to have friends in “low” places

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