I'm gonna need some help with this. A new app dropped this week and it has the whole Internet up in arms with righteous indignation and moral outrage. Thing is, it's actually pretty useful (or will be when it emerges from Beta testing). The app I'm referring to is called Ghetto Tracker and ostensibly serves the purpose of keeping folks out of the bad parts of town.
Unfortunately, many in the media have seized on the catchy title and made the case that the app's only purpose is to help rich people avoid poor people, to further oppress the poor, yada, yada, yada. I can think of at least one instance where they're dead wrong, and I'm sure there are many others. The one that springs to mind for me is my hometown: New Orleans.
New Orleans gets about 10 million visitors per year. That's a lot for a town of less than 400,000. New Orleans has the added distinction of one of the highest per capita murder rates in the U.S. This is obviously not good for tourism. Add to that fact that New Orleans has no "wrong side of town". Mere blocks away from the million dollar mansions of the Garden District is a war zone to rival Kabul.
The French Quarter is no different. While you're partying on Bourbon Street you're (generally) perfectly safe. Deviate just a couple of blocks up to Rampart, however, and your night can take a turn for the worse quickly. If you're foolish enough to stroll across Rampart into the Iberville projects, you might as well save a thug the bullet and shoot yourself.
So in a town like New Orleans, where the worst parts of the city are a stone's throw from the best and everything is intermingled, an app like Ghetto Tracker is clutch. If you're a tourist in the Big Easy, it just might save your life.
So I don't get all the moral outrage. Is it just the name of the app? Because they changed that for a couple of days and then thankfully went back.
It's not like the app is creating bad neighborhoods; you need generations of government intervention for that. The app is merely pointing out dangerous areas which should be avoided by everyone; rich, poor, and everybody in between.
So help me out here, monkeys. Am I being culturally insensitive in seeing the utility in an app like this? Or do you agree that this is good information to have when you're visiting a town you don't know? Is this really a 1% versus the 99% elitism thing, or just a common sense safety measure?
I agree with what you are saying 100%. The main reason behind this outrage is that the media needed something to make headlines again and get people outraged. I think that in the US, the issue of rich vs poor and even white vs black is still pretty prevalent and leads to issue every now and then.
On a related note: What part of New Orleans are you from? (@Edmundo Braverman)
I am outraged by the liberal ourtage. Fools!
This app will be very helpful.
It's only been a week and this Ghetto Tracker has gotten so much grief. I'm cool with the idea, but they need to be more discreet with the branding. I'm surprised Al Sharpton hasn't spoken out on this yet.
It does sort of reinforce the stigma that these areas and people should be isolated. While I'm sure that you can make a good case that many of these areas should be avoided, many of the historically "ghetto" places in NYC for example, are actually on the up and up due to the fact that people are ignoring these stigmatizations.
I feel the same way. Great app, horrible name. How did no one in the room say something? "Guys, we might as well call it the crappy media coverage app."
Maybe it was a marketing tactic? They are certainly getting a lot of free air time.
This. Pure genius.
And this isn't even a new idea. The exact same thing was parodied in this sketch from three years ago:
//www.youtube.com/embed/VXnXylmQEx4
Disclaimer: "No offense"
When I went to NY for the first time for my very first networking event/informational interview I was staying at a friend's house in Brooklyn. I took the C train from Penn Station... I went the wrong way. No subway map on the train. I knew how many stops it took to get to his stop; I just didn't know the name of stop. I counted the stops and got off the train... I wound up in Harlem. Deep Harlem. In the evening. Dressed like I just got off a ferry in Nantucket. With my rolling suitcase... I REALLY could have used this app.
I for one think this app is genius. I don't get the moral outrage either. These elitist media people will probably be the first to buy this app once it becomes open for purchasing. Of course they won't buy it to "use" it just to "test" it. Everyone knows there are ghettos and I am willing to bet that 99% of normal people don't care one way or the other that there are ghettos. By golly those damn 1%ers always causing problems for the rest of the people.
"You need generations of government intervention for that."
That gave me a nice little laugh to begin my day. Thank you, Eddie.
As for "Ghetto Tracker" itself, this is just what people have been doing for years -- now in app form. Instead of asking your friends for advice on where to go (and implicitly, not go) when you visit a town, you get an app to do it for you. Same thing we've been doing with financial planning, dating, finding a baby sitter, etc.
The media just needs to generate outrage in order to generate page views. Sample headlines I just thought of: "9 Reasons Why Ghetto Tracker Is The Worst Crime Brogrammers Have Ever Committed," "5 Ways Ghetto Tracker Will Kill Racial Equality in America," etc. Modern journalism!
Luckily, the Internet has an attention span equal to the lesser of: (A) 3 days, or (B) The next episode of "Breaking Bad', so the creators just need to wait it out and they'll be fine.
I think this app is a great idea, and I'm not some kind of right wing nutjob.
The thing is, lack of wealth don't cause dangerous behavior on its own. Imagine a neighborhood full of starving artists.
I avoid projects not because they're full of poor people but because I'd rather not get shot.
I actually love the idea, I can't believe I didn't think of it myself.
Saint Louis is similar in the sense bad neighborhoods are in close proximity to attractions. Google Delmar divide. While Saint Louis certainly has clearly defined bad areas, there isn't much of a transition into them. Its basically from one block to the next. Easy for people unfamiliar with the city to get in a bad situation.
EDIT: Check out this picture of STL on GhettoTracker.com
http://imageshack.us/a/img90/3192/ci0k.png
I'll bet of the outraged people have never even set foot in those neighborhoods.
What's the politically correct term for "ghetto" anyway? Should they have just called it the "Gritty, Edgy, Misunderstood Neighborhood Tracker" instead?
Drug dealers must find this useful LOL
No press=bad press.
The developers are going to make a killing off of this idea.
Ha good point UFO.
Eddie you're 100% on point with this. if I'm looking out for my family's safety, I don't care if someone takes offense. We can argue causes, etc., but it is what it is, and if you're able to do so, you should avoid bad neighborhoods. No controversy there. You 20-somethings can let the real estate agents trick you into moving to places that have been "up and coming" for over a decade.
These are the same jerkoffs who yap about saving our Chicago public schools then send their children to private schools or feeder public schools that most poor kids can't get into.
Tl;dr - roll up your New Yorker and stick it in your ear.
2013 update: marcy bed stuy projects (Jay-Z) area is safe. I partied here pretty hard and never once worried about my well-being. Yes, I was the only white guy. But who cares. You need to really try to find a 'ghetto' area in the NYC metropolitan area. Note: that The Bronx is a different story.
My father in law grew up in the Bronx. About 7 years ago, his friend's 80 year old dad went back to check out the ole neighborhood. He was robbed at 2 in the afternoon and they stole his PANTS.
Fucking terrible, but that made me LOL.
I guess Detroit is gonna be highlighted entirely by this app. Anywhere you go in Detroit that app is gonna make your phone beep alot.
I do agree that this app is super useful, and I agree that the apps name is unfortunate, although I personally think it's fine. I also agree that were I in there shoes and wanted some free advertising I would totally do the same thing.
I went to high school in East New York. I heard a kid got robbed of their McDonald's french fries at 8AM. I got robbed five bucks in front of the school.
Before I had a smartphone and would travel to a new city, looking back I wandered through some pretty sketchy areas and lucked out big time. I could see myself using it.
Very Solid post. For the record, you can get jacked in Nola on St Charles avenue in front of a mansion in broad daylight. The quarter is also not safe anymore, the thugs have taken over and NOPD is short staffed. They pretty much show up to mop up the blood these days. Be careful out there, it's not as safe as some would have you think.
Criminals suck and a lot of them happen to be poor. I don't want to associate with them.
I think the only problem with this app is can be framed in the formed of a question: Along what criteria will it rely on to qualify a neighbourhood (or parts of it) as "ghetto"? If we take Harlem again as an example, a lot of areas are actually up and coming. Bill Clinton had his offices there until recently, it has a rich history and often great music. Generally speaking as well, some of the best restaurants/experiences I've had have been in tiny unexpected places such as Harlem, and labeling neighbourhoods to avoid that have actually made an effort to improve and have something to offer is just kind of unfair. Plus, economically-speaking, assuming avoidance en masse of certain areas effectively dooms these areas to remain "ghetto" because of lost tourist dollars, etc. I say grow some balls and see what these "ghettos" have to offer (though preferably before dark).
I have no issue with the app, marketing or otherwise, really. Just playing devil's advocate.
It seems like this thread is a bit of an eco-chamber.
There are a multitude of things that could be useful to people, doesn't mean that they are right to do.
This is basically like going to all of the under performing kids in the school and telling them that they're in the stupid class. Believe me, these people already know their situation. For every one of you that looks at this app and as relieved that they avoided the hood, there's some kid who just learned that they're looked down upon.
Putnwerk makes a good point a ..what will the criteria be for a ghetto?
Harlem & south Boston are both areas that have a strong mix of young professionals and "people from the neighborhood".
One is predominantly white..while the other is predominantly black. One produced Frank Lucas..the other whitey bugler. Will the criteria be pure statistics..income, educations, crime, etc.
Or will it be a little mix of science & art? From my experience..if a white person make an app about which place they think are good to avoid..it's often where the black people live (i know that will piss some of you off but it's extremely true). Either way..do you think labeling someone..or something..or somewhere.."ghetto"..does anything to help these people with their circumstances..or does it just help you.
Soon after the app, the same people using the app will be the same people saying "why can't these people get their shit together". But the same people using the app will be the same people who will not invest time or money in a place considered a ghetto, thus regulating this "ghetto" to an unfortunate cycle
Using the "white people made this" defense is a joke considering that the majority of people from the "ghetto" refer to themselves as gangster is proof enough.
I'm not going to be argumentative..but, I appreciate you making my point (i.e. the majority of people from the "ghetto" refer to themselves as gangster is proof enough)
I would ask... how many people do you know from the "hood" or the ghetto. Or are most of you information about those places and people from media outlets and not from actual experience.
There are plenty of old women, nice men, young children etc. who do not refer to themselves as gangsters. And would actually like to disassociate themselves from the people you readily lump them in with.
But...if people like yourself, continue to avoid the place..continue to label the place..you'll be sure to think that everyone (or at least a good deal of people) think of themselves as gangsters.
Thatguy- you've made a solid argument that there are reasons to go into areas that this app would call "sketchy," but the ability to avoid high crime areas, however offensive to you, is useful to tourists. I have restaurants I like in red-dotted areas but I know the lay of the land in my city.
I have to agree with ScottIrish on this. It would really suck to get shot if you're on vacation in some city. Yes, it's going to totally kill a ghetto's chance at snagging some tourist business, so that part is a shame. I can see how that would contribute to keeping an area down, especially if they're trying to build it up....this app will torpedo those efforts.
On the other hand, no one is stopping anyone from setting up a cool place in a shitty area that more local people will know about. In fact, I kind of like the idea of NEVER running into tourists in a bar because their ghettOmeter kept them off a particular city block. I like tight knit community/local stuff that avoid the tourist trap mindset, and that's hard to find in the NYC area.
To the critics of this app, realistically, what are the alternatives? And why take offense to pointing out an obvious truth? Anyone can be a critic, but are these critics doing anything to compensate the victims where tourists have been taken advantage of in a crappy area?
I appreciate SocttIrish seeing the validity in my statements. I see validity in yours also.
To UFO insider..I guess I'll take as the one critic on the thread. (None of this is directed at you personally)
1 ..there are plenty of things in this world that may benefit me personally that may be detrimental to others. I guess it's all about your personal integrity.
2 Who reserves the right to label someone's home in a derogatory manner.
3 Is tourist harassment really such an epidemic? If so...will the decrease in tourist harassment outweigh the lasting label that every kid from that area will have.
I know everyone has heard a story by some person who came from rags to riches and says.."hey I didn't even know we were poor when I was young"..I have a fiance who's family lives in the "projects". She has 3 little brothers who a great kids. They don't know they live in the projects. They just think I'm rich because I live in an apartment across town.
I would hate for them to think of their HOME...as the ghetto.
Just..for a day..take the risk...and think about how your action...even if they are a benefit to you in the near term, may effect some others lives down the road.
thatguy, I think you make some interesting points, but I can't agree here. It's not a matter of personal integrity, it's a matter of truth and dissemination of information.
In case you don't know, New York City has A-B-C healthy/safety ratings on every eating establishment and they are required to be posted outside in plain sight, and it is an excellent system, very effective, and kind of similar to what this app is doing except with neighborhoods. Yeah, if a restaurant is B or C the place will definitely take a hit in business, but they have ample opportunity to turn things around and get the rating changed.
I don't see why residents of "bad" neighborhoods should effectively be favored by avoiding labels being placed on them if there are legitimate concerns with said neighborhoods, at the expense of those who are visiting it. That being said, I think the criteria should be as objective as possible, not just someone's opinion, with the results constantly refreshed to recognize neighborhoods that have turned things around, and the label shouldn't be demeaning like "ghetto" but still neighborhood distinctions would be beneficial to the populace as a whole.
To be fair, I prefer the tourists to the locals. I guess what I'm saying is that I prefer rats to people.
Actually, now that I think about it, "ghetto" is subject to definition arguments and the income level is basically irrelevant to the most important topic: crime. Am I going to get robbed in an area when I roll through? Income level of area =/= crime rate, even if there's a correlation.
When I look at getting an apartment, I don't care WHAT part of WHAT town/city anyone tries to tell me is a 'good' place to live. The first thing I look at is the recorded crime pattern. If we were to go by that metric, I'm assuming swaths of non-ghetto areas would be flagged for potential problems....like Chi-Town
Observe: http://projects.nytimes.com/crime/homicides/map
If I thought this app had the power to keep tourists away, I'd devote a solid week of my life to labeling every single fucking street in Paris the "ghetto". Tourists are the bane of my existence.
I'm gonna use this app to figure out where to buy drugs when I'm traveling
It's a great idea, but just a very controversial name that leads to the ultra-sensitive to pick apart. The labelling is the issue, but the discussion and act of avoiding areas with high crime rates have been done for ages. Personally i dont care if people find this offensive, safety and human lives outweigh such sensitivities.
Maybe name the app something like "neighborhood navigator"?
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