Agnew's Mind He's got a long journey ahead of him.

Mugged in Manayunk…not this time

    by Mike Agnew Jr.

So at midnight on Saturday night/Sunday Morning 7/26, I was leaving Matt and Lauren McShea's Wedding reception. Earlier in the day they had their wedding at St John the Baptist's in Manayunk. I arrived at the church about an hour before the ceremony so I ended up getting a nice spot right next to the church on Cresson Street. Since the Reception was at the Iron Works right down the street, I figured I would leave my car in that nice spot with free parking until after the reception.

The reception wrapped up around midnight.  Practically everyone hopped on the school bus back to the hotel.  I had had a few Jack and Coke's but nothing to write home about.  By the time everything wrapped up I was pretty sober, tired as hell, and ready to find my bed.  So Gags, Dewitt, Jenni, and I all started our walk back to our cars.  As we walked down Cresson, we heard a bottle smash up ahead.  A girl yelled out, "You want to fight me.  Oh What?  Are you scared now?"  She was quite drunk and being held back by her friends.  The girl she threw the bottle at was looking pretty scared but was not backing down.   As entertaining as drunken girl fights are we crossed the street as to not become part of the incident.  We continued down Cresson underneath the train tracks and eventually the yelling faded.  We made our way up Levering.
When we got to Levering and Silverwood we said goodbye to Gags.  He was heading back to his apartment and then probably out to the Brew Pub.  he asked if I wanted to join him but I was thinking about everything that had to be ready for SDAND in the morning.  So we said bye to Bill and continued down Silverwood.  We then made it up to Grape Street where Dewitt and Jenni had parked.  So I said good night and wished them a great time at wrestling the following night.  I continued down Silverwood on my own.  As I walked I was thinking about the wedding and reception.  There was an old man outside his house having a cigarette. "How you doin?" I said.  "Doin good,"said the old man.

I then came up to St Josaphat's on the corner of Cotton and Silverwood.  As I approached the church there were two black males crossing Cotton.  They disappeared behind the church's stone wall.  As I crossed Cotton, I noticed that they had stopped at the stone wall and were just standing there in the dark.  I immediately noticed how dark all the streets were and I still had about a blocks walk to my car.  Pretzel Park is right there in between Silverwood and Cresson and Cotton and Rector.  I remember it because I once shot a Kindergarten Graduation video for St John the Baptist.  I taped all the kids swinging on the swings and playing tag.  I slowed it all down so they looked a bit more sureal.  But the park was dark and ominous and worst of all, quiet.  The only other person I saw was a cab driver parked halfway down Silverwood.  He had probably just dropped off the two guys I had just seen.  So I knew I needed to stay in the light.  The trees were blocking most of the light so I walked right down the middle of the street.  In my pocket, I put my car key in between my middle and ring fingers like I used to when walking home at Drexel.  Adds a little something to a punch if needed.  I closed my eyes as I walked and focused all my efforts on listening to any sounds around me.  Footsteps....behind me...two people...probably the two from the church corner.....F*$!.  Okay just relax....keep your pace....widen your stride....start walking faster without looking like you are...stay in the light.  My main focus was get in the car turn the key and peel out.  I turned down Rector.  I let the hill speed me up naturally....maybe these guys were just walking like me...then from about 15 feet behind me....

"Yo! YO! Yo, where's Main Street at?"......maybe not.  Now anyone who has ever been to Manayunk knows Main Street.  Main and Ridge are the two streets to be on...you are either on them...or you are on the hill.  I mean it's MAIN street...everyone knows...everyone...now I know I am in trouble.  Something is going to happen.  I start playing out what my options are...my car is the only weapon I have....but its still far away....my only other one is the public...Main Street....a block away.

I yell back to them without turning around. "It's about two blocks...that way."  I point with my right arm.

"Oh cool. Two blocks that way."  That's right you bastards I'm not turning around for you.

I unlock my car thinking, for some reason,  that the lights will scare them, me being so close to an exit strategy.  I get to my car door.  As I grab the handle I hear those same footsteps but now that are running towards me.  I turn and back away from my car.  One guy on the right side of my car on the sidewalk.  The other guy standing about a car length in front of me.  The street light on the corner silhouetted their faces.  I froze.......when I saw the gun.

He was maybe 10 feet away with a gun pointed right at me.  I don't know guns.  This one was black and had a square top.  It had a silver chamber that reflected the orange street light.

"GET ON THE GROUND.  DON'T DO ANYTHING!"

Now....those of you who know me..know my mind works fairly quickly.  Now I had a decision to make.  My first thought was of my car.  What would these guys take?  What would they really get?  The SDAND shirts...probably not.  Everything I have in there is junk and can easily be replaced.  Whats on me...my wallet...wow a drivers license, a debit card, and a credit card....totally useless to these guys.  My camera...who cares.   But there is a gun.  If I stay they take my things for sure.  Then maybe they shoot me.  If I run, they could shoot me.  But I am betting this guys hasn't had to many hours at the shooting range.  Then I thought of my friends and family....I didn't even finish my funeral video that I want to play at my ceremony...Is this really my time?....Is this how Agnew goes out...shot down in a dark street in Manayunk by two punks...Who are these guys....who are they to say if I live or die.....and what?  over pieces of plastic....who they hell do they think they are....they don't even have a good reason...they are just greedy....I worked for everything I have....for who I am...no way do these guys deserve any victory...not with me...shoot me down....but you are not getting anything from me willingly.....not this time...

I turned and ran.....I ran as fast as I could....I maybe should have zig zagged but I didn't.  I ran straight like Forrest Gump....I didn't look back...I didn't want to look back.  I didn't hear footsteps.  But halfway down the street I realized my car was still unlocked....I gift-wrapped my car.  I pulled out my keys and held the key fab up in the air. *beep*  My car was now locked....haha take that.  As I turned down Pensdale I had my phone out and was trying to dial 911 while in a full sprint.  I made it to the public scene of Main Street.  Everyone was walking around drinking and laughing...with no idea of what just happened to me.  Two guys came out of their apartment.  "Lookin Snazzy!"  They had seen me sprinting down the street and I guess in my suit I did look good doing so.  I told them what happened and their smiles were soon erased.  They told me the street I was on was Pensdale and I called the cops.  When we got to my car nothing had happened to it.  They searched the area but since I had no description...I was of no help. But I got away.  I drove all the way home shaking.  I tried calling everyone I could who was at McShea's wedding to give them some warning in case anyone was still in the area.  I didn't sleep.  But I did have a story for SDAND.  Ironically when I reenacted the story for Jon in the morning I ended up tripping on the curb and cutting my toe and hand open.  I ended up getting more injured telling the story than during the actual mugging....which is par...for me.
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