r/TikTokCringe • u/Girl-Understood • Aug 22 '26

Discussion This mother has gone viral vlogging her experience during the ongoing Gary, Indiana Blackout, people angered by the GoFundMe support she's attracted decided to report it and doxxed her.

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328

u/DoubleManufacturer28 Aug 22 '26

Any time there is a thread anywhere on reddit about the worst/most destitute place they've ever seen Gary, Indiana is at the top. The only place that tops Gary in these threads is Haiti. 

108

u/bolhuijo Aug 22 '26

Crews will be rolling into Gary going, "OMG this is worse that anything we've ever seen, better get to work!" and the locals will be, "No no, over here guys, that whole area was like that before."

6

u/ffffllllpppp Aug 23 '26

The reality is different. Apparently irl the locals shoot at the people coming to help them…

2

u/FirelightMLPOC Aug 23 '26

That was apparently misinformation, the ‘locals shooting’ thing. There are no actual documented incidents of this occurring in Gary IN

1

u/ffffllllpppp Aug 23 '26

What I saw was this:

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/shots-fired-at-nipsco-vehicle-during-power-restoration-efforts-in-gary/3975830/

The reason it seemed possible to me is that this kind of stuff has happened before…

29

u/JayGabVersionTrex Aug 22 '26

Is it worse than Flint MI?

66

u/jestr6 Aug 22 '26

Yes

1

u/singlemale4cats Aug 22 '26

Have you been to both? Because I've spent a lot of time in Flint, and it's hard to believe Gary is worse.

2

u/jestr6 Aug 23 '26

Yes I’ve been to both.

1

u/singlemale4cats Aug 23 '26

Been to, or spent time in?

I'm curious how either one could happen. Not exactly prime vacation destinations.

5

u/jestr6 Aug 23 '26

Well, not that I have to justify my experiences to you, but I’ve spent time in both places due to personal and work-related reasons.

2

u/singlemale4cats Aug 23 '26

You're absolutely right. All I can say is Gary must be an absolute shit hole, then.

2

u/jestr6 Aug 23 '26

Yeah, it kinda sucks.

38

u/OddlyTemptedFish Aug 22 '26

As a truck driver I’ve been all over the country, the only place I haven’t been is Hawaii. I’ve been held at gunpoint once and had two instances where they tried to get into the trailer. All three of those incidents were in Gary. I found Hunts Point in NYC to be significantly safer and it has a terrible rep.

2

u/favorscore Aug 23 '26

So uh how do you handle being held at gunpoint.

9

u/OddlyTemptedFish Aug 23 '26

It was a really intense situation because he wasn’t robbing me. I missed the entrance to where I was going and found myself on roads that didn’t allow trucks. I got turned back around and was making my way to where I needed to be when he stepped out in front of my truck and refused to move. When I got out to reason with him he pulled a gun on me. A trucker had previously taken out the power lines in his neighborhood so he was taking it upon himself to teach truckers a lesson. I just had to keep talking and talking, being extremely respectful and apologetic but not coming off scared. The whole ordeal lasted about 45 minutes but it felt like I was there all night.

2

u/favorscore Aug 23 '26

That is insane. I know truckers get paid well but idk if it's enough when you gotta drive thru areas like this

1

u/marlboropurple Aug 23 '26

I would imagine a reputation like this keeps the place down. Nobody with any skills is choosing to work in Gary. Linemen included.

83

u/Huge_Midget Aug 22 '26

You have to understand the history of Gary to fully appreciate exactly why it is the desolate hellscape that it is today. At it's heyday, Gary was the richest predominantly black city in Indiana. The same Indiana with a famously rich racist love affair with the KKK. When MLK was assassinated in 1968 and the Chicago riots started, Gary also rose up and the governor ordered 3,000 National Guard troops to assist the police to put down the riots.

As punishment for daring to resist the government, industries in the area immediately pulled out and started closing the steel mills and other factories in the area to starve the population of any meaningful work and hope for a future. Many citizens moved away seeking better opportunities, and the local government was starved of any funding possible at the state level to ensure the collapse of city services. Gary went from being one of the richest cities in the state to the poorest within a decade.

22

u/Plumbus_Patrol Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26

Man great historical context amidst the noise in these comments

2

u/wchicchi Aug 23 '26

Similar happened in Detroit proper. Why all the auto plants were moved to the surrounding suburbs.

38

u/IvanNemoy Aug 22 '26

Flint's only major issue was the leaded water pipes. Past that it's just like most other economically depressed but otherwise normal towns.

Gary, on the other hand, is some new level.

29

u/YouSeemNiceXB Aug 22 '26

by country miles

7

u/Miserable-Cobbler790 Aug 22 '26

East St Louis only place I’ve seen that’s close.
And parts of Detroit 15 years ago.