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Title: Fuck the System Author: Abbie Hoffman Date: 1967 Language: en Topics: yippies, anarcho-communism, system, anti-state, anti-capitalism, lifestylism, NYC, New York Source: Retrieved on 26th September 2020 from https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Fuck_the_System Notes: This booklet was made sometime in the late 1960’s, likely the summer of 1967. Although the author is given as George Metesky, a notorious criminal nicknamed the “Mad Bomber”, it was in fact written by Abbie Hoffman, who included it as an appendix to his later book Revolution for the Hell of It.
FREE VEGETABLES — Hunt’s Point Market, Hunt’s Point Avenue and 138^(th)
Street. Have to go by car or truck between 6–9 A.M. but well worth it.
You can get enough vegetables to last your commune a week. Lettuce,
squash, carrots, canteloupe, grapefruit, melons, even artichokes and
mushrooms. Just tell them you want to feed some people free and it’s
yours, all crated and everything. Hunt’s Point is the free people’s
heaven.
FREE MEAT AND POULTRY — The closest slaughterhouse area is in the far
West Village, west of Hudson Street and south of 14^(th) Street. Get a
letter from Rev. Allen of St. Mark’s on the Bowerie, Second Avenue and
10^(th) Street, saying you need some meat for a church sponsored meal.If
you want to be really professional, dress as a priest and go over and
ask. Bring a car or truck. A freezer unit will save a good deal of
running around. Don’t give up on this one. Turning a guy on to the free
idea will net you a week’s supply of top quality meat. There is some law
that if the meat touches the ground or floor they have to give it away.
So if you know how to trip a meat truck, by all means ...
FREE FRESH FISH — The Fish Market is located on Fulton Street and South
Street under the East River Drive overpass. You have to get there
between 6–9 A.M. but it is well worth it. The fishermen always have
hundreds of pounds of fish that they have to throw away if they don’t
sell. Mackerel, halibut, cod, catfish, and more. You can have as much as
you can cart away.
FREE BREAD AND ROLLS — Rapaports on Second Avenue between 5^(th) and
6^(th) Streets will give you all the free bread and rolls you can carry.
You have to get there by 7:00 A.M. in order to get the stuff. It’s a day
old, but still very good. If you want them absolutely fresh, put them in
an oven to which you have added a pan of water (to avoid drying them
out), and warm them for a few minutes. Most bakeries will give you day
old stuff if you give them a half way decent sob story.
A&P stores clean their vegetable bins every day at 9:00 A.M. They always
throw out cartons of very good vegetables. Tell them you want to feed
your rabbits. Also recommended is picking up food in a supermarket and
eating it before you leave the store. This method is a lot safer than
the customary shoplifting. In order to be prosecuted for shoplifting you
have to leave the store with the goods. If you have eaten it there is no
evidence to be used against you.
FREE COOKING LESSONS — (Plus you get to eat the meal) are sponsored by
the New York Department of Markets, 137 Centre Street. Thursday
mornings. Call CA 6–5653 for more information.
Check the Yellow Pages for Catering Services. You can visit them on a
Saturday, Sunday afternoon or Monday morning. They always have stuff
left over. Invest 10c in one of the Jewish Dailies and check out the
addresses of the local synagogues and their schedule of bar mitzvahs,
weddings, and testimonial dinners. Show up at the back of the place
about three hours after it is scheduled to start. There is always
left-over food. Tell them you’re a college student and want to bring
some back for your fraternity brothers. Jews dig the college bullshit.
If you want the food served to you out front you naturally have to
disguise yourself to look straight. Remarks such as “I’m Marvin’s
brother” or — learning the bride’s name from the paper — “Gee, Dorothy
looks marvelous” are great. Lines like “Betty doesn’t look pregnant” are
frowned upon.
Large East Side bars are fantastically easy touches. The best time is
5:00 P.M. Take a half empty glass of booze from an empty table and use
it as a prop. Just walk around sampling the hors d’oeuvres. Once you
find your favorite, stick to it. You can soon become a regular. They
won’t mind your loading up on free food because they consider you one of
the crowd. Little do they realize that you are a super freeloader. All
Longchamps are good. Max’s Kansas City at Park Avenue South and16th
Street doesn’t even mind it if you freeload when you are hungry and an
advantage here is thatyou can wear any kind of clothes. Max features
fried chicken wings, Swedish meatballs and ravioli.
THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS is located at 26
Second Avenue. Every morning at 7:00 AM a delicious cereal breakfast is
servedfree along with chanting and dancing. Also 12 Noon more food and
chanting and on Monday,Wednesday and Friday at 7:00 P.M. again food and
chanting. Then it’s all day Sunday in Central Park Sheepmeadow
(generally) for still more chanting (sans food). Hari Krishna is the
freest high going if you can get into it and dig cereal and, of course,
more chanting.
FREE TEA AND COOKIES — In a very nice setting at the Tea Center, 16 East
56^(th) Street. 10-11A.M. and 2–4 P.M. Monday to Friday.
THE CATHOLIC WORKER — 181 Chrystie Street, will feed you any time but
you have to prayas you do in the various Salvation Army stations. Heavy
wino scenes. The heaviest wino scene isthe Men’s Temporary Shelter on 8
East 3^(rd) Street. You can get free room and/or meals here if you are
over 21 but it’s worse than jail or Bellevue. It is a definite last
resort only.
The freest meal of all is Tuesdays at 5:00 P.M. inside or in front of
St. Mark’s Church on the Bowerie, Second Avenue at 10^(th) Street. A few
yippie-diggers serve up a meal ranging from Lion Meat to Guppy Chowder
to Canteloupe Salad. They are currently looking for a free truck to help
them collect the food and free souls dedicated to extending the free
food concept. The Motherfuckers also dish out free food on St. Mark’s
Place from time to time.
If you are really looking for class, pick up a copy of the New York
Times and check the box in the back pages designating ocean cruises. On
every departure there is a bon voyage party. Just walk on a few hours
before sailing time and start swinging. Champagne, caviar, lobster
salad, all as free as the open sea. If you get stoned enough and miss
getting off you can also wiggle a free boat ride although you get sent
back as soon as you hit the other side — but it’s a free ocean cruise,
even if it’s in the brig.
You can get free food in varying quantities by going to the factories.
Many also offer a free tour. However, the plants are generally located
outside of Manhattan. If you can get a car, try a trip to Long Island
City. There you will find the Gordon Baking Company at 42 25 21^(st)
Street, Pepsi-Cola at 4602 Fifth Avenue, Borden Company at 35 10
Steinway Street and Dannon Yogurt at 22–11 38^(th) Avenue. All four
places give out free samples and if you write or call in advance and say
it is for a block party or church affair, they will give you a few
cases.
FREE BOOZE — Jacob Ruppert Brewery at 1639 Third Avenue near 91^(st)
Street will give you a tour at 10:30 AM. and 2:30 P.M. complete with
free booze in their tap room.
The Sun is free. Hair is freee. Naked bodies are free. Smiles are free.
Rain is free. Unfortunately there is no free air in New York. Con
Edison’s phone number is 679–6700.
WELFARE — If you live in lower Manhattan the welfare center for you is
located on 11 West 13^(th) Street, 989–1210. There is, of course, red
tape involved and they don’t dig longhairs. Be prepared to tell a good
story as to why you cannot work, however your looks (which they cannot
make you change) might be good enough reason. This is one place where
sloppy clothes pay off. You have to be over 18 to get help. A caseworker
will be assigned to you. Some will actually dig the whole scene and
won’t give you a hard time, others can be a real bitch. Getting on
welfare can get you free rent, phone, utilities, and about $20.00 a week
to live on. There are also various food stamp and medical programs you
become eligible for If you can stomach hassle, welfare is a must. The
main office number is Dl 4–8700 if you do not live in lower Manhattan.
FREE CLOTHES — Try ESSO, 341 East 10^(th) Street or Tompkins Square
Community Center on Avenue B and 9^(th) Street. Also the streets are
excellent places to pick up good clothes (see section on free furniture
for best times to go hunting)
FREE LAWYERS — Legal Aid Society, 100 Centre Street. BE 30250 (criminal
matters) and the New York University Law Center Office, 249 Sullivan
Street. GR 3–1896 (civil matters). Also for specialized cases and
information you can call the National Lawyers Guild. 5 Beekman Street
227–1078 or the New York Civil Liberties Union, 156 Fifth Avenue, WA
96076. For the best help on the Lower East Side use Mobilization for
Youth Legal Services, 320 East 3^(rd) Street between Avenues C and D. OR
70400, ask for legal services. Open Tuesday to Friday. 9 A.M. to 6 P.M.
anduntil 8 P.M on Mondays some of the best lawyers in the city available
here.
FREE FLOWERS At about 930 A.M. each day you can bum free flowers in the
Flower District on Sixth Avenue between 22^(nd) and 23^(rd) Streets Once
in a while you can find a potted tree that’s been thrown out because
it’s slightly damaged.
FREE FURNITURE — By far the best place to get free furniture is on the
street. Once a week in every district the sanitation department makes
bulk pick-ups. The night before residents put out all kinds of stuff on
the street. For the best selection try the West Village on Monday nights
and the east Seventies on Tuesday nights. On Wednesday night there are
fantastic pick-ups on 35^(th) Street in back of Macy’s. Move quickly
though, the guards get pissed off easily; the truckers couldn’t
careless. This street method can furnish your whole pad. Beds, desks,
bureaus, lamps, bookcases,chairs, and tables. It’s all a matter of
transportation. If you don’t have access to a car or truck it is almost
worth it to rent a station wagon on a weekday and make pick-ups.
Alexander’s Rent-a-Car is about the cheapest for in-city use. $5.95 and
10c a mile for a regular car. A station wagon is slightly more. Call AG
9–2200 for the branch near you.
Also consider demolition and construction sites as a good source for
building materials to construct furniture. The large wooden cable spools
make great tables. Cinder-blocks, bricks and boards for bookcases. Doors
for tables. Nail kegs for stools and chairs.
FREE BUS RIDES — Get on with a large denomination bill just as the bus
is leaving.
FREE SUBWAY RIDES — Get a dark green card and flash it quickly as you go
through the exit gate. Always test the swing bars in the turnstile
before you put in the token. Someone during the day was sure to drop an
extra token in and a free turn is just waiting for the first one to take
advantage of it. By far the most creative method is the use of German
fennigs. Danish ore or Mozambique 10 centavos pieces. These fit most
turnstiles except the newest (carry a real token touse in case the
freebee doesn’t work). These foreign coins come four or five to a penny.
Large amounts must be purchased outside New York City. Most dealers will
not sell you large amounts since the Transit Authority has been
pressuring them. Try telling dealers you want them to make jewelry.
Another interesting coin is the 5 aurar from Iceland. This is the same
size as a quarter and will work in most vending machines. They sell for
three or four to the penny. There are other coins that also work. Buy a
bag of assorted foreign coins from a coin dealer and do a little
measuring.You are sure to find tome that fit the bill. Speaking of
fitting the bill, we have heard that dollar bills can be duplicated on
any Xerox machine (fronts done separately from backs and pasted
together)and used in vending machines that give change for a dollar.
This method has not been field tested.
The best form of free transportation is hitch-hiking. This is so novel
in New York that it often works. Crosstown on 8^(th) Street is good.
FREE PHONE CALLS — A number 14 brass washer with a small piece of scotch
tape over one side of the hole will work in old style phones (also
parking meters, laundromat dryers, soda and other vending machines). The
credit card bit works on long distance calls. Code letter for 1968 is J,
then a phone number and then a three digit district number. A district
number, as well as the phone number, can be made up by using any three
numbers from about 051 to 735. Example: J-573-21OO-421 or
J-637-3400-302. The phone number should end in 00 since most large
corporations have numbers that end that way. The people that you call
often get weird phone calls from the company but not much else. There
are also legitimate credit card numbers available. One recent number
belonged to Steve McQueen. A phone bill of $50,000 was racked up in one
month. McQueen, of course, was not held responsible
FREE MONEY — Panhandling nets some people up to Twenty dollars a day.
The best places are Third Avenue in the fifties and the Theater District
off Times Square. Both best in the evening on weekends. Uptown guys with
dates are the best touch especially if they are just leaving some guilt
movie like “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” The professional panhandlers
don’t waste their time on the Lower East Side except on weekends when
the tourists come out.
Devise a street theater act or troupe. It can be anything from a funny
dance to a five piece band or a poetry reading. People give a lot more
dough and the whole atmosphere sings a little. SMILE!
Panhandle at the rectories and nunneries on the side of every Catholic
Church. Contrary to rumor the brother and sister freeloaders in black
live very well and will always share something with a fellow panhandler.
Also see previous sections on the use of foreign coins.
FREE BOOKS AND RECORDS — If you have an address you can get all kinds of
books and records from clubs on introductory offers. Since the cards you
mail back are not signed there is no legal way you can be held
responsible although you get all sorts of threatening mail, which, by
the way, also comes free.
You can always use the Public Libraries. The main branch is on Fifth
Avenue and 42^(nd) Street.There are 168 branches all over the city. Call
OX 5–4200 for information and a schedule of free events.
POEMS are free. Are you a poem or are you a prose???
FREE GAS — If you have a car and need some gas late at night you can get
a gallon and then some by emptying the hoses from the pumps into your
tank. There is always a fair amount of surplus gas left when the pumps
are shut off.
FREE LAND — Write to “Green Revolution” c/o School of Living. Freeland,
Maryland, for their free newspaper with news about rural land available
in the United States and the progress of various rural communities. The
best available free land is in Canada. You can get a free listing by
writing to the Department of Land and Forests, Parliament Building,
Quebec City, Canada. Also write to the Geographical Branch, Department
of Mines and Technical Surveys, Parliament Buildings, Quebec City.
Canada. Lynn Burrows, c/o Communications Group, 2630 Point Grey Rd.
Vancouver 8, British Columbia, Canada, will give you the best
information on setting up a community in Canada.
If you really want to live for free, get some friends together and seize
a building at Columbia University. 116^(th) Street and Broadway. The
cops come free, as do blue ribbon committees with funny long names
FREE BUFFALO — In order to keep the herds at a controllable level the
government will give you a real, live buffalo if you can guarantee
shipping expenses and adequate grazing area. Write to the Office of
Information, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC.
MEDICAID — Medicaid Center. 330 West Street. 594–3050. Medicaid is a
very good deal if you can qualify and can stand a little red tape.
According to the new law you have to be under 21 or over 65 years of age
and have a low income ($2900 or less if you are single) to qualify. It
takes about a month to process your application, but if you get a card
you are entitled to free hospital and dental services, private
physicians, drugs and many other medical advantages
AMBULANCE SERVICE — Call 440–1234. You get 1 cop free of charge with
this service. There is no way to get an ambulance without a cop in New
York.
EMERGENCY DOCTOR — TR 9–1000.
EMERGENCY DENTIST — YU 8–6110.
NEARBY HOSPITALS — Gouverneur Clinic, 9 Gouverneur Slip, 227 3000 St.
Vincent Hospital, 7^(th) Ave. and West 11^(th) St. 620–1234. Bellevue
Hospital, First Avenue and 27^(th) Street, 679–5487. On the above
medical services you have to pay but you can file the bill or send it to
the National Digger Client Center in Washington, D.C. They will pay it
for you.
THE WASHINGTON HEIGHTS HEALTH CENTER — 168^(th) Street and Broadway,
provides free chest X rays as well as other services. You can get a free
smallpox vaccination here at 10: A.M.weekdays if you’re traveling
abroad. Call WA 7–6300 for information.See special section on clap in
this booklet for information on VD treatment.
FREE DRUGS — In the area along Central Park West in the 70’s and 80’s
are located many doctor’s offices. Daily they throw out piles of drug
samples. If you know what you’re looking for,search this area.
FREE SECURITY — For this trick you need some money to begin with.
Deposit it in a bank and return in a few weeks telling them you lost
your bank book. They give you a card to fill out and sign and in a week
you will receive another. Now, withdraw your money, leaving you with
your original money and a bank book showing a balance. You can use this
as identification, to prevent vagrancy busts traveling, as collateral
for bail, or for opening a charge account at a store.
FREE BIRTH CONTROL INFORMATION AND DEVICES — Clergy Consultation
Abortion, call 477–0034 and you will get a recorded announcement giving
you the names of clergymen who you can call and get birth control
information, including abortion contacts. Parents Aid Society, 130 Main
Street, Hempstead, Long Island. (516) 538 2626, provides by far the most
complete birth control information Pills are provided as well as
diaphrams. Referrals are made to doctors willing to perform abortions
despite their illegality because of medieval, menopausal politicians.
Call them for an appointment before you go out there. They are about to
establish an office on the lower East Side.
FREE INFORMATION — Yippie: Youth International Party, 32 Union Square
East. 982–5090
ESSO — East Side Service Organization, 141 East 10^(th) St., 533–5930
DIAL-A DEMONSTRATION — 924–6315 to find out about antiwar rallies and
demonstrations
DIAL A SATELLITE — TR 3–0404 to find out schedules of satellites.
NERVOUS can be dialed for the time
WEATHER REPORT — WE 6–1212
DIAL A PRAYER — CI 6–4200. God is a long distance call
If you want someone to talk you out of jumping out of a window call IN
2–3322.
If you have nothing to do for a few minutes, call the Pentagon (collect)
and ask for Colonel John Masters of the Inter-Communication Center. Ask
him how the war’s going. (202) LI 5–6700.
If you want the latest news information you can call the wire services:
AP is PL 7–1312 or UFI is MU 2–0400.
LIBERATION NEWS SERVICE — At 3064 Broadway and 121^(st) Street will give
you up to the minute coverage of movement news both national and local,
as well as a more accurate picture of what’s going on. Call 8651360. By
the way, what is going on?
THE EAST VILLAGE OTHER — Office at 105 Second Avenue and 6^(th) Street,
228–8640 might be able to answer some of your questions.
THE DAILY NEWS INFORMATION BUREAU — 220 East 42^(nd) Street, MU 21234,
will try to answer any question you put to them, unless it’s “Why do we
need the Daily News?”
THE NEW YORK TIMES RESEARCH BUREAU — 229 West 43^(rd) Street, LA 4–1000
will research news questions that pertain to the past three months if
you believe there was a past three months.
FREE lessons in a variety of skills such as plumbing, electricity,
jewelry malting, construction and woodworking are provided by the
Mechanics Institute, 20 West 44^(th) Street. Call or write them well in
advance for a schedule. You must sign up early for lessons as they try
to maintain small courses.MU 7–4279.
Ron Rosen at 68 Thompson Street will give you free Karate lessons if he
considers you in the movement.
FREE YOGA LESSONS — Yoga Institute, 50 East 81^(st) Street, LE 5–0126.
Call in advance for lecture schedule. You might be asked to do some
voluntary kitchen yoga after the lessons.
FREE RENT — There are many abandoned buildings that are still habitable
especially if you know someone with electrical skills who, with a
minimum of effort can supply you with free electricity. You can be
busted for criminal trespassing but many people are getting away with
it. If you are already in an apartment, eviction proceedings in New York
take about six months even if you don’t pay rent.
You can sleep in the parks during the day. Day or night you can sleep on
the roofs which are fairly safe and comfortable if you can find a shady
spot. The tar gets very hot when the sun comes out.
Make friends with someone in the building, then if the cops or landlord
or other residents give you a problem you can say you are staying with
someone in the building. Stay out of hallways, don’t sleep on streets or
stoops, or in the parks at night.
FREE BEACHES — Coney Island Beach (ES 2 1670) and Manhattan Beach on
Oriental Boulevard (DE 2 6794) are two in Brooklyn that are free. Call
for directions on how to get there.
The Bronx offers Orchard Beach, call TT 5–1828 for information.
FREE COLLEGE — If you want to go to college free send away for the
schedule of courses at the college of your choice. Pick your courses and
walk into the designated classrooms. In some smaller classes this might
be a problem but in large classes, of which there are hundreds in New
York, there is no problem. If you need books for the course, write to
the publisher telling him you are a lecturer at some school and are
considering using the book in your course.
FREE THEATER — The Dramatic Workshop — Studio # 808, Carnegie Hall
Building, 881 Seventh Avenue at 56^(th) Street. Free on Friday, Saturday
and Sunday at 8:15 P.M., JU 6 4800 for information.
New York Shakespeare Festival — Delacourte Theatre, Central Park. Every
night except Monday.Performance begins at 8:00 P.M. but get there before
6:00 P.M. to be assured tickets.
This is our favorite way to sneak into a regular movie theater: Arrive
just as the show is emptying out and join the line leaving the theater.
Exclaiming, “Oh, my gosh!” slap your forehead, turnaround and return,
telling the usher you left your hat, pocketbook, etc., inside. Once
you’re in the theatre just take a seat and wait for the next show.
Another method is to call the theater early and pose as a film critic
for one of the mini magazines and ask to be placed on the “O. K. list.”
Usually this works.
Pageant Players, The 6^(th) Street Theater Group and other street
theater groups perform on various street corners, particularly on the
Lower East Side. Free Theater is also provided at the United Nations
building and the Stock Exchange on Wall Street, if you enjoy seventeenth
century comedy.
If you look relatively straight you can sneak into conventions and get
all kinds of free drinks, snacks and samples. Call the New York
Convention Bureau, 90 East 42^(nd) Street, MU 7–1300 for information.
You can also get free tickets to theater events here at 9:00 A.M.
FREE MOVIES — New York Historical Society — Central Park West and
77^(th) Street. Hollywood movies every Saturday afternoon. Call TR
3–3400 for schedule.
Metropolitan Museum of Art — Fifth Avenue and 82^(nd) Street. Art films
Mondays at 3:00 P.M.Call TR 9–5500 for schedule.
New York University — Has a very good free movie program as well as
poetry, lectures, and theater presentations. Call the Program Director’s
Office, 598–2026 for schedule.
Millennium Film Workshop 2 East 2^(nd) Street. Fridays be ginning at
7:15 P.M. open screening of films by underground directors.
FREE MUSIC — Greenwich House of Music School – 46 Barrow Street (of
Seventh Avenue),West Village. Fridays at 8:30 P.M. Classical.
Donnell Library Center — 20 West 53^(rd) Street. Schedule found in
“Calendar of Events” at any library. Classical.
Frick Museum — 1 East 70^(th) Street. BU 8–0700. Concerts every Sunday
afternoon. The best of the classical offerings. You must do some red
tape work though. Send self — addressed stamped envelope that will
arrive on Monday before the date you wish to go. One letter — one
ticket.
The Group Image — Performs every Wednesday night at the Hotel Diplomat
on West 43^(rd) Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, and you can
get in free if you say you have no money (sometimes). If you promise to
take your clothes off it’s definitely free. If you ball on the dance
floor, you get a season’s pass.
Filmore East — 105 Second Avenue. If you live in the Lower East Side you
can generally get into the Filmore East after the show has started, if
there are seats. Just go up to the door with a half way decent story.
You’re with the diggers or Eve or something will generally work.
There are various free festivals put on in Central Park. You can call
the City Parks Departments for a schedule at 734–1000.
Washington Square in the West Village is always jumping on Sunday. Check
out the Banana Singers either here or on St. Mark’s Place. Cop a kazoo
in Woolworths or a tambourine and join the band.
FREE MUSEUMS — Metropolitan Museum — Fifth Avenue and 82^(nd) Street.
This works very well at pre-released screenings. You can phone the
various screening studios andfind out what they are screening.
Frick Museum — 1 East 70^(th) Street. Great when you’re stoned. Closed
Mondays.
The Cloisters — Weekdays 10 A.M. to 5 P.M., Sundays 1 P.M. to 6 P.M.
Take INO Eighth Avenue express (A train) to 190^(th) Street station and
walk a few blocks. The #4 Fifth Avenue bus also goes all the way up and
it’s a pleasant ride. One of the best trip places in town in medieval
setting.
Brooklyn Museum — Eastern Parkway and Washington Avenue. Egyptian stuff
best in the world outside of Egypt. Take IRT (Broadway Line) express
train to Brooklyn Museum station.
Museum of the American Indian — Broadway at 155^(th) Street. The largest
Indian museum in the world. Open Tuesday to Sunday 1 to 5 P.M. Take IRT
(Broadway Line) local to 157^(th) Street station.
Museum of Natural History — Central Park West and 79^(th) Street. Great
dinosaurs and other stuff. Weekdays 10–5 P.M., Sunday 1–5 P.M.
The Hispanic Society of America — Broadway between 15^(th) and 156^(th)
Streets. The best Spanishart collection in the city.
Asia House Gallery — 112 East 64^(th) Street. Art objects from the Far
East.
Marine Museum of the Seaman’s Church — 25 South Street. All kinds of
model ships and sea stuff.
Chase Manhattan Bank Museum of Money — 1256 Sixth Avenue. Free people
consider property as theft and regard all banks, especially Chase
Manhattan ones, as museums.
THE STATEN ISLAND FERRY — Not free, but a nickel each way for a five
mile ocean voyage around the southern tip of Manhattan is worth it. Take
IRT (Broadway Line) to South Ferry, local only. Ferry leaves every half
hour day and night.
FREE CRICKET MATCHES — At both Van Cortland Park in the Bronx and Walker
Park on Staten Island every Sunday afternoon. Get schedule from British
Travel Association, 43 West 61^(st) Street. At Walker Park free tea and
crumpets
FREE POETRY, LECTURES, ETC. — The best advice here is to see the back
page of the Village Voice for free events that week. There are a variety
of talks given at the Free School, 20 East 14^(th) Street. Call 675–7424
for information. For free brochures about free cultural events in New
York go to Cultural Information Center, 148 West 57^(th) Street.
FREE SWIMMING POOLS 1. — East 23^(rd) Street and Asser Levy Place (near
Avenue A). Indoor and outdoor pools, plusgymnasium. 2. — 83 Carmine
Street (at Seventh Avenue, West Village). Indoor and outdoor pools
plusgymnasium.Bring your own swim suit and towel. 35c admission at
certain times after 1:00 P.M. if you are over 14 years of age.
BRONX ZOO — Bronx and Pelham Parkways. Largest zoo in the U. S. Great
collection of animals in natural settings. IRT Broadway (Dyre Avenue
line) to 180^(th) Street station and walk north. Free every day but
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday when cost is 25c.
BOTANICAL GARDENS — 1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn Another peaceful
trip center.This and the Cloisters best in New York if you want to get
away from it all quickly. Open 8:30A.M. ‘til dusk. Take IRT (Broadway
line) to the Brooklyn Museum station.
FREE PARK EVENTS — All kinds of events in the Parks are free Call
755–4100 for a recorded announcement of week’s events.
You can get free posters, literature and books from the various missions
to the United Nations located on the East Side near the U.N. building.
The Cuban Mission, 6 I 67^(th) Street, will give you free copies of
Granma, the Cuban newspaper, Man and Socialism in Cuba, a book by Che.
You can get fingerprinted free and have your phone tapped at no expense
by going to the F.B.I, at 201 East 69^(th) Street Call LE 5–7700, ask
for J. Hoover. Tell him you’re Walter Jenkins.
FREE PETS — ASPCA. 441 East 92^(nd) Street and York Avenue. TR 6–7700.
Dogs, cats, some birds and other pets. Tell them you’re from out of town
if you want a dog and you will not have to pay the $5.00 license fee.
Have them inspect and inoculate the pet which they do free of charge.
DRAFT RESISTANCE ADVICE — Many of you have problems that require draft
counseling or maybe you have gone AWOL and need advice. There are
numerous groups that will help out. Go down to 5 Beekman Street (near
City Hall) and find your way to the 10^(th) floor There are many
anti-draft groups located there who will give you the right kind of
information. Call the Resistance,732–4272 for details.
FREE CLOTHING REPAIRS — All Wallach stores feature a service that
includes sewing on buttons, free shoe horns, and shoe laces, mending
pants pockets and linings, punches extra holes in belts, and a number of
other free services.
FREE CARS — If you want to travel a long distance the auto
transportation agencies are a great deal. Look in the Yellow Pages under
Automobile Transportation and Trucking. You must be over 21 and have a
valid driver’s license. Call them up and tell them when and where you
want to go and they will tell you if they have a car. They give you the
car and a tank of gas free. You pay the rest.
Go to pick up the car alone, then get some people who also want to go to
help with expenses. You can make San Francisco for about $80.00 in tolls
and gas in four days without pushing. Usually you have the car for
longer and can make a whole thing out of it. You must look “straight”
when you go to the agency.
If you would like to meet a real ghost, write Hans Holm c/o New York
Committee for Investigation of Paranormal Research. 140 Riverside Drive.
New York. N. Y. He’ll put you in touch for free.
RADIO FREE NEW YORK — WBA-FM, 99–5 on your dial, 30 East 39^(th) Street,
OX 7 2288,after midnight radio station provides air time for free souls
who need help or offer it.
NEW YORK SCENES, a magazine has a monthly column called “The Free
Loader” with good advice on getting stuff free.
MIMEOGRAPH MACHINE — Both the ESSO office and Yippie have a free mimeo
machine that you can use to print poetry, criticism, your life story or
anything else.
FREE BAKERY — Every Wednesday some people get together and cook bread at
St. Mark’s Church on the Bowerie, Second Avenue and 10^(th) Street.
Write to major corporations and tell them you bought one of their
products and it doesn’t work, or it’s shit, or it tastes bad. Most firms
will send you up to a case of merchandise just to get you off their
back. Try Tootsie Roll, Campbell’s Soup and cigarette companies for
starters. Also General Mills for cereals. Write to their public
relations office. One day at the library and a few stamps will get you
tons of stuff.
CLAP AND THE TASMANIAN PIG FEVER — Clap (syphilis and gonorrhea) and
Tasmanian Pig Fever (TPF) are two diseases you can easily pick up for
free on the Lower East Side. One, the Clap, you catch, and the other,
TPF, catches you. The Clap comes from balling. There are some that claim
they get it from sitting on a toilet seat but that is possible only if
you dig that position.
Generally, using a prophylactic will prevent the spreading of Clap. If
you don’t use them and you ball a lot your chances of picking it up are
pretty good.
Syphilis usually begins with a sore which may look like a cold sore or
any other kind of sore or pimple around your sex organ. Soon the sore
disappears, even without treatment, and is often followed by an
inflammation of the mouth and throat, and rashes on the body. These
symptoms also disappear without any treatment. But even if these outer
signs disappear the disease remains if untreated. If it remains
untreated years later syphilis can cause serious trouble such as heart
disease, blindness, insanity, and paralysis.
Gonorrhea is more common than syphilis. The first sign of gonorrhea is a
discharge from your sex organ. It may not be noticed in women. In men
there is usually itching and burning of the affected areas. If untreated
it can result in permanent damage to sex glands. Both syphilis and
gonorrhea can be cured in a short time with proper medical attention.
The doctor’s instructions must be followed to the letter if you want to
shake the disease. Sometimes someone will get a shot of penicillin, go
home and wait three days, and seeing no change in his condition he will
assume the treatment is not working and not go back for more. Some
strains are resistant to penicillin but will respond to other
medication. Keep going to the clinic until the doctor says No. Free
Treatment regardless of age is available for Lower East Side residents
at the Chelsea Hygiene Center, 303 Ninth Avenue at 27^(th) Street. Call
LA 4–2537 for more free information. You can also get tests for a
variety of other illnesses here, including hepatitis, which is common
and dangerous. Free cancer check-ups also given. Day and night phone
information at 269–5300.
Tasmanian Pig Fever is a disease common to the Lower a variety of
reasons. Let’s face it, the Lower East Side is a ghetto and getting
busted by a cop is common in any American ghetto. The following is some
general basic advice and some help on the chief causes for busts — dope
and runaways, although runaways are not technically busted.
The TPF is the riot control squad in New York and is called out to
handle many street demonstrations. The local police come out of the
Ninth Precinct located on 5^(th) Street between First and Second
Avenues. The local cops are under the direction of Lieutenant Joe Fink.
There are numerous arrests down here and a working knowledge of what to
do about the cops can be very helpful. Never let cops in your house if
they do not have a search warrant. Ask them to slip it under the door.
They only have a right to enter without a search warrant if they have
strong reason to believe a crime is being committed on the premises.
Most cases without a search warrant are thrown out of court. If you are
arrested, give your name and address. If you do not you will have bail
trouble. You can give a friend’s address. Do not discuss any details of
your case with the police. Demand to see your lawyer (See Free Legal Aid
Section). You are allowed a phone call and generally they will give you
three. Call your closest friend and tell him you are arrested. He should
be instructed to meet you in court at 100 Center Street. On the fourth
floor your friend can find out what court room you will appear in for
arraignment. There is a Legal Aid lawyer in the courtroom who will
handle the arraignment. If the charges are misdemeanors he should be
used, if the charges are felonies you might be advised to get help from
a private lawyer, Mobilization for Youth or some other agency. A good
lawyer can get a bail reduction that can save you a good deal of time if
you are hard up for bread. Bail depends on a variety of factors ranging
from previous arrests to the judge’s hangover. It can be put up in
collateral, i.e. a bank book, or often there is a cash alternative
offered which amounts to about 10 to 20% of the bail. Try and have your
friend show up with at least a hundred dollars in cash. For very high
bail there are the bail bondsmen in the area of the courthouse who will
cover the bail for a fee not to exceed 5%. You will need what they term
a solid citizen to sign the bail papers and perhaps put up some
collateral.
DOPE BUSTS — Possession of less than a quarter of an ounce of pot is
considered a misdemeanor. The penalty can be up to one year. In
actuality, a conviction for possession is very rare. The New York courts
are quite lenient on this charge. More than a quarter of an ounce is
considered possession with intent to sell. This along with sale (to an
agent) are considered felonies and punishable by terms of up to 15 years
in prison. A few precautions are in order. If you are carrying when
busted eat it as soon as it is cool. Never sell to someone you do not
know. Never make a sale with two other people present. Agents always buy
with another person or agent present as a witness. Never sell to anyone
facing an indictment for they are subject to pressure. Undercover agents
have some pretty interesting disguises. Black undercover cops are very
hard to spot. Often undercover cops wear beards and mustaches but few,
contrary to rumor, have very long hair. Longhair that takes a year to
grow is not possible since agents are switched around and anyway long
hair doesn’t grow in Queens. Undercover cops always carry a gun so look
out for that noticeable bulge or a jacket being worn on a hot day.
There is a new bill already passed, waiting for the governor’s
signature, that would upgrade the dope penalties, for example, sale of
pot to a minor could get you up to life imprisonment. If this bill is
passed and you are caught selling to a minor, pull out a gun and shoot
the kid. You can only get 10–20 years for first degree manslaughter and
can be paroled in 6 years. Acid and other dope, although against the law
rarely result in busts and even less in convictions (heroin is another
thing,of course). There are too many technicalities involved in
analyzing the substance, many such as STP are not covered by the law.
For this reason, they generally go after the grass unless there is a
major production or sale involved.
RUNAWAYS — Laws governing runaways are equally ridiculous. Persons who
look underage (under 16 for males, under 18 for females) can be stopped
by a cop anytime and asked to produce identification. If you are
underage or do not have identification to prove otherwise you can be
brought to the police station. There your parents or guardian is called.
If you have permission to be here they let you go, if not, your parents
can pick you up there. If they don’t want you, you can be sent to the
Youth Detention House which is a very bad trip indeed. If you are a
runaway, get fake identification and quick. People who put up runaways
are subject to arrest for contributing to the delinquency for a minor.
If you want to go name and need a contact or if you want to stay a few
days in a good place call Judson Memorial Church in Washington Square,
GR 7–0351. This is the first year this program has been in effect but
the people running it are cool. If you don’t want them to call your
parents or the cops they assure us they will not. They can house and
feed about twenty-five young people.
DEMONSTRATIONS — A word should be said about demonstrations.
Demonstrations with large numbers of arrests rarely result in
convictions. Lawyers inform us of the over 3,000 arrests in recent
anti-war, Yippie demonstrations, etc. there nave been no convictions.
This does not mean things couldn’t change drastically but these are the
facts up to now.Remember when arrested give only your name and address.
Demand a search warrant if they want to come into your pad. The only
know cure for Tasmanian Pig Fever is revolution. Paranoids unite!
DOPE — As you probably know, most dope is illegal, therefore some risks
are always involved in buying and selling. In the legal section we have
discussed the selling problems. Now let us consider the problems
involved in buying. Arrests are not a problem unless you are inside and
happen to get caught in a raid on a major dealer. What is a major hazard
is getting burned. The usual trick is to take your dough and just
vanish, leaving you standing on the street. Another method is
substituting oregano or parsely for grass, chewing tobacco as hash, and
aspirin and barbiturates as acid. A general rule is no bread up front.
If you’re getting an ounce or more of grass you are entitled to sample
it. Hash can also be sampled. If you’re considering buying a large
amount of acid, buy one tab for a sample and try it first. Another rule
is to buy from a town dealer or a close friend.
Have you considered growing your own? Being a weed, grass is very easy
to grow if it gets enough water and sun. Get your seeds together, travel
over to Jersey or Staten Island, find a field and plant your seeds. Draw
a furrow in the ground about half an inch deep and plant the seeds about
two inches apart. Cover the seeds with soil and water the area.
Returning every two weeks to tend your crop will be sufficient. No
matter how high the shoots get they are smokeable if dried out but it is
best to let them grow to maturity (when the flowers bloom). This takes
three to four months depending on soil conditions and sunlight. With a
little effort, you can grow kilos galore. Growing grass indoors is a big
hassle but it can be done if you construct a planting box with a light
bulb or artificial growing lamp. Some hardy souls have planted grass in
Carl Schurz Park next to Gracie Mansion, 89^(th) Street and East River
Drive.
There are also legal highs, the most famous of which is bananas. Scrap
the insides of the banana peel and roast in a 200c oven for a half hour
or until dark brown. Crumble the scrapings and roll in a joint or pack
in a pipe. This will produce a mild pot high. Mornings glory seeds will
produce a high similar to LSD if prepared properly. Use only the white,
blue, or blue-white varieties that are not coated with chemicals. If
they have been coated a good washing in alcohol will remove it. You need
about 400 seeds to get you up there. Generally there are about 40 to 60
in a packet. We prefer the following method: grind the seeds in a pepper
mill and stuff them into gelatin capsules that you can get in any drug
store. Another method is to boil the seeds, strain the mixture and drink
the liquid. It tastes bitter but it’s easier than the grinding method,
it’s an 8–10 hour trip. Whipped cream containers are 80% nitrous oxide
or laughing gas. Hold the container upright and release the nozzle
slowly as you inhale. It’s really a gas; even the whipped cream gets you
high.
Some people claim you can get high on cabbage centers. Others claim
cigarette tobacco mixed with powdered aspirins will do the trick. A hint
on grass: boil the twigs and seeds and make a very groovy tea — sort of
a tea-tea.
BAD TRIPS — The best method for bringing a person down from a bad trip
is calm, understanding talk by a sympathetic soul. Generally this works.
Orange juice and sugar works well.
A cup of sugar to a quart of orange juice. Drink as much as you can.
Niacinimide, a vitamin B derivative also works. You need 1000 milligrams
for every 100 micrograms of LSD. Say the tablets you have are 100 mg.
That means ten tablets for each 100 micro-grams of LSD. If you do not
know the LSD dosage, assume 500 micrograms and use 50 tablets of
Niacinimide. Too much Niacinimide cannot hurt you. Landing time for both
the orange juice-sugar method and Niacinimide is between 30–40 minutes.
Niacinimide has better results. It is available without a prescription
and is fairly cheap. You can get a thousand tablets for about three
dollars. As a last resort you should call in a physician who can
administer a tranquilizer, generally thorazine. Bellevue should be
considered a bad trip. Be careful of drugs you know nothing about. STP
is only for people who have been into acid for a time. Heroin is
addictive and can be a mighty expensive habit. Amphetamine, usually
called A or meth or speed, is also quite dangerous if you don’t know
what you are doing. Both heroin and meth are self-destructive. They ruin
your appetite, often causing malnutrition. Since they are needle drugs
there is always the chance of missing a vein, which leads to a stiff arm
for a few days or of contracting serum hepatitis from unsterilized
needles. You can kick the habit by just refusing to take it for a few
weeks or switching to a groovier drug. Don’t get hooked on any
drug,whether it be heroin, school, coca-cola, benzedrine, suburbia,
meth, or politics. They can all rot your brain ... Be advised.
COMMUNES — Communes can be a cheap and enjoyable way to live. They are a
good tribal way to live in the city because they are tribes each has a
personality of its own. This personality depends on the people in the
commune and how well they get along together. For this reason the most
important part of setting up a commune is choosing people who are
compatible. It is vital that no member of the commune has any strong
objection to any other member. More communes have been destroyed by
incompatibility than any other single reason. People of similar
interests (speed freaks with speed freaks, painters with painters, and
revolutionaries with revolutionaries) should get together. Preferably
the members of the commune should know each other before they begin
setting up quarters.
Once there is a nucleus of 4 to 7 people that are compatible
establishing a commune is not difficult.
The first thing to do is rent an apartment. The initial cost will
probably be two months rent. Don’t pay more. The landlord is not legally
allowed to ask for more than one month’s rent as security.
Don’t go to a rental agency unless you are willing to pay an extra
month’s rent as a fee. Two ways you can find an apartment if you don’t
know of one are: walk up and down every street and look for rent signs;
the other is to look inside the front doors of some buildings in the
area for a sign giving the landlord’s name. When you find buildings
owned by one company there is a pretty good chance that the company owns
other buildings in the area. Call that company and ask if they have any
vacant apartments.
When you get an apartment, furnishing will be the next step. You can
double your sleeping space by building loft or bunk beds. Nail two by
fours securely from ceiling to floor about three feet from the walls
where beds are wanted. Then build a frame out of two by fours at the
height you want the beds. Make sure it is strong enough to hold the
weight of people sleeping on it. Then nail a sheet of 3/4 inch plywood
on the frame. Mattresses and other furniture can be gotten for free. See
the section on free furniture. You can cop silverware in self-service
restaurants.
How you govern your commune depends on where the member’s heads are. One
method which works well is the Indian tribal council in which from time
to time all members of the tribe (commune) get together and discuss
problems that come up and solutions are worked out. At the meeting it
should be decided which members are responsible for things that have to
be done (i.e. cooking, cleaning, raising the rent), this assures that
they will be done. It is a good idea to have a meeting when you first
form to make decisions on some of the important things that are sure to
arise. The first is whether you want a crash pad or a commune. The
difference is that a commune is a closed unit. Other people may join,
but unlike a crash pad, they may not join for one day. Other things to
consider are drugs (no drugs in the pad, communal stash, etc.), property
(personal, communal), age limits and so on. The important thing to
remember is that with experience and basic trust for each other, this
form of tribal living is by far the best way to live in the city jungle.
Ask around for an experienced commune and get one of their members to
come to your first tribal meeting. The more stable communes that are
established the sooner we can begin to realize a freer more humanistic
society.
Revolution is Free. Venceremos!
Take what you want
Take what you need
There is plenty to go around
Everything is free.
-- George Metesky
Free New York
YIPPIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
“America is the land of the Free.
My ol’ man George always told me that
Free means you don’t pay.”
-- Jim Metesky
Nothing in this manual is copyrighted. Anyone may reprint this
information without permission. If you paid money for this manual you
got screwed. It’s absolutely free because it’s yours. Think about it.