--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The New York power failure was not the…" description: "\"“The New York power failure was not the first time the Hell's Angels have confounded the forces of decency and got off scot-free. They are incredibly d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/hunter-s-thompson-278_failure_the-new-york-power-failure-was-not-the-f_3132716.jpg" --- # The New York power failure was not the first time the… ![“The New York power failure was not the first time the Hell's Angels have confounded the forces of decency and got off scot-free. They are incredibly devious. Law enforcement officials have compared their guile to that of the snipe, a wily beast that many have seen but few have ever trapped. This…” quote by Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/hunter-s-thompson-278_failure_the-new-york-power-failure-was-not-the-f_3132716.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/hunter-s-thompson-278_failure_the-new-york-power-failure-was-not-the-f_3132716.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/hunter-s-thompson-278_failure_the-new-york-power-failure-was-not-the-f_3132716.jpg) > ““The New York power failure was not the first time the Hell's Angels have confounded the forces of decency and got off scot-free. They are incredibly devious. Law enforcement officials have compared their guile to that of the snipe, a wily beast that many have seen but few have ever trapped. This is because the snipe has the ability to transform himself, when facing capture, into something entirely different. The only other animals capable of this are the werewolf and the Hell's Angel, which have many traits in common. The physical resemblance is obvious, but far more important is the transmogrification factor, the strange ability to alter their own physical structure, and hence "disappear." The Hell's Angels are very close-mouthed about this, but it is a well-known fact among public officials. ... About halfway through our talk I got a strong whiff of the transmogrification factor, but I was hardly prepared for the mayor's special fillip on it. There were plenty of Hell's Angels at the riot, "but they escaped, " he explained, "behind a wall of fire." While he elaborated on this I checked my calendar to make sure I hadn't lost track of the days. If it was Sunday, perhaps he had just come back from church in a high, biblical state of mind. At any moment I expected to hear that the Angels had driven their motorcycles straight into the sea, which had rolled back to let them pass. But no, it wasn't like that. The mayor was not loath to give details of the escape; he wanted law enforcement agencies everywhere to be warned of the Angels' methods. Knowledge is power, he opined.”” [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Thompson portrays the Hell’s Angels as shapeshifters evading law, likening them to mythical creatures that disappear when pursued. **In simple terms:** He describes the gang as elusive, likening them to magical beasts. Key Takeaway Recognize that some threats adapt and hide. Themes law enforcement mythic metaphor gang dynamics Mood cynical critical Type journalistic satirical When to use this quote - police investigations - urban crime - media coverage - legal strategy Key Concepts transformation elusiveness public safety Questions to Reflect On - What real tactics can authorities use against adaptable groups? - How does mythic framing affect public perception? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on myth can obscure practical solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Knowledge is power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-is-power/) [Law enforcement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-enforcement/) [State of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-of-mind/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [In the terms of our Great Society the Hell's Angels and their ilk are losers - dropouts, failures and malcontents. They are rejects looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/in-the-terms-of-our-great-society-the-hell-s-angels-and-their-ilk-are/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“To them the appearance of the Hell’s Angels must have seemed like a wonderful publicity stunt. In a nation of frightened dullards there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/to-them-the-appearance-of-the-hell-s-angels-must-have-seemed-like-a/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [The Hell's Angels try not to do anything halfway, and anyone who deals in extremes is bound to cause trouble, whether he means to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-hell-s-angels-try-not-to-do-anything-halfway-and-anyone-who-deals/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“The Hell’s Angels as a group are often willfully stupid, but they are not without savoir-faire, and their predilection for travelling in packs is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-hell-s-angels-as-a-group-are-often-willfully-stupid-but-they-are/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“Far from being freaks, the Hell's Angels are a logical product of the culture that now claims to be shocked at their existence. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/far-from-being-freaks-the-hell-s-angels-are-a-logical-product-of-the/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“Now, looking for labels, it is hard to call the Hell's Angels anything but mutants. They are urban outlaws with a rural ethic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/now-looking-for-labels-it-is-hard-to-call-the-hell-s-angels-anything/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“The Hell's Angels are very definitely a lower-class phenomenon, but their backgrounds are not necessarily poverty-stricken. Despite some grim moments, their parents seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-hell-s-angels-are-very-definitely-a-lower-class-phenomenon-but/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“Should he remain in paradise and become a demon? Should he return to hell and become an angel?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/should-he-remain-in-paradise-and-become-a-demon-should-he-return-to/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“I figure the folks that are the most interesting get to go to heaven. I mean, if I was God, that’s who I’d want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-figure-the-folks-that-are-the-most-interesting-get-to-go-to-heaven/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“You're Hell's Angels, then? What chapter are you from?' 'REVELATIONS. CHAPTER SIX.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-hell-s-angels-then-what-chapter-are-you-from-revelations/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She's Heaven, I'm Hell. When we're together angels cry and Hell freezes over. -Shadow”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-n-forgy/she-s-heaven-i-m-hell-when-we-re-together-angels-cry-and-hell-freezes/) [M.N. Forgy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-n-forgy/) > [I don't blame it on the Hell's Angels. I blame it on the people who were there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kantner/i-don-t-blame-it-on-the-hell-s-angels-i-blame-it-on-the-people-who/) [Paul Kantner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kantner/) > [We was living in squats in Battersea when we started with Motorhead. And we lived with the Hell's Angels in this flat. They were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy/we-was-living-in-squats-in-battersea-when-we-started-with-motorhead/) [Lemmy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy/) > [“Purity culture often functions by shaming us for seeking knowledge about our own bodies. Studying even the scientific elements of sexual intercourse can feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dianna-anderson/purity-culture-often-functions-by-shaming-us-for-seeking-knowledge/) [Dianna Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dianna-anderson/) > [Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-boyce/knowledge-is-power-knowledge-shared-is-power-multiplied/) Robert Boyce ## More by Hunter S. Thompson > [“There was also the fact that sending a penniless writer to get $135 worth of beer was — as Khrushchev said of Nixon —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-was-also-the-fact-that-sending-a-penniless-writer-to-get-135/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“Cases of champagne and scotch lay broken in the street, and everyone I saw had a bottle. They were screaming and dancing, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/cases-of-champagne-and-scotch-lay-broken-in-the-street-and-everyone-i/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [No music + Bad TV = Bad mood & no pages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-music-bad-tv-bad-mood-no-pages/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [By disgracing and degrading the presidency of the United States, by fleeing the White House like a diseased cur, Richard Nixon broke the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/by-disgracing-and-degrading-the-presidency-of-the-united-states-by/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [No one holds command over me. No man. No god. No Prince. What is a claim of age for ones who are immortal? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-one-holds-command-over-me-no-man-no-god-no-prince-what-is-a-claim/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“The person who doesn't scatter the morning dew will not comb grey hairs”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-person-who-doesn-t-scatter-the-morning-dew-will-not-comb-grey/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Hope rises and dreams flicker and die. Love plans for tomorrow and loneliness thinks of yesterday. Life is beautiful and living is pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/hope-rises-and-dreams-flicker-and-die-love-plans-for-tomorrow-and/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [If we get chased out of Iraq with our tail between our legs, that will be the fifth consecutive Third-world country with no hint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-we-get-chased-out-of-iraq-with-our-tail-between-our-legs-that-will/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [At age 22 I set what I insist is an all-time record for distance hitchhiking in Bermuda shorts: 3,700 miles in three weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/at-age-22-i-set-what-i-insist-is-an-all-time-record-for-distance/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Paranoia is just another mask for ignorance. The truth, when you finally chase it down is almost always far worse than your darkest visions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/paranoia-is-just-another-mask-for-ignorance-the-truth-when-you/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“No doubt they all Got What Was Coming To Them. All those pathetically eager acid freaks who thought they could buy Peace and Understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/no-doubt-they-all-got-what-was-coming-to-them-all-those-pathetically/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [“For several months they'd been drifting toward political involvement, but the picture was hazy and one of the most confusing elements was their geographical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/for-several-months-they-d-been-drifting-toward-political-involvement/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [He wandered into the Newsroom and asked for a job the same way he’d walk into a barbershop and ask for a haircut, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/he-wandered-into-the-newsroom-and-asked-for-a-job-the-same-way-he-d/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [There's no point in getting into politics at all unless you plan to lash things around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-no-point-in-getting-into-politics-at-all-unless-you-plan-to/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [There’s a lot of things wrong with this country, but one of the few things still right with it is that a man can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/there-s-a-lot-of-things-wrong-with-this-country-but-one-of-the-few/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) [Explore all 765 Hunter S. Thompson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The New York power failure was not the first time the Hell's Angels have confounded the forces of decency and got off scot-free. They are incredibly devious. Law enforcement officials have compared their guile to that of the snipe, a wily beast that many have seen but few have ever trapped. This is because the snipe has the ability to transform himself, when facing capture, into something entirely different. The only other animals capable of this are the werewolf and the Hell's Angel, which have many traits in common. The physical resemblance is obvious, but far more important is the transmogrification factor, the strange ability to alter their own physical structure, and hence \"disappear.\" The Hell's Angels are very close-mouthed about this, but it is a well-known fact among public officials. ... About halfway through our talk I got a strong whiff of the transmogrification factor, but I was hardly prepared for the mayor's special fillip on it. There were plenty of Hell's Angels at the riot, \"but they escaped, \" he explained, \"behind a wall of fire.\" While he elaborated on this I checked my calendar to make sure I hadn't lost track of the days. If it was Sunday, perhaps he had just come back from church in a high, biblical state of mind. At any moment I expected to hear that the Angels had driven their motorcycles straight into the sea, which had rolled back to let them pass. But no, it wasn't like that. The mayor was not loath to give details of the escape; he wanted law enforcement agencies everywhere to be warned of the Angels' methods. Knowledge is power, he opined.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Hunter S. Thompson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-new-york-power-failure-was-not-the-first-time-the-hell-s-angels/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Failure" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/the-new-york-power-failure-was-not-the-first-time-the-hell-s-angels/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/hunter-s-thompson-278_failure_the-new-york-power-failure-was-not-the-f_3132716.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/hunter-s-thompson-278_failure_the-new-york-power-failure-was-not-the-f_3132716.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d3/hunter-s-thompson-278_failure_the-new-york-power-failure-was-not-the-f_3132716.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The New York power failure was not the first time the Hell's Angels have confounded the forces of decency…” — Hunter S. 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