You Best Recognize

In a city where the number of pedestrians out numbers the average amount of cars on the road pedestrians can get a little cocky. Sadly enough, the first thing that you learn about crossing the street is the first thing that you forget; there is no looking right or left for cars, you step off the sidewalk without breaking your stride. Cars are an after thought, generally when you hit the middle of the road you think: "hmm, I wonder if there are any cars speeding in my general direction..." and it's this point where you'll take a glance. On smaller streets you're generally fine, it's those larger intersections that can be a little tricksy.

The ankle express has some advantages, take stop lights. When 15 people all cross the street against the light at one time the cars have the choice of either plowing through a crowd of people, or stopping against their green. Generally they choose to lay on their horn, slow down, curse under their breath (or quite loudly), sometimes add a hand gesture, then wait for the masses to disperse. TADA you cross the streets and are on your merry way without any further delay!

However, when the number of pedestrians to cars falls in the opposite direction, cars tend not to stop. There's just the horn, maybe they'll slow down, but when it's 1 on 1, car v pedestrian, the winner is always the car and the pedestrian has to try their darnedest to get out of its path. And sadly, I've seen it go both ways.

All of this of course is except when you're in Harlem. In Harlem, the rules all change, in fact, there are no rules except all for 1 and 1 for 1 and I'm the 1. The fact of the matter is, when someone steps off the sidewalk in Harlem, they don't look left, they don't look right, they look straight, put one foot in front of the other and keep on trucking. When that old familiar horn rings out, sure, they'll look, they'll even get out of the way, but not without being completely put out. Where on earth did that car think it had the right to continue on its path when I'm in the middle of the street?? (Sure, crossing against the light, but hey...) The audacity of those cars-

Am I a culprit of this new law that is less of order and more of chaos? Oh sure, but I don't take as much offense as the bloke I saw today. He and his lady were trying to cross the street against the light and a car was not about to give them the right of way, and he had quite the fit. Other than that it was quite a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

All of these fun scenes only deepens my love for sociology and observing social interactions and reactions. So thank you New York, I wonder what you have in store for me tomorrow...

PS I ran into the Fashionista on the bus this morning. He said hi to me and I couldn't for the life of me recognize who he was under all the flare: hat, glasses, beard, scarf, and interesting coat. There was no face to recogize, it was only by putting all of his flare together that I put together the mark of the Fashionista and could return the salutation.