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| Vacating to the Moon
May 31, 2006
Smarts
Most of us are street smart. Some have learned by experience, others have been taught. My tutelage is a combination and while I have the skills, rarely has a situation arisen that has required their use. This morning was evidence that I was rusty.
The Hoyt Street subway entrance dark, dank and has no ticket booth (the main entrance to Manhattan is on Bridge Street). Having spent forty-five minutes of my life changing my name at the social security office, I was in a flustered rush. There was a man sitting on the steps to the station. I could hear the train rumbling and from a distance, it looked as though I could skirt him and make it down. Midway into it, I realized that this was a big mistake.
In life, there are those moments when you realize that you have erred but are unsure of how to correct your ways. As my right leg moved toward the step the man was sitting on, I could tell that he was slightly off. His arms and head jerked about. He was talking to himself. Moreover, the stairwell was far narrower than I had anticipated. I should have swiftly turned and jogged back up to the street but by the time I realized this, his hand was on my ankle.
For the first time in my life, that dream where you cannot scream hit me full force and I found myself unable to make a sound. What resulted was a strange squawking struggle involving me trying to pull myself up the steps via the handrail while at the same time shaking and kicking my leg. He let go quickly and I scrambled out of the station. It felt like there was a lot of commotion, however when I got above ground the world moved as usual.
Wednesday morning: a lesson learned and some very frazzled nerves.
Posted by callalillie at May 31, 2006 7:07 AM | City Life
That is so scary. At least you will have a memorable story to tell the kids about the day that you changed your name :)
Posted by: Maura at May 31, 2006 12:53 PM
True! What I did for that hyphen...
Posted by: corie at May 31, 2006 12:54 PM
yikes! That's so creepy. You were headed down the stairs? He could have seriously hurt you. *shudder*
Glad the ss card went off without a hitch. You can meet some weirdos in those lines, too.
Posted by: Liz at May 31, 2006 1:37 PM
Be a New Yorker. Tuff it out girl.... If that guy thought it was ok to grab your ankle then he must of thought there is no consequence in doing so, if your in a situation like that again make it his mistake not yours.
Posted by: William Fuentes at May 31, 2006 1:45 PM
oh goodness.
It's so hard, though, isn't it, to determine when to avoid certain situations? I have been in situations where alarm bells are going off in my head (ex: a man is approaching in a park at night -- Dahl if you're reading this you were there!) but I stop myself from reacting because I don't want to play the role of an overcautious white female. I don't want to offend a person who is potentially not a threat at all just because my instincts are telling me to change my course/get away.
It can be hard to listen to all of the voices guiding you and sometimes we all err on the wrong side...
I'm glad you're ok.
Posted by: beth at May 31, 2006 2:18 PM
Ick ick! I have no idea what I would do. Ick.
Posted by: breana at May 31, 2006 3:56 PM
Yes my sweet. Lesson learned. So glad you are ok.
Frazzled nerves will calm. There are many sickos in the world. You triumphed in the face of psychosis. You go girl!
Posted by: Vickie at May 31, 2006 4:14 PM
//I stop myself from reacting because I don't want to play the role of an overcautious white female. I don't want to offend a person who is potentially not a threat at all just because my instincts are telling me to change my course/get away.//
I hear you, Beth, but are you really worried about offending someone in a situation like that? I firmly believe that most people are ignorant of the things they do that make others uncomfortable--intentional or no. So what better way to help make people aware of their creepy/scary/questionable behavior than with the appropriate cautionary reaction? I *urge* all my female friends to play the role of over-cautious white female--especially in this city. This isn't the place to be playing offense--DEFENSE! Run, scream if you have to, worst case scenario: they think YOU'RE the crazy one. It may save your life.
= ) Sandra
more-than-a-little-bit-the-mother-hen
Posted by: sandra at May 31, 2006 4:14 PM
i'm glad you're ok, scary stuff!
Posted by: Dean at June 1, 2006 6:11 PM
