Life in NYC

Yesterday was a brilliant warm day, unusual for March, and it brought people out, the streets buzzing and hopping with exuberance. So I traipse over to Le Pan Quotidan across from my office on 21st and Broadway.

I lay my book People of the Book on a table for one and go inside to purchase a ready-made sandwich. Two minutes, more or less. When I return to my table, eager to sit in the sun and read, the book is gone. A water stained, hard covered book. How much could it be worth? Gone.

I’m sitting enjoying the sun on my face. A commotion gathers on the street. A dude, decked out in oversized sunglasses and spangly shirt on a bicycle, is admonishing pedestrians to get out of his way, that they are in the bike lane when there is a sidewalk for such folks, all this while honking his horn and riding the wrong way up Broadway.

Still sitting, I see on guy in black Nazi-like helmet and ski mask stop in front of a bicyclist riding the wrong way up Broadway. He’s shaking his head and won’t let him pass. This guy is riding a vehicle more like a motorcycle than a bicycle. In the bike lane.