Adrenaline Rush
A couple of hours ago, I stopped a mugging.
I walk home from work every night and tonight when I got to 20th street and 2nd avenue, a woman suddenly began walking very close to me talking loudly on her cell phone about how she was meeting whoever she was talking to on the corner of 20th and 1st. Now, I hate being forced to listen to other people's personal conversations, so right off the bat, I was annoyed. Combine that with the fact that she was walking right next to me and no matter how fast I went, I couldn't shake her off, by the time I got halfway down the block, I was totally ticked off.
But then very near the corner of 1st avenue, the sidewalk narrowed due to construction and some ill-placed garbage bags and there was room for only one person to pass at a time. Being a couple of steps ahead of the woman on the cell phone, I went first. Next thing I hear is her scream and I look over my shoulder and see two girls pulling her hair. Now the first thought that flashed through my mind is that these are friends of hers who have snuck up on the her and that this is a joke, but then cell phone woman starts screaming "Help" and I realize that, no, these aren't friends, she's being mugged.
So without even thinking, I turn back around and start running towards them, swinging the calendar I'd just bought at Barnes and Noble like a weapon and screaming something to the effect of "Back off." Well I'm not exactly sure what I thought I was going to do once I got to them, but luckily the sight of me angry and swinging a green B&N bag was enough to make them run off--and without getting the woman's purse, who, when I helped her up off the pavement, explained to me that she'd been walking so close the whole time because she knew that the girls who'd attacked her had been following her for several blocks. And the cell phone call wasn't real. Speaking so loudly about meeting someone on the corner was her way of warning off the two muggers. Too bad it didn't work.
Now, a number of things piss me off about this, aside from the obvious.
One: that it happened on my street. I've lived on or near 20th street for over two decades, so for this shit to go on here--man, that makes me mad.
Two: we were literally a block away from the 13th precinct and the police academy. Damn, those are some ballsy muggers.
And Three: when the two muggers ran off, they ran right past this guy who had been walking behind us. He saw the whole thing, but did he help? No. He didn't run to assist the woman getting mugged. He didn't run to help me when I went after them. He just kept right on talking on his cell phone, walking at a very leisurely pace till he got to us and then he put his phone down and asked the woman "Hey, you all right?"
Uh, yeah, thanks, dude. Thanks for that manly display of concern.
I walk home from work every night and tonight when I got to 20th street and 2nd avenue, a woman suddenly began walking very close to me talking loudly on her cell phone about how she was meeting whoever she was talking to on the corner of 20th and 1st. Now, I hate being forced to listen to other people's personal conversations, so right off the bat, I was annoyed. Combine that with the fact that she was walking right next to me and no matter how fast I went, I couldn't shake her off, by the time I got halfway down the block, I was totally ticked off.
But then very near the corner of 1st avenue, the sidewalk narrowed due to construction and some ill-placed garbage bags and there was room for only one person to pass at a time. Being a couple of steps ahead of the woman on the cell phone, I went first. Next thing I hear is her scream and I look over my shoulder and see two girls pulling her hair. Now the first thought that flashed through my mind is that these are friends of hers who have snuck up on the her and that this is a joke, but then cell phone woman starts screaming "Help" and I realize that, no, these aren't friends, she's being mugged.
So without even thinking, I turn back around and start running towards them, swinging the calendar I'd just bought at Barnes and Noble like a weapon and screaming something to the effect of "Back off." Well I'm not exactly sure what I thought I was going to do once I got to them, but luckily the sight of me angry and swinging a green B&N bag was enough to make them run off--and without getting the woman's purse, who, when I helped her up off the pavement, explained to me that she'd been walking so close the whole time because she knew that the girls who'd attacked her had been following her for several blocks. And the cell phone call wasn't real. Speaking so loudly about meeting someone on the corner was her way of warning off the two muggers. Too bad it didn't work.
Now, a number of things piss me off about this, aside from the obvious.
One: that it happened on my street. I've lived on or near 20th street for over two decades, so for this shit to go on here--man, that makes me mad.
Two: we were literally a block away from the 13th precinct and the police academy. Damn, those are some ballsy muggers.
And Three: when the two muggers ran off, they ran right past this guy who had been walking behind us. He saw the whole thing, but did he help? No. He didn't run to assist the woman getting mugged. He didn't run to help me when I went after them. He just kept right on talking on his cell phone, walking at a very leisurely pace till he got to us and then he put his phone down and asked the woman "Hey, you all right?"
Uh, yeah, thanks, dude. Thanks for that manly display of concern.
posted by Andrea Kail at
9:41 PM
14 Comments:
I'm glad you're okay and that they ran. Seems brazen of them, with people around, unless they just figured they'd snatch-and-grab, and didn't expect the woman to put up a fight.
You know they always say you never know how you'll act until you're in it. Now you know, and it's a good thing.
Jeff
Way to use time as a weapon.
Dude! I'm glad you're okay, and I admire your instincts. And I don't blame you for being three kinds of pissed off either.
Here's to hoping it never happens again.
This is why I love my friends. I like to think I surround myself with people who will take action when needed, and it's good to see that borne out.
That said, Ugh, how awful that you had to deal with that! I'm glad you didn't get hurt.
(Also, you were walking home from work? But weren't you laid off? Or did they hire you back as a permalance to supervise the scripts that say "Conan interviews Guest #1: ad lib"?)
Who needs Wonder Woman, NYC's got Writer Woman!
Seriously -- be careful, those two could have easily mugged both of you.
Mary, I'm stealing that line.
Hey, thanks for all the concern. It actually seems more ridiculous now than dangerous. I doubt they would have mugged me. I'm pretty tall and have that NYer perpetually pissed off look on my face. And if you think this is a good story, you all should here the about what happened the time someone tried to mug me. Now THAT was dumb.
E--yup, we're back at work. Nope, there isn't much for me to do. I've pretty much been phoning it in.
Wow--a Nebula nominee AND a superhero? Is there anything you can't do? :)
- S.
See all the fun stuff you'd miss out on if you moved up here to Maine? ;)
Jeff P.
Commenting here because it's most recent post but...
YOWZA ON THE NEBULA NOM!! Like we didn't know that was gonna happen...
(And, speaking of your "perpetually pissed off face" I have to say that I was thinking about that last night. I have seen you when you're pissed off and to a total stranger/mugger, it would be terrifying.)
No muggers in Maine? Oh that's it, I am never going back.
E--when have you seen me really angry?
Where's your cape?
Wow.
paul t.
Hi-ho, Andrea. Just checking your blog to see if you had any news on the writer's strike. But this news is even better.
Gods, you're fabulous.
- Carol
Oh go on...
Ha ha! I like how you make it sound totally normal that you scared off two muggers with your pissed off face. Actually, they should have ran ... and what the hell was up with that guy who didn't bother to help? Is that normal in NYC?
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