Admittedly I'm a little inhebriated right now. I've just gotten off the train after hanging with a good friend for my birthday. So, read further at your own discretion...
I exit the subway station near my house and get about half way down the block when all of the sudden I hear… BANG!
This is not a normal sound. This is not a normal crashing or banging noise. I start walking back towards the intersection and look down the block to find a downed moped in the middle of the street. I hear a young women say, "Are you ok??" The moped driver seems to be alright. But there's no car (or whatever) around to see, who else participated in the accident. I'm very glad the moped driver is ok. And very mad the other party in the accident will probably not be held accountable in this moment.
But while walking back towards the intersection I notice something else...
Everyone within earshot of the accident noticed this wasn't a normal sound. They noticed this wasn't a normal occurance. Something wasn't ok.
Everyone walked back towards the intersection to see what was happening.
Everyone was ready to
help out. I must reiterate, everyone was ready to help out.
It's been very popular in the news the last 5 to 8, to even 10 years to (for lack of better terms) shit on New York City. (Even though the main offices for these "news" organizations are in the literal heart of the city... they're on 48th and 6th.)
To some degree I understand. For many years, people from NYC and the east coast in general called every state between here and LA, "fly over states." It's rude.
There completely is a smug attitude about being a New Yorker.
But there is also a New York that doesn't make the news.
This New York helps each other out. This New York cares about other New Yorkers. And even non-New Yorkers. It cares about everyone who is in our city. At this moment.
The pandemic was an absolutely crazy time. Truly terrifying and life altering. And when the coronavirus came to the US, it came through New York first. Like so many things in the States not originally from here... (yeah...immigration reference…) We had the pandemic first. And it was again, terrifying.
No one knew if New Yorkers would all quarantine for a month. No one believed that 8 million people, in the city that never sleeps, would all stay in the their apartments for a month to keep the city and each other safe. No one believed it was possible. No one believed it could happen at all. But that's exactly what happened. I'm still extremely proud of the city during that time.
This... is the place that doesn't make the news.
I've seen every single person on the subway help a fellow rider pick up all their groceries after their bag ripped so they could make their stop. Apples and oranges rolled to every end of the car. I've seen countless individuals give up their seats to someone else who may need just a little bit more support than they do to make it through the day. Every single time someone drops something anywhere, multiple people say, Ay-YO! You lost your shit!
One other larger amazing moment was just after hurricane Sandy hit the city. Power was knocked out for the entirety of Manhattan south of 46th street. This was a
Mad Max situation if there ever was one. But, by in large, the city held together. There wasn't mass looting or choas. There wasn't immediate crime, pillaging, or rape. (I hate to say that last word, but the "news" implies these ideas to it's viewers.) Overall, things were generally safe and bartenders near 46th street made an absolute killing the next three days.
No one knows what's going to happen here. From disaster to disaster, whether big or small, there's always the chance this place decends in the choas. At least that's the fear. But from what I've witnessed over the last 16 years, the reality is quite the opposite.
New Yorkers are here for each other.
In part, I think it's because in day to day life, you do get absolutely fucked here. There's no other way to describe it.
So when some really bad shit happens, you avoid it at all costs. Ie: Oh there’s a deadly virus in the air outside, you know I’m quarantining! Oh there’s no lights south of 46th st? I’m definitely not going down there! What do you mean the NYPD are lining up across the street? I’m gonna go stand on the other block and record this on my phone!
Perhaps the reasons for the group action are ultimately unacceptable in a perfect world. But in practice, then in reality, it has created an environment where the citizens come together in truely adverse moments.
And on a smaller scale for instance, when everyone notices another human being might be truly harmed and it's not ok. That's the time we come together and help out.
Yeah, New Yorker's are rude. And brash. And tough. But that's mostly because you're in the way and wasting time. Those are the things that bother us here. Just remember though, if anyone came to your town whether from NYC or not, and participated in all the social faux pas that really pissed the people of your city off, you'd be mad and rude as well. So with that, please invite us! We'd love to come, annoy you for awhile, and then have a drink and enjoy each other's company!
New York City isn't going to be what you expect it to be. It's not going to be nice to you if you expect it to treat you a certain way. But that's the way it is everywhere. If you go to any place large or small and enter with preconceived notions about how things are supposed to be, you'll inevitably end up dissappointed.
It’s not weird for cars to burn to the ground here. No one thinks it’s ok… But, there’s 8 million people in the city with another 15 million people in the surrounding areas. The island of Manhattan is roughly 23 square miles. That’s 1 million people per mile. My home state of New Hampshire has a total population of 1.4 million people who get a whopping 9,304 squares miles to share… Let’s say that again… 9,304 square miles to awkwardly stare at each other from their massive (by comparison) front yards. Or 6,646 people per mile. If I were able to do better math right now, or not a music major, I’d reference the percent difference. But it’s very large I think… Although numbers don’t seem to matter these days…
Also I find a lot of the adverse moments in the news about NYC are conveniently cherry picked to create a negative image about the city. (I’m sure you wouldn’t think it’s a stretch to assume that?) While in real day to day life, the overwhelming vast number of New Yorker’s don’t experience those moments. But yeah, they do happen. Let’s not be niave. The real world doesn’t work how we’d like it to. This is one of the most densely populated cities on the planet… It’s going to be weird. But that’s in part, why people come here! They don’t want bad things to happen… They just want things to happen. And they for sure do!
So if you're planning on visiting the city soon or your local news station is speaking ill of us, remember... The subway is staggeringly frustrating. And it's not going to be better just because you're here. There's endless traffic. It's more expensive than you can comprehend. There's more crazy people than you've ever seen. There's always someone better than you at what you do. This place will kick your ass no matter your age or tax bracket. And it will continue to do so no matter how long you live here. It's not going to go how you expect it to go. And it doesn't care how much you've accomplished elsewhere because, that wasn't here.
But with all that, I've noticed one thing after these last 16 years, New Yorkers stick together. We've got each other's backs. And you won't see that in the news.
You have to come here and experience it for yourself.
No one hesitated. No one was annoyed they were part of this incident.
Everyone helped.
