Common Sense Slips in City Snowfall

It’s a given that New Yorkers are always in a hurry, but self-preservation seems to be in short supply when the snow piles up in the Big Apple. There’s a fundamental concept that most pedestrians seem quite oblivious to when crossing the snowy and icy streets of Manhattan – vehicles don’t have that funny little quick braking capability.

Droves of people braving the snowy weather seem very happy to saunter out in front of oncoming cars regardless of how slippery the roads are. Quick tip: If cars are fishtailing or sliding in front of you –
that’s really not the best time to cross.

The stream of people hell-bent on crossing the streets honestly believe that the “DON’T WALK” signal is not applicable to them. At the same time, cabbies are determined to break the land speed record despite the people trying to cheat death in the middle of the street. This leads to an epic New York ice show complete with people of all shapes and sizes sliding and diving for that saving sliver of curbside.

Having gotten my fill of the sidewalk follies, I made my way down to the subway station at 59th and Lexington. It’s important to note that when it rains or snows in New York, the station there collects anywhere from 1 to 5 inches of water on the floor.

As I made my way downstairs, I encountered a very well-dressed man going toe to toe with a MetroCard Vending Machine. Judging by his colorful language, it appeared that the machine was getting the better of this particular transaction.

I settled in for a closer look and realized that the machine wasn’t taking his credit card. In an inexplicable act of frustration, the man launched a round house kick at the machine.

I can only assume that he did not compensate for the inch of water on the floor as the kick lifted him far into the air and planted him squarely on the "old tookus."

Several witnesses stared at the man whose finely tailored jacket was now dripping an unspeakable sooty and dark liquid. Unimpressed by all of the attention he garnered, the ninja master marched over to the next machine and quietly completed his credit card transaction.

In the city that never sleeps, there is never a shortage of true entertainment.