Only in New York

I was crossing 9th Avenue in New York City one morning, along with a few other people, including the older woman who was in front of me. Memory tells me that she appeared to be in her 60s and had wispy, mud-brown hair with some gray streaks in it. She may have had on a sweater or a coat, and a dress underneath.  I believe she may have carried at least one shopping bag in addition to a purse. But there was no mistaking, she walked with a cane.

As the small group of us moved across the street, a taxi cab made a left turn from 42nd Street in front of us—well, in front of the her. It passed right in front of her, and yet, I never had the impression that she was in danger of getting hit. Still, it made her angry, and understandably so. As the cab passed in front of her, she took her can in whacked the bumper with it!

On a different day, in the same general area of Times Square, yet another older woman walked in front of me. I’m not as clear in my mind about what she looked like, but I can hear her voice to this day. As she crossed the street, a car honked at her. Without hesitation, she shouted in response “Aaa, shut ya face!”

Only in New York, right? Both of these women would make great characters in a story. But part of me thinks that a story starring either of them couldn’t take place in another city. Even though my favorite city is Paris, and I want to write stories about it, I don’t think the French translation would ring quite as true for the second lady. The first one might fit in Paris, since traffic is quite hectic there. But Boise? Jackson Hole? New Mexico? I can’t picture either of these women there.

What iconic characters have you been walking with lately?

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