Scene and heard

As I exited my Wall Street office building, a large group of women were heading away from Broadway in the direction of Broad Street. Proving that I am not a real New Yorker, I waited for my moment navigate through this crowd, none of whom showed any awareness that others shared this pavement with them. When a small gap appeared, I took my chance, walking at a slight angle towards the pedestrian only street. And with each little step I took, these women kept on going street-side around me, even stepping into the street, blocking my way. And where were they headed? Towards the building I just exited! It might just have been easier for them to walk building side of me. Perhaps it isn’t just Government Agencies I should expect no logic from!

How many times have I just stopped in my tracks and let the people headed towards me walk around me! Early this week, I was walking in a straight line, headed directly for a lamppost on Wall Street, which I intended to sidestep when the space appeared for me to safely do so. I misguidedly thought this to be the path of least resistance. A man angled into my path, then headed directly for me. Last week, a lovely, sweet, happy family of tourists, oblivious to people (me) walking towards them, were walking hand-in-hand, Sound of Music style (minus the singing), stretched across the entire pavement by the World Trade Center. I sometimes ask myself if I am invisible and frequently fail to comprehend how so many people can be so totally oblivious to their surroundings and/or have such lousy spatial perception.