[Spridgets] New York Police - Two of Them Yelling at Me Full Bore

Kirk Hargreaves khargreaves2 at gmail.com
Thu Mar 3 09:55:41 MST 2011


Reading about these tickets and fines I got to share a quick story.  I am 60
years old this coming June, so this was years ago when I was around 35 years
old.

My first trip to New York . . and I am driving a rental car. .  a Ford
Taurus with my wife, three young children and of course my mother is in the
back seat along for the trip.

I come off the bridge and drop into New York.

I have driven enough in downtown San Francisco, but this place is different,
much different.

As soon as I come off the bridge I get out half way into an innersection and
the light changes.  I actually had two New York police officers yelling at
me out of their windows, one to my right and one to my left . . yelling full
bore at me for being an idiot.  Crap, I don't know if I should back up or go
forward or what kind of a ticket I am going to get?  I couldn't back up due
to the car behind me pulling up to the line, so I hit it and headed forward
. . both cops left me alone.

This was so many years ago. .  but I can still see the cop to my right
yelling at me.

It took me a while to get the hang of driving around Manhattan.  I got
better at it at least.  And when I tried to see the Dakota.  . (where John
Lennon was shot). .  of course you cannot stop. .  I had to drive by and get
a look at it and circle around and drive by again if I wanted to catch
another glimpse of the place.

I came away with a new understanding as to why so many people use taxi cabs
to get around.

And some people might think San Francisco is a challenge with all the steep
hills and trolley cars . . but all I recall is that Manhattan is a
completely different place.

And some of the cab drivers are nuts.  I have had a few roller coaster rides
in cabs while in Tijuana. .  no rules and full on crazy driving.  San
Francisco cabs are fun too, as they at times get air jumping over the top of
steep hills . . the front tires get a little lift that you can feel.  In
Manhattan I saw a cab car that had just crashed into a brick building. .  it
seemed to be a testament to the way some of them drive that city.

Anyhow, I grew up along the coastal area of San Diego. .  so of course this
was a whole new world to me when I arrived.

Kirk


More information about the Spridgets mailing list