I was out today wandering around midtown. I needed the company of the swarming sweaty, down sized thousands to cheer me up. Nothing like being a happy bee in the hive.
Bzzzzzzzz.
It was also one of those early summer days where you weren't sure if you should be naked or bundled up. So the streets we full of folks doing both. Seems short, short, seriously short hot pants will be 'the' uniform for young ladies this season.
That, and inter-ethnic Queer couples. ..seeing more'n more of them. Bless their style conscious hearts. Matter'a fact The *Deuce is where I saw my first happy gay folks back when I was a lad.
*I just found out the "Deuce" also means Ghetto. Interesting when applied to 42nd street. Especially interesting when in history the midtown area was once the city's Black Ghetto. This for a time back in the 1800's
'But I digress.
Anyhow my Mommy used to take me to the movies, and theater in Times Square back when both were affordable for working class folks. Back in the day the area was a "Ghetto" for Queers, Hipsters, assorted addicts, and weirdos. Bless'em all.
However such obsessions are far in my steamy past.
My needs today were more mundane. I was shopping for socks, bootleg videos, toothpaste, and Indo-pak chicken curry. This is when I spots the above van. Neat. The guys was hauling computer games, and assorted grey market, i.e. bootleg, electronics for sale on the street.
Such is our economy this is all most can afford these daze. However the tourista crowds are still buying retail, but then they can. The dollar is near worthless compared to the Euro.
EXTRA!!!
This just in....!
A car bomb just went off in Times Square. Good grief I was just there,..see crowd'n truck above. Seems the cops have stopped traffic including the subways. News sez there's a lockdown from 42nd to 47th street.
Hard to say who did it. Could be Osama's boys or just another pissed off unemployed, de-housed betrayed Yank.
Looks like summer is getting off to an interesting start.
Happy May Day Comrades.
Stay Tuned.
(Full disclosure. The top pic is from Pine Street downtown. I took it the other afternoon. I wouldn't want to confuse you overseas fans about what's where here in town).
Evacuated Times Square tonight.
EXTRA!
Times Square update.
That car bomb seems to have only partly detonated. They say only the primer went off but the explosives failed to detonate. It was a fuel bomb similar to the one used in Oklahoma City back in the 1990's.
The police used one of their anti-bomb robots to defuse the damned thing. The area was cleared, and I can tell you we're all freaked out. There are all these rumors of more car bombs, and this being the start of an attack of some kind.
At this time who knows for sure. Anyway we seemed to have ducked another bullet. My G-d if the thing went off with Times Square packed on a warm night. The highly paid fear mongers on tv say it could have injured or killed nearly a thousand people.
Swell.
Isn't life interesting. I could have been right there. I nearly called in "sick" to the radio station tonight. Because of the stress of some parts of broadcasting engineers sometimes call in a "mental health" day. This is usually approved as long as we don't over do it.
Anyway I was going to treat myself. Frankly I 'really' needed some local R&R. I haven't had a "night on town" for many months.
So my plan was to go shopping, and take in a movie, and dinner at the potential bombsite. Imagine if I called in, imagine if it was approved, imagine if the thing went off.
Ya see, ya just don't know when your number is up.
Stay Tuned.
3 comments:
Uncle I went through this area earlier in the day, out group has a restaurant in the immediate area on my way down to the flea markets in Chelsea.
I got back home about 6 pm and my Brother and some friends were due over (music and war-gaming).
A little after 6:45 I got a call from out place that the Police were locking down the whole area due to a bomb going off and customer could not leave the location. I told them to just continue feeding them but try to restrict the booze and no checks for anyone.
About 1-1/2 hours later they got the all clear and everyone was told to leave the area so they just locked-up. We'll have a mess to clean up before opening today.
One of the big dangers in these modern incidents is that the perps may copy the arab scum practice of placing two or more bombs timed to kill the rescue workers responding to the first explosion.
I have the NY1 news on and they had live shot at 5:09 am when the first traffic started down on B'way and I see pedestrians walking about also, but a large section is still taped off.
A beautiful day somewhat ruined. I nedd some sleep.
Hi Lino,
We sent at small team from Wbai to cover the story. They're still working on it.
Yeah they said the cops were looking for other cars or booby traps. We live in vicious times.
I've had one of the computers on the Times Square cams all night. It was strange.
The Deuce so quiet except for the firemen, and cops. Like I said we may have ducked another bullet. We'll see what today brings.
You watch your back Comrade.
I'm going home to crash too. Hell of a night.
Peace.
I hope they nail whoever planted that thing before they can pull another caper. That is some real evil shit. Smoke 'em out.
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