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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Surprise, Surprise

Hygiene
Photo by myself, in Soho on Prince Street.

A woman brushed her teeth on the sidewalk, before setting up a table of jewelry for sale.

Almost nothing shocks me anymore.

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I'm not sure what the most shocking thing is that I've seen on the streets.

A man wrapped in a carpet, like a log? A stranger checking whether a homeless man on the sidewalk is still breathing?

A big guy exposing himself in a subway station (pants down, at the 23rd Street N/R station)? A dead guy on a train (72nd and Broadway, one weekend)? A guy stealing a bike in broad daylight?

A pedestrian hit by a car (42nd and 8th Avenue), a cyclist hit by a car (59th Street and Columbus Avenue). I am frankly surprised that there aren't more accidents, though I saw four within a two week period.

A woman whose foot was run over by someone in desperate need of a parking space (78th and Amsterdam). The car window being broken a second later by her furious husband.

A guy shaving his face with a battery operated shaver.

A woman brushing her teeth out on the sidewalk.

This kind of stuff happens every day.

Related posts: Castaways, If You're Happy, Clap Your Hands and The Rules.

14 comments:

Fredrik said...

This maybe sounds strange, but I'm actaully a bit jealous. Over here everyone knows everyone and weird public behaviour is very unusual. Okey, I wouldn't like to see starving people or a dead guy on the bus. But a few more weirdos and douchebags wouldn't hurt!
Fantastic photo by the way! Looks like your standing quite close or did you use a zoom?

Kitty said...

Hi Fredrick
I guess you could be the weirdo and start grooming yourself on the street?

I kid. I know what you mean. If I were in a very small town, I might feel claustrophobic. Douchebags though, I could live without.

I was pretty close to this woman. Mark's mom said 'woman brushing her teeth on our right', so I get my camera out and snap her stealthily. It was a great photo day!

Carolyn said...

huh.....interesting! At least she brushed her teeth...right?!?!

Fredrik said...

He, he! What a great idea! Tomorrow morning I'll stand on the main square and shave myself. Then I'll take a dip into the fountain while singing the national anthem.

Dana said...

well you know they say cleanliness is next to godliness :) great shot!

Ken Mac said...

I'm afraid to ask what is under her hood. aaaaaaaahhhh!

JAMJARSUPERSTAR said...

See now this would be shocking if you saw it on the pavement here but I guess in NY you see this kind of thing all the time and get used to it.
Ciao

Scarlet

PJ said...

Last year my husband and I were on a return flight from Boston and when we were preparing for the final approach the attendant had to get onto the guy seated right behind me. He was completely not interested in anything she had to say and took his own sweet time putting his laptop away. Then he got out his cell phone and started talking to his mother and our seat mate got really angry with him. Again, he was completely unimpressed. When we landed his girlfriend started flossing her teeth with one of those little plastic wishbone thingies and after a while, smiled sweetly at him, handed him the flosser and he began flossing his teeth. After that I gave up.

BrianC said...

Personally, my favorite sight in NYC is the homeless guys urinating and defecating between parked cars - in front of everyone. Can these poor people not be given a place to preserve just an iota of their privacy and dignity?

Mom Knows Everything said...

You saw a dead guy on a train? OMG that would so freak the crap out of me!!!

dianasfaria.com said...

This is why I love NYC. Really, when you think about it, NY is like a micrcosm of what is going on all over the planet. I find Manhattan keeps me rooted in the reality of the many ways of our world.

Kitty said...

Hey Carolyn
true, true, lol. Kudos for her good hygiene.

lol Fredrick!
Get pictures!!!!!

Thanks Dana, dear!

lol Ken Mac, I'm glad I don't know.

Hi Jamjar,
well, I was taken aback a little. The toothbrush was a first.

Hi PJ
wow, that is disgusting!

Hey Brian
I've never seen them defecating, thank goodness. Ugh. Well, at least there are public toilets now, though I'm not sure how much they cost, if anything.

Hey Tammy
It happened one of my first years in NY.

Terrible.

Anonymous said...

NY is big, you can really take amazing photos there... My life in my home town is so different, I can't take any pictures of the weirdos, everyone would see me!!

love your photos!!

have a great week-end!!

Kitty said...

Hi Omami
It's not possible to pretend you're a tourist, eh?

hm. I'd suggest practicing with a camera so you can take pictures without looking through a view finder. It can be done.