Near Misses

Photo by myself around 5th Avenue and 7th Street, in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

There was something painterly about this view. The man looked like a paper cut-out.

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A surprise visit yesterday from one of my cousins has made me completely discombobulated. My cousin Tommy called me in the morning. He was in town from Texas for a short business trip.

To save time, I thought we'd meet each other on the subway platform, en route to Brooklyn. It was a daring idea. There is no cell phone service underground.

'Wait in the middle of the platform. Take the B train downtown to 34th Street. I'll meet you there.'

Tommy called later with another idea. 'Can I take the red train to 34th Street?' No, no, the 1/9 train stops at another 34th Street station. There are several stations along 34th Street, which makes it dangerous.

So there I was, roaming up and down the platform, which is under repair and narrow at places. Train after train came by. No Tommy. By 7pm, I was worried.

I went up to sidewalk level and left Tommy a message. I called Mark. I had the terrible feeling that Tommy took the C train instead from the station he was leaving from.

So I scurried down several blocks to the 34th Street station on 8th Avenue. The sidewalks were mobbed with people going to Madison Square Garden. Vendors made the sidewalks even more crowded.

Of course, Tommy wasn't at the C platform, either. By 7:30, I had given up hope. Surfacing for air, I called him again.

Thank goodness, he picked up. Yes, he'd taken the wrong train, jumping on the first one that pulled into the station, without looking to see what it was. But we'd found each other and after more scurrying, all was well.

Moral of the story? Don't plan to meet up underground!

Related posts: Parked in Park Slope, Rent and Smile, it's Happy Hour.