I was walking to the 116th and Lenox subway stop in Harlem, chatting on the phone with my mom. I step in to the intersection and realize, belatedly, that the light had changed and I was jaywalking. The driver waiting her turn laid on her horn. And I mean laid. I look over, still walking, still in the intersection, and mouth 'sorry' to her, and keep walking, phone to my ear.
First mistake.
The woman rolls her window down, sticks her head out the window, and unloads a string of expletives at me with fury and gusto that I would reserve for someone who maliciously hit a child. Now, would you call a person who jaywalked in front of you a fucking bitch? Would you repeatedly call her that while you pull out into the intersection and continue to yell at her while you made a left hand turn? It felt way over the top to me and mostly uncalled for. So, with the phone still to my ear, with my mom still on the line, and with premeditation, I raised my left hand and gave her the bird.
Second mistake.
The woman practically parks her car in the middle of the road and increases her roar. I thought she might actually leave her car on the road and come after me. I seriously had to think about whether or not I was going to have to defend myself, or whether or not I should just run. Given the size of the woman, I was sure I could outrun her. I just wasn't sure if I wanted to. She, either having exhausted her list of expletives, or perhaps because of mounting pressure of cars behind her, finally took off.
However, an older gentleman, who was walking behind me, decided to get involved with the only party that was left, me. He informed me in no uncertain terms that there was absolutely no cause for my flipping her off, shaking his head and telling me I should be ashamed of myself. This is when I finally said to my mom, 'Mom, can I call you back?'. When I tried to address the gentleman he couldn't be bothered to stop. When I asked him if I could talk to him for a minute, three times, he kept walking, and kept telling me how wrong I was.
When I sat down at the train station, I was half mortified at my behavior, half angry at how I was treated. And then I started to laugh.
Ah, Harlem.
awesome. in all its implications. racial tension. the angry woman. the disgusted man. and you caught in the middle... poking the bear. i like it. its totally poetic. may anger not haunt you like the vengeful demon it is.
ReplyDeletethank you for putting a balm to my near end of work experience.
(i laughed outloud when you said you couldve outrun her.)