Dance Walking - NYC Style

You Talking to Me? Are You Talking to Me?

I guess not! It took me a while to get used to cellphone conversations that are shared (unwillingly by me!) on streets, buses, elevators etc. I am still unable to tune them out. I catch myself eavesdropping...trying to imagine the person at the other end of the conversation. I have overheard confidential legal information, spurious financial information, appalling relationship information and countless sons, daughters, wives, husbands and significant others checking in with countless sons, daughters, wives, husbands and significant others!

But now, I have to deal with wireless headphones! I walk towards strangers on the street who I think are talking to me. I'm a polite person...the kind of person everyone stops and asks directions of...and that's what I think these people are doing...until they walk right past me continuing their conversations with "not me."

But I have already stopped, prepared to use my high school French or college Spanish to help another human being in need. My flow has been interrupted, my expectations dashed, my attention highjacked....all because of bluetooth technology. it's tough enough walking the streets of NYC without having to worry about "who's not talking to me!"

Scaffolding - The Pro (I Can Only Think of One) & Cons

There is a lot of construction going on in NYC. Some of it is infrastructure repair but most of it is new building. It waits to be seen how much of what has been started will be finished because of the "economic downturn." For those of us living through such decisions, scaffolding is a constant addition to the list of obstacles we maneuver around on a daily basis.
Let's start with the
PRO (as I said, I can only think of one!)

~ During inclement weather, the scaffolding, if it doesn't leak too much, provides shelter from the storm. I was actually able to make it four blocks from the subway to my apartment building one day, dodging torrential rains, by zig zagging under scaffolding surrounding at least one building on every block. It even provides a place to come out of the rain while you're waiting to dash across the street.

CONS

~ These scaffolds are not good for street trees. Despite the fact that they are built around existing trees, the tree branches are crunched or worse, broken, by the wood panels that comprise the scaffolds structure.
~I have complained about the lack of space on city sidewalks before..especially when tourists, double-wide baby strollers or people with open umbrellas (because the scaffolding does leak) are around. Everything gets even more constricted under scaffolding.
~With all the serious construction accidents here lately, there are some people who are just plain afraid to walk under scaffolding. This means that store owners see reduced traffic while the construction is going on.
~Dog owners seem to pick up after their dogs even less than usual under scaffolding. (Remember I am a dog owner myself so I can make these harsh generalizations!).