When People Talk About "Angry New Yorkers" . . .

I'm pretty sure they're talking about when stuff like what happened to me tonight happens. It's not the brusque busy-ness they're referring to, it's the random acts of unsolicited assholery. I will say that 90% of people I meet on the streets here are nice (enough) - but every now and again I run across a bad apple.

Tonight I took Seamus out for a walk and not 3 blocks from my apartment there was another lab and it's owner walking up the street. So naturally, when two Labs get together, they do what Labs do best and have a good ole jumpy play session. And naturally the owners are doing what they do when this happens, paying attention to dogs and making sure leashes stay untangled and no owner or dog ends up in the road. So when an unattended 3 year old kid comes and jumps in the middle of two sixty five plus pound dogs, there is necessarily a reaction time to untangle the leashes, and pull the dogs apart before there are even hands free to deal with the fact that there is a kid in the middle. Typically, people in New York are very friendly and if NOTHING else, very attentive to their children when dogs are around. What I was not expecting was a lambasting from a woman who had such poor mastery of the english language I could barely understand her. All I really caught was "Excayooooooooooooooooooooooose me?!?!?!?!?" *insert head circle*. Typically "excuse me" is used if a dog tends to a person in an unsolicited manner. That doesn't happen to me because Seamus's leash is literally 24 inches long - there is no opportunity for him to get anywhere near anything or anyone I don't want him near. And I would CERTAINLY not have him playing with a kid that weighs half what he does. So when the attitudinal excuse me came from the mother who was too many steps behind her child to stop his jumping in the midst of a situation already in progress, it pissed me off.
TUF: "Excuse you?"
MAMA: "Yes."
TUF: "It's my turn now - you need to be quiet. 1) This is an exceedingly large sidewalk, and had you been tending to your child the way the parents who live in this neighborhood would consider responsible you would have been able to easily guide your child around what was happening without a problem. 2) My dog is my responsibility and your kid is your responsibility so please consider that next time you visit."

I know, I know. I'm an asshole. BUT SERIOUSLY - I am not responsible for her parental lapse.

So then I'm walking past Duane Reade at 89th and Mad and think, "Hm, I'd like to give myself a french manicure tonight". As I begin the process of tying Seamus up this middle aged woman who desperately wanted not to be a total hag - and was failing - walks up to her car parked at the meter one spot away. I'm not even making eye contact with her, I hadn't so much as looked toward her at this point, and I have NO idea what provoked her. Needless to say, she pointed at two teeny tiny half tootsie roll turds on the sidewalk roughly eight feet from me and says loudly "Are you going to clean up this FUCKING mess?!" to which I respond hesitantly because initially I didn't even know what she was talking about. "I'm sorry?" "This MESS. It's your responsibility!" Now I realize what the hell is happening and can respond accordingly "No, ma'am I do not plan on cleaning up that mess, because it is not my mess. As you can see I have a very large dog here and if you'd put two and two together before opening your mouth you'd realize a piece of shit that small can not POSSIBLY match a dog this size. If it came from my dog, I have plenty of bags and would happily clean it up, as I did twice on the last block - but because I do not feel that it is my God given duty to pick up every stray turd in my neighborhood, I will have to respectfully disagree about it being my responsibility." And then she huffed and puffed and got in her Mercedes and squealed away. Classy. I know my response was harsh and I was speaking rather loudly when I delivered it, but the woman dropped the F bomb on me and I didn't DO anything.

Two of those experiences in one night. That stuff NEVER happens when I'm walking with Sam - ever. What about being a petite young chick invites such raging hostility?

Up until tonight I was very passive and anytime anyone said something nasty I would just keep walking - but I have absolutely HAD it. I can count the number of unfavorable street scenarios I've dealt with on one hand, so it is very rare especially considering how often I am out and about (with and without Seamus). Anyway, if anyone has any tips or hints on how to deal with this in a manner which is not passive but is still appropriate that would be greeat thanks.




PS - All I'm trying to say in this post is that Seamus rules and worms in the Big Apple drool, k?