Cindy Sergent's New York Page 1

I think it was 1985, just before I got into grad school. I was working at the AI Lab at OSU. I went to the AAAI conference at Philadelphia with all the grad students in the lab. I planned to take the train to meet up with my friend at her grandma's in New York. I was in Philly for only 3 days, I saw a car burning on the freeway and a car was broken into right in front of a church -- not particularly good impression of the city. However, I did find an excellent pastry shop. I bought a box of pastries, prepared to share it with grandma.

Since this was my very first trip to New York, I was a little apprehensive about it. I called grandmom the night before leaving Philadelphia to get directions to her apartment, but, couldn't get through. Tried the next morning, still no. "Oh well, I'll call her when I get to New York."

I have heard so many crime stories about New York subway I thought I would never take the subway train. However, when I studied the map, I realized that I would be arriving in the subway station, and, there seems to be a line that can take me to grandma's. I arrived, found a pay phone and tried to call grandmom again. Got a message telling me to insert 50 cents. Hmmm, grandmom lives in Mahattan, I don't understand why it would require 2 more quarters, anyway... A black man answered the phone. "Oh, I wrote down a wrong number!" "Okay, I'll just take the subway train". As I was standing on the platform waiting for the train, I realized I left the box of pastries on the shelf at the pay phone. I can see it over there, through the turn-stile! "Oh well, it'll be a lucky day for a homeless person".

I watched and listened intently to the conductor on each stop, afraid that I would miss my stop. When I finally heard the announcement of my station, I jumped up, but, the doors started to close. I made a dash and got through the doors, however, my purse was caught behind the doors. I was standing on the platform, the train started to move. I pulled on the straps, the train left and I have the straps in my hands.

Everyone saw what had happened. An old Jewish man and a young Indian man rushed to my side and asked me if I have lost valuables. Luckily there weren't much in the purse -- a book, "Contact", borrowed from a friend, a radio, and $50 traveler checks. The only valuable is my driver's license. Anyway, the old man told me I should get onto the next train and go to the next stop, maybe someone in the train would pick up my purse and wait for me at the next stop. Meanwhile, he'll go to the ticket booth and tell them what had happened, they all left. Now, I was standing there all by myself, started to feel sorry for myself. "I just got to New York for 10 minutes and I couldn't get in touch with grandmom, lost my pastries, and now, lost my purse". I started to cry. The old man came back, he felt sorry for me. Looked at his watch and said he had time to go with me.

We got onto the train, got off the next stop and there was nobody there. He said "don't worry, we'll find a policeman". As we walked up the steps, there were 3 policemen standing there talking. We started to tell them my purse was lost in the train. "What does he look like?" -- they thought I was robbed! (no officer, it was the train that robbed me!) I was still crying, but, I was in good hands now, so the old man left. One of the policemen handed me a thick stack of Kleenex.

The policemen started to get information from me. "Where do you live?" "I don't live here, I'm visiting friends" I gave them grandma's address. (grandmom lives on 57th, but somehow I thought it was 37th. I didn't realize I got the address wrong until I went up to the building afterwards. My friend told me grandmom lived on the 9th floor, the building has only 7 stories, that's when I realized I had the wrong address. Luckly the address book was in my hip pocket and not the purse, otherwise, I would have been totally lost in the Big Apple!) "What's the number that we can call?" I gave them the only number I knew, which was wrong. "Whom can we talk to?" I was still crying, "I don't know, I always call her grandmom", I broke out laughing upon hearing myself. In all, I have given them wrong phone number, wrong address and "grandmom" to contact. Well, at least I gave them the correct home address in Columbus.

Two days later the "Lost and Found" department told me someone turned in my stuff. What's left was the $50 traveler's check which I have already replaced, and my driver's license. Happy ending!