Politics
‘His Expression Suggested He Was Trying to Solve a Puzzle’
A brisk April day in Manhattan, an overdue introduction on the F and more reader tales of New York City in this week’s Metropolitan Diary.
Brisk April Day
Dear Diary:
Hard to believe it was the middle of April. The clouds hung low, the temperature was brisk, the sun had set.
It was that in-between time. After work, before drinks. The sidewalks were empty. The traffic was light.
I went out to run a quick errand. I was wearing a spring-weight fleece jacket and wishing I had worn gloves.
As I walked along, I noticed a man standing at a corner about 20 feet away. I was struck by his clothing: a winter jacket and a knit hat.
“It’s cold,” I said.
“It is,” he said.
We should be wearing gloves, I said.
My sentence was cut off by the rumble of a truck barreling up the avenue.
The man’s arm shot out as he looked at me.
“Step back,” he said.
I did as I was told.
He started to pat his pants. His expression suggested he was trying to solve a puzzle. His fingers reached into one of his pockets, and he pulled something out: a pair of gloves. He offered them to me as we began to cross the street.
