Welcome to New York!

So yesterday, I was walking to my old sublet to pick up something. I got off the 2 train and crossed the street and started down the sidewalk in front of a gorgeous museum. Two guys were walking in front of me, we were the only ones on the sidewalk, and one of the guys dropped a small black plastic bag.

Here’s where it’s CLEAR I’m not used to NYC yet. The words, “Um, excuse me!” are starting to come out of my mouth because they dropped something and I’m considering whether or not to pick it up when a police car runs off the road, drives up onto the sidewalk and slams to a halt in front of the guys. Two cops get out with guns drawn and tell the men to get on the ground.

I’m less than 10 feet behind the guys and am veeeery close that bag!

I’m like, “OMG. OMG.”

I back up and dart across the street without looking for cars. Yeah, smart. At least it was a quiet-ish one way street and I made it across.

I watched the cops pat down the guys and cuff them.

I called and texted my friends about what I saw and they were like, “Welcome to New York. Lesson: don’t ever pick up something a stranger drops.”

Got. It.

I went home and stayed out of trouble for the rest of the day. Yes, I did.