Chit-Chat: What's On Your Mind Today?

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, kristen111 said:

Plus Cops cannot control the immigrants anymore.

Since being an immigrant is not a crime*, I'm not sure what it is you feel the cops should be doing to "control" them.  As I'm unclear what you're suggesting, if it's that immigrants are more likely to commit crime than those born in the U.S., that's never been shown to be true, and in fact studies indicate they are less likely (here's the most extensive one to date I am aware of).

*With limited exceptions; there are specific circumstances related to undocumented immigrants, such as re-entry after deportation, in which simply being here without authorization may constitute a crime (in fact, a felony) rather than a civil violation.  (And, of course, certain acts may constitute an illegal entry, which is a misdemeanor.)

[Anduin]

3 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Since being an immigrant is not a crime*, I'm not sure what it is you feel the cops should be doing to "control" them.  As I'm unclear what you're suggesting, if it's that immigrants are more likely to commit crime than those born in the U.S., that's never been shown to be true, and in fact studies indicate they are less likely (here's the most extensive one to date I am aware of).

*With limited exceptions; there are specific circumstances related to undocumented immigrants, such as re-entry after deportation, in which simply being here without authorization may constitute a crime (in fact, a felony) rather than a civil violation.  (And, of course, certain acts may constitute an illegal entry, which is a misdemeanor.)

46 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

We are not alarmists.  But, my husband has lots of relatives and friends who are Cops and Firemen in the Tri State area, so we hear of the goings on in the five boroughs.  We don’t go by the media .. just by what they see and say.  If  had to go in for an occasion, we would by car.  Otherwise, not necessary right now.  It’s not what it used to be.

 

Yes, police and firefighters are going to talk about crimes and fires. Doesn't mean those are the only things that are happening. People do talk about their jobs and interests, and there are more than two kinds of people out there. I get that you're mobility limited, but it doesn't mean you have to feel like you're under siege in your own home.

As for immigrants, a certain percentage of everyone is going to misbehave. Most people want to get on with their lives without trouble. It's just, the squeaky wheel gets the grease/bad behaviour gets attention.

[ECM1231]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

I would drive to the NY Botanical Garden if there is no wedding bus. July on the trains in wedding attire? To the Bronx? Nope.

The Bronx? Aw, crap. I thought it was in Manhattan. 

51 minutes ago, isalicat said:

There are endless ways to be of service to others in this life and my aim is to do something each and every day until my last breath. 😸

 Beautiful! Bless you! ❣️

[kristen111]

A simple question about what my fellow posters were doing all winter.  Then, the shit hit the fan.  So out of here.

[chitowngirl]

1 hour ago, ECM1231 said:

The Bronx? Aw, crap. I thought it was in Manhattan. 

Just North of the Bronx Zoo…

[Anduin]

20 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

A simple question about what my fellow posters were doing all winter.  Then, the shit hit the fan.  So out of here.

I'm just trying to be positive. Anyway, it's officially autumn down here. I say officially, because we're having a very long run of nice weather. Nice enough for me to want a bit of a change. I'm sure I'll feel differently when I'm in wet and windy Britain in a few weeks. :)

And in baffling news, I had a look in the local paper. The council have approved some swanky new apartments on Amherst Street. I used to work on Amherst. It's not a swanky apartment kind of area. It's light industrial, there's an electricity substation on one corner. Not where I would put nice apartments.

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

I've never been to the Botanical Garden and am looking forward to the wedding, but not the getting there. No way are we taking the railroad as my husband has always preferred to drive whenever we've gone into Manhattan. 

2 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

The Bronx? Aw, crap. I thought it was in Manhattan. 

As you know I grew up and lived in the Bronx for half my life.  I have known and gone to the Botanical Garden since I was a little kid.  It's right across from Fordham University's Bronx Campus.  When I went there and later worked there I'd go for walks at the garden at lunch in the warm weather.  It's also right across from the Bronx Zoo.  It's absolutely beautiful and not to be missed. 

And don't worry about the area.  It's right off the Bronx River Parkway, Mosholu Parkway and Pelham Parkway and a walk across the road from the Metro North train.  You are not in danger there.  Once you are inside the grounds the gates are closed and it's a very large safe area.  I worry more about what's going on in some areas of Manhattan and some other places these days, but that's another story.

Also, the Garden is not far from the Arthur Avenue neighborhood, Bronx's "Little Italy".  As long as you are taking a car and avoid Fordham Road you are absolutely fine.  And the Metro North train is pretty safe too.

Edited April 5 by Yeah No

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

The older I get, the more frightened I become, and I think it's because I realize my physical limitations now. I've always been uneasy taking the subway and getting too near the platform edge. Now, all we hear about is how the mentally disturbed are pushing folks off the platforms, left and right. 

I hear you, my husband and I are over 65 now and we are not alarmists but we have been hearing about these things too and are more concerned now because of our vulnerabilities as older people.  When we were younger we didn't think so much about that stuff even when the crime rate was higher in the bad old days, but these days are rapidly becoming more like those bad old "crack is wack" days all the time.

As you probably know, my husband is down in the City at least twice a week and he is a native New Yorker - it takes a lot to get us worried, and he is more worried all the time, which says a whole LOT.  Most of it is stuff he sees with his own eyes in Manhattan.  There is more crime and more stuff happening out in the streets than was the case for a long time.  It's alarming and depressing.  

I have been hearing on the news that there is a mental health crisis that's been gradually getting worse, especially since the pandemic, and of course that means there are a lot of people not properly supervised or medicated out on the streets causing havoc.  This is happening everywhere, not just in NYC, even up here in CT.  But it is more obvious in a place like NY where people like that are out on the streets more than not.

3 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

My 40-year-old daughter lives alone in Chinatown without a car. Mostly she walks everywhere, but she takes the train (subway) if necessary. She loves getting fresh fruit at the local bodegas.

Younger people tend to see this issue much differently than seniors do.  When I was that age I didn't think about those things.  My BFF has lived in NYC her whole life - doesn't even have a driver's license and in the bad old days of high crime in NYC she was riding the subways without a second thought.  Now she is going to be 66 next week and is petrified based on what she is seeing and hearing on the news.  She still takes public transportation because she has to but she hates it now and is afraid.  And she was FEARLESS before.

[chitowngirl]

20 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

As you know I grew up and lived in the Bronx for half my life.  I have known and gone to the Botanical Garden since I was a little kid.  It's right across from Fordham University's Bronx Campus.  When I went there and later worked there I'd go for walks at the garden at lunch in the warm weather.  It's also right across from the Bronx Zoo.  It's absolutely beautiful and not to be missed. 

Agreed! 😊

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Since being an immigrant is not a crime*, I'm not sure what it is you feel the cops should be doing to "control" them.  As I'm unclear what you're suggesting, if it's that immigrants are more likely to commit crime than those born in the U.S., that's never been shown to be true, and in fact studies indicate they are less likely (here's the most extensive one to date I am aware of).

*With limited exceptions; there are specific circumstances related to undocumented immigrants, such as re-entry after deportation, in which simply being here without authorization may constitute a crime (in fact, a felony) rather than a civil violation.  (And, of course, certain acts may constitute an illegal entry, which is a misdemeanor.)

The problem is the migrant crisis and how they were recently dumped en masse on big cities like NYC from other states even against Mayor Adams's wishes because the city was not prepared to deal with them all at once.  So now they are flooding the streets and contributing to a growing homeless crisis that is happening thanks to the mental health crisis I mentioned in my previous message.  So that is why NYS Gov. Hochul has deployed the National Guard to patrol the subways and stuff like that.  They are overwhelmed and there is reason to be afraid when you have that many people without homes or money and a percentage of them have mental health issues along with not enough police or other services to deal with them adequately.  

I was actually shocked last Summer when I went for a few days in Manhattan and saw all the people milling around near Columbus Circle that looked homeless and some acted disturbed and were muttering, etc.  And it didn't feel safe.  Granted, they are not everywhere but there are more of them around.

[Gramto6]

On 4/2/2024 at 8:06 AM, shapeshifter said:

My name is shapeshifter and I am a butter-holic.
I fry my eggs in butter. Salted butter. 
[hangs head in shame]

My name is Gramto6 and I also fry my eggs in salted butter sometimes, but mostly in Ghee.

[annzeepark914]

It's bad in DC these days. Three 12 year old girls beat a disabled man to death not too long ago. Young kids with guns highjacking cars. And the occasional mentally ill person  acting out by stabbing whoever's nearby. I haven't been into the district since the covid shut down and am not eager to revisit it right now.

[StatisticalOutlier]

6 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

I've always been uneasy taking the subway and getting too near the platform edge. Now, all we hear about is how the mentally disturbed are pushing folks off the platforms, left and right.

I don't have an actual count, but I don't think statistics would support the assertion that people are being pushed off the platforms left and right.  But you wouldn't need to worry about it even if it were true, since you don't like getting near the platform edge anyway. 

The last thing I want to do is convince someone to go somewhere they're scared of, but here's my experience.

Mr. Outlier and I spent four days in NYC in December.  We walked about 40 miles, trying not to retrace our steps, so we covered a LOT of Manhattan.  We never felt unsafe at all. 

I expected to have to step around bused-in asylum seekers living on the sidewalks, but didn't see any.  There were homeless people around, and people who were obviously having mental issues, but it didn't seem particularly different from the 1990s, when I used to go to NYC a couple of times a year, for a week or two at a time.  Except the smell weed is pervasive these days, but that doesn't make for danger, and probably lessens danger because stoned people generally aren't aggressive.

We took the subway once because we were running short on time and it was a quick way to get up to Henderson Place for a long walk back down the east side, plus it was on the new Second Avenue line, which I'd never been on.  It was fine, and I wouldn't have hesitated to take other subways if they'd worked into our plans.

It's funny--I have a friend who went with me on three or four of my 1990s NYC trips, running around all over the city, including a memorable jaunt from Battery Park to Central Park, just for the hell of it.  I saw her recently and mentioned going to NYC and she was asking me if I felt safe.  I thought, "Huh?  Why are you asking me that?"  Then I figured out she's probably paying attention to certain news stories that may not reflect the experiences of most people who are in NYC, especially tourists.  It's a shame.  We always had a ball when we went to NYC.

Mr. Outlier and I also spent some time in the DC area.  We didn't stay in the district, but I took the metro in three times to go to museums or to a movie, and walk around.  I was in the touristy areas, where most tourists go, and I have no recollection that it was much different from the dozens of other times I've gone there.  I remember people camped in that collonade-type semicircle in the Federal Triangle, and random homeless people around, but no crime or any aggression toward me. 

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Now she is going to be 66 next week and is petrified based on what she is seeing and hearing on the news.  She still takes public transportation because she has to but she hates it now and is afraid.

I'm 66.  Has your friend had bad things happen to her?  If not, and she has no choice but to take public transportation, maybe she should lay off watching the news because it's clearly not making her life better.  Just keep using the same city-living skills she's been using for decades.

[Yeah No]

1 minute ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

I'm 66.  Has your friend had bad things happen to her?  If not, and she has no choice but to take public transportation, maybe she should lay off watching the news because it's clearly not making her life better.  Just keep using the same city-living skills she's been using for decades.

Oh it's not just from the news it's from stuff she's seen going on around her with her own eyes.

It's really hard to explain to people what it's like being from the City.  It's not the same when you just visit there.  I know how she feels.  You've seen things that would scare most people to death.  You used to imagine yourself being able to handle a lot yourself so you had less fear.  Those skills you refer to - if only we had the agility and confidence to use them the way we would have in decades past.  We know we're no match for what's going on out there today.  And we also know that older people are targets.  It isn't as easy to blend into the crowd anymore.

[StatisticalOutlier]

9 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

And we also know that older people are targets.  It isn't as easy to blend into the crowd anymore.

And yet people complain that they become invisible as they get older.

[Yeah No]

3 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

And yet people complain that they become invisible as they get older.

Invisible to some people in some ways, not in others.

When I was young I was fearless. 

I even took the NYC police exam back in the early '80s.  I aced it - even passed the physical agility test and that was no joke back then.  The only reason I didn't make it in was the eyesight requirement, which was different back then.  No eyeglasses or contacts allowed.

I'd drive down in the South Bronx in the '80s alone at night to take a short cut when traffic was bad on the Cross Bronx Expressway.  I'd meet friends in an "after hours bar" down there for a couple of drinks.  I'd ride the subway through bad neighborhoods.  If knives came out I just ran out through the cars - back then you could walk between cars.

I think some of this gives you a kind of PTSD that stays with you your whole life and when you hear about and see similar things happening in the present you get worried about it.  I left NY to get away from the rampant crime of the late '80s/early '90s.  I've gotten old and soft and I'm not fearless anymore.

[EtheltoTillie]

8 hours ago, ebk57 said:

I'm in NYC now.  I take the subway everywhere.  Or the bus.  Tonight we'll be walking to dinner and Lincoln Center.  My thought is try not to let fear overtake your life and keep you locked in your house.  There's a lot to do out here.  If you're aware of your surroundings, you'll be fine. 

Yup same here. I take the subway every day. I do think things feel worse again, as they were in the 70s during the financial crisis. But it is still a great place to be. FWIW I have always been afraid to stand near the edge of the subway, and I hug the wall till the train rolls in. 

Edited April 5 by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

Also FWIW there are probably a lot of guns being carried illegally everywhere in NYC.but my husband and I just go about our business.  There are probably a lot of guns being carried everywhere in every state. 

Edited April 5 by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

9 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

I'd like to hear from our NYC residents if it's as bad as the news media portrays it. I'm a 50-minute train ride from Penn Station.  The last time I was in Manhattan, my niece drove her mom and me to the theater district to see Jersey Boys. This had to be at least 5 years ago. We parked in a parking garage and left immediately after, so I have no idea about mass transportation. 

The older I get, the more frightened I become, and I think it's because I realize my physical limitations now. I've always been uneasy taking the subway and getting too near the platform edge. Now, all we hear about is how the mentally disturbed are pushing folks off the platforms, left and right. 

We've got a wedding to attend at the NY Botanical Garden in July. I've yet to receive the invitation, so I'm not sure if the parents are providing any kind of bus. 10 years ago, my cousin rented a bus that left from her suburban home to take the Long Island guests into Manhattan where both the church ceremony and hotel reception were held. It was so nice to just drive 20 minutes to my cousin's house and board that bus.

I've never been to the Botanical Garden and am looking forward to the wedding, but not the getting there. No way are we taking the railroad as my husband has always preferred to drive whenever we've gone into Manhattan. 

No it’s not as bad as they say.  People are not pushing people off the platforms left and right. There have been two or three such incidents in recent years. Because they are so awful, they assume a larger significance in people’s minds and a larger influence on behavior. 

Edited April 5 by EtheltoTillie

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

No it’s not as bad as they say.  People are not pushing people off the platforms left and right. There have been two or three such incidents in recent years. Because they are so awful, they assume a larger significance in people’s minds and a larger influence on behavior. 

Still the statistics are showing that subway crime is up, especially felony assaults.  It's not just perception.  And it's not just 2 or 3 incidents here and there.  Overall crime is down from 2019 but it fell during the pandemic when there wasn't as much going on.  Some of the stats are deceptive because violent assaults are up even as some other categories are down. 

This article is from February.  It might be even worse now:

https://abc7ny.com/subway-crime-nyc-statistics-assault/14381702/

This article is from January and down the page a ways it lists 7 top crime stories of 2023, which incidentally are all violent subway crimes.  These are just the ones that have made the biggest headlines.  My friend has told me about many more I don't even see on the news here in CT.

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/nyc-crime-rate-2023-statistics

Part of the issue is that NY enjoyed a couple of decades where these incidents were rarer.  The crime rate started to increase in the past decade and peaked around 2019 but that doesn't mean it's gone down to where it was during that nicer, earlier period.  Of course it's still safer than the bad old days of the '70s and '80s, so it depends on what perspective you're looking at it from.  I think most of us visiting NY got used to the better quality of life and lower crime rate overall from the mid to later '90s through perhaps the early 2010's. 

My husband is down in NYC every week and tells me the city is not as nice overall as it once was.  He is everywhere, not just a few neighborhoods.  It's not just crime but quality of life.  The homeless rate is way up.  When you see dirt and homeless (some obviously mentally ill and/or on substances) in the streets who feels safe in NYC anymore?  Certainly not those of us that don't deal with that on a daily basis.  I think not being there every day we are not as inured to it as people that live there.  Except perhaps someone like my best friend.  But she lives in the Bronx, so perhaps she sees this differently than people in better neighborhoods.

Edited April 5 by Yeah No

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Also FWIW there are probably a lot of guns being carried illegally everywhere in NYC.but my husband and I just go about our business.  There are probably a lot of guns being carried everywhere in every state. 

That's true.  I don't feel as safe even here in CT for that reason.  We have had our increase in gun crime here too.  But even in the "bad old days" of crime in NYC we didn't worry that every other person might be carrying a gun and might use it.  Today it's different.

5 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Yup same here. I take the subway every day. I do think things feel worse again, as they were in the 70s during the financial crisis. But it is still a great place to be. FWIW I have always been afraid to stand near the edge of the subway, and I hug the wall till the train rolls in. 

Me too.  I told my friend who went down to the Patty's day parade this year to stay away from the platform. 

[BetyBee]

Back to the popcorn discussion, my Mom always used to tell us about their neighbors across the alley, who put water on their popcorn during the depression. As a kid and most of my life, I was puzzled by this. I was in my 60s when I realized it was to make the salt cling to the kernels, because they couldn't afford butter. Doh!

As for high school class reunions, I think by the 50th (mine was last year), people are not as interested in impressing their former classmates. 10% of my HUGE high school class have passed away. It's more like a survivors group as the years go by. I really like some of my former classmates and have stayed in touch. But I didn't attend that one. I did not enjoy high school and my class was so big (1500) that I only knew a small percentage of my classmates. However, grade school get togethers usually take place the same weekend.Those are fun!

I am glad to note that I am not alone in disliking highway driving these days. We usually take the train when we go into the city. We don't do much night driving any more, but we do try to stay active, so we are enjoying retirement. My book club and my ladies group keep me fairly busy. I also enjoy my couch! 😉

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

Part of the issue is that NY enjoyed a couple of decades where these incidents were rarer.  The crime rate started to increase in the past decade and peaked around 2019 but that doesn't mean it's gone down to where it was during that nicer, earlier period. 

Some of this was due to aggressive policing strategies.  The City was sued about this and eventually settled the lawsuit, agreeing to pull back on the disputed stop and frisk policy.  Now there are new disputed no-bail policies.  There is no answer that satisfies everyone on these very difficult questions.

[Yeah No]

7 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Some of this was due to aggressive policing strategies.  The City was sued about this and eventually settled the lawsuit, agreeing to pull back on the disputed stop and frisk policy.  Now there are new disputed no-bail policies.  There is no answer that satisfies everyone on these very difficult questions.

Yeah, I've been aware of that too.  It's too bad the city can't come to some kind of middle ground on that issue and others.

[shapeshifter]

8 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Yup same here. I take the subway every day. I do think things feel worse again, as they were in the 70s during the financial crisis. But it is still a great place to be. FWIW I have always been afraid to stand near the edge of the subway, and I hug the wall till the train rolls in. 

Personal perceptions are valid, and statistics don't matter if you are the one in a million, and stats that rise after an unusual drop (like during the pandemic) can feel alarming, and cause us to want to blame some group, but, in good news:
“NYPD Announces February 2024 Citywide Crime Statistics” (nyc.gov…february-2024-citywide-crime-statistics)

Quote

Incidents of shootings, murder, and other bellwether crimes in New York City were markedly reduced again in February compared to the same month last year, while major offenses committed in the city’s subway system dropped more than 15 percent. Throughout the five boroughs, overall crime continued its downward trajectory, dipping another 1.1%.…

 

Also, unlike the relatives and friends mentioned in this post:

16 hours ago, kristen111 said:

We are not alarmists.  But, my husband has lots of relatives and friends who are Cops and Firemen in the Tri State area, so we hear of the goings on in the five boroughs.  We don’t go by the media .. just by what they see and say.  If  had to go in for an occasion, we would by car.  Otherwise, not necessary right now.  It’s not what it used to be.

I am fortunate that my oldest daughter
— who majored in journalism in college
— was the editor of her large campus' newspaper
— then worked as a crime reporter for 10 years from 2001-2011
— and has now been a 9-1-1 dispatcher for 8 years in a large, high-crime city
almost never shares any details about her thousands (millions?) of calls. 

This 9-1-1 dispatcher daughter of mine is the one who, together with her childhood friend, routinely makes fun of my 1980s carob brownies when they're sharing beers with their other friends. Her childhood friend is a firefighter/EMT. I like to think the story of my "terrible" carob brownies serves them well to change the subject when others are trying to get them to share the latest shocking or just fascinating situations they encounter while "on the job."

Edited April 5 by shapeshifter

[JustHereForFood]

13 hours ago, Anduin said:

I'm just trying to be positive. Anyway, it's officially autumn down here. I say officially, because we're having a very long run of nice weather. Nice enough for me to want a bit of a change. I'm sure I'll feel differently when I'm in wet and windy Britain in a few weeks. :)

I am a bit envious of you all in the southern hemisphere now. I love the four season climate and I love whenever seasons change, including early spring when many of my favorite flowers start blooming. But knowing that I now have all of the warmer parts of the year ahead of me makes me a bit depressed. Also, when the spring officially started about 2 weeks ago, my only thought was "Now? What about the last month, what was that?" It's starting earlier and earlier each year.

[shapeshifter]

8 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

I am a bit envious of you all in the southern hemisphere now. I love the four season climate and I love whenever seasons change, including early spring when many of my favorite flowers start blooming. But knowing that I now have all of the warmer parts of the year ahead of me makes me a bit depressed. Also, when the spring officially started about 2 weeks ago, my only thought was "Now? What about the last month, what was that?" It's starting earlier and earlier each year.

It's snowing here in Rochester NY right now.
"Spring" means that, thankfully, it's not sticking on the roads.

Edited April 5 by shapeshifter

[JustHereForFood]

2 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

It's snowing here in Rochester NY right now.

We had only a bit of snow this winter. Now, all of the fruit trees are blooming - the fruit growers confirm that it's too early and are afraid that if it gets freezing cold again as it often does at some point in later spring, all of the harvest will be affected. Last year, it was about half I think, now it can be a lot more and what survives will end up way more expensive .

[peacheslatour]

16 hours ago, kristen111 said:

So did I .. many of those things.  Since my two spine surgeries, my mobility issues stop me from doing many things I enjoy, unfortunately.  Just getting out of bed in the morning is painful.

Yes, I have trouble getting up. It Hurts!

[partofme]

I miss living in nyc.  I had to move to NJ six months ago because the rent got to be too much in nyc but I was never scared there, I always felt the news exaggerated things.  I read somewhere that the crime rate is about 50 times lower in nyc than it is in Alabama.  We had an earthquake a half hour ago here in NJ, now that was scary.   

[ECM1231]

@partofme, that earthquake was wide ranging! We felt it very strongly here on Long Island. My son, 120 miles north of me, felt it too. Some say it was felt as far north as Boston. According to the news, the magnitude ranged from 4.7 to 5.5. I hope there were no fatalities. 

[peacheslatour]

2 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

@partofme, that earthquake was wide ranging! We felt it very strongly here on Long Island. My son, 120 miles north of me, felt it too. Some say it was felt as far north as Boston. According to the news, the magnitude ranged from 4.7 to 5.5. I hope there were no fatalities. 

I have friends in Conn. and they are saying it was pretty strong there too. 

[annzeepark914]

Earthquake in NYC...who'd a thunk? I sure wouldn't want to be in a skyscraper (or walking down the street amongst them 🙄). 4.7 can do damage. They're still repairing National Cathedral after the 2011 earthquake that I think was 5.8. 

I just got back from having my lower eyelids tightened. It was done for medical reasons (very dry eyes & repeated eye infections), so insurance is covering it. I'm so glad I cancelled a P.T. appt on Monday. The tiny bandages beside each eye are stained with blood. I'm hiding out at home this weekend. They told me "no strenuous activity". Heh heh...no worries about that 😁.

 

[EtheltoTillie]

I did not feel it on the Upper West Side, but many neighbors did and friends all around town.

@Bastet probably laughing at us

[ABay]

Friend of a friend reported feeling it in Killington VT. In southern CT, I thought a big gust of wind had hit the house and didn't think anything of it until my colleagues started asking if there'd been an earthquake. At least one of them reported items falling off a shelf. Earthquakes aren't common here, so even a little tremor is exciting. Like snow falling in Florida.

Edited April 5 by ABay

[ebk57]

18 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I did not feel it on the Upper West Side, but many neighbors did and friends all around town.

@Bastet probably laughing at us

Also on the Upper West Side now and I totally missed it.  I miss all fun... 

Edited April 5 by ebk57

[Gramto6]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

Earthquake in NYC...who'd a thunk? I sure wouldn't want to be in a skyscraper (or walking down the street amongst them 🙄). 4.7 can do damage. They're still repairing National Cathedral after the 2011 earthquake that I think was 5.8. 

I was in a Costco in the Bay Area of CA in 1989 when the Loma  Prieta earthquake struck. It was a 6.9 quake. At first everyone in the store thought OK, another quake, but this one kept going and going. Looking up to the ceiling in Costco the hanging signs were swinging back and forth and one look at the cases and cases of stock stacked high on the shelves my first thought was: Oh He!! No!! I'm outa here!! The floor was rippling, it felt like waves. I could feel the aftershocks even in the car as I drove away! One of the most frightening things I have experienced.

That was the quake where the top layer of the Bay Bridge collapsed onto the lower layer. Fortunately it happened just before the opening of the World Series and the freeways were mostly empty, everyone was already at the game in SF, or at home to watch on TV. Fatalities could have been so much worse than the 63 if the freeways had been full of a normal commute at 5PM! Injuries were over 3,000 but it could have been so much worse.

[annzeepark914]

Getting weary of all the smug comments in the Washington Post (re: the earthquake) from other parts of the country. The east is the oldest part of the continent and earthquakes are very shallow. That's why people up in Killington, VT, Albany NY, Boston, Tyson's Corner in northern VA, Delaware, southern MD have felt the tremors.  

I remember watching on TV all the damage the '89 earthquake did and that scary bridge collapse and the interstate collapse. Awful.

Edited April 5 by annzeepark914

[GHScorpiosRule]

I live in Maryland, and I didn't feel anything. 

[SweetieDarling]

I'm near Baltimore, my neighbor called me in a panic because she and her husband felt it and saw the houseplants shaking. I was buzzing around the house cleaning and doing laundry -I felt nothing.

[TattleTeeny]

On 4/2/2024 at 6:07 PM, Quof said:

All this egg talk is making me slightly nauseated; I hate eggs.  You would never know that to look in my compost bin, because I do love cookies. 😃

I have to turn away from Denny's commercials and flip over any diner placemats with images of omelets. Breakfast burritos are particularly upsetting. 

If you ever decide that you don't want to deal with eggs at all, one tablespoon of ground flaxseed combined with 3 tablespoons of water is the pretty standard vegan substitute. 

OHHHH! Also, earthquake! I'm in North Jersey -- that shit was nuts, man. I have never felt one before. 

Edited April 5 by TattleTeeny

[peacheslatour]

Just now, TattleTeeny said:

I have to turn away from Denny's commercials and flip over any diner placemats with images of omelets. Breakfast burritos are particularly upsetting. 

I like eggs but the Arby's commercials with globs of meat turn my stomach.

[TattleTeeny]

Something about the eggs being the "glue" that holds everything together, ugh. Especially if I can see an onion. No.

[Quof]

I can deal with the raw eggs in baking, I just can't stand the sight, smell or taste of the cooked ones.   It makes going out to brunch challenging, I usually decline the invitation. 

[isalicat]

4 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I did not feel it on the Upper West Side, but many neighbors did and friends all around town.

@Bastet probably laughing at us

Well if Bastet isn't, I am 😸. Born in Cali and I've been through two really big quakes (one when I was in high school that wrecked some freeway overpasses and caused some apartment buildings to collapse, and the big one in the Bay Area in 1989 - the Loma Prieta quake - 6.9 on the Richter - while I was at the World Series baseball game (yes, really!). So your little NY shaker is probably disconcerting but compared to what the people in Taiwan just went through...not a big deal. Stay safe! and make sure stuff is never able to fall on your head.

[Anela]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I like eggs but the Arby's commercials with globs of meat turn my stomach.

I’ve just seen a video of someone pulling a slice of pizza up in the air, and a very, very long stretch of cheese that he kept pulling.  I don’t love pizza anymore, but that put me off solely because you can’t eat it, if the cheese won’t let go. 

[Absolom]

Going back to the salt in bread recipe, my neighbors' and family's favourite bread recipe of mine is orthodox communion bread: flour, water, and yeast. 

Also a Californian gently smiling at the quake.

[oliviabenson]

22 hours ago, ECM1231 said:

The Bronx? Aw, crap. I thought it was in Manhattan. 

 Beautiful! Bless you! ❣️

There is one in the Bronx and one in Brooklyn 

[oliviabenson]

I was sitting on the bench drinking coffee waiting for the bus… the earth and bench was shaking. I’m not in Manhattan.

 

Edited April 6 by oliviabenson

[shapeshifter]

About 50 years ago I was home from college north of Chicago when there was a rare-to-the-area earthquake.
The next day, when my parents heard about the quake on the news, they asked if I'd felt it.  I said I just thought they had just become accustomed to making more noise in bed since they'd become empty nesters. 
Mom loved to tell that story.