Welcome to New York

After commuting for a year from Philadelphia to New York I finally found housing in a high rise in Yonkers overlooking the Hudson River. I arrived early November 1976 and my new commute was a one mile drive to the R.R. station - train to Grand Central - subway to Bowling Green at the Battery.  Parking was limited at the Yonkers station and many commuters parked on the street leading down to the tracks which was my routine as well. I was settling in after three weeks when on a midweek day I went into the "city" - to the office - thence to Laguardia to fly to a distant city - back the next day - to the office and home on the evening train. I was gone approx. 36 hours. As I approached my car I was shocked to find my Chevy Impala up on milk boxes. Somebody wanted my new snow tires - and rims. There was a note on the windshield "We have arrested the persons in the theft of your tires - please call the Yonkers police." Meanwhile, I had to march up the hill with briefcase and baggage to get home and reverse that route the following morning to witness all my fellow commuters gawking at my immobile Impala. Reaching the city I called the police who requested my presence to have my photo taken alongside my tires which would be Exhibit A in the courtroom. The plainclothes cops had been on a stakeout at the R.R. station a/c several complaints and nabbed the two guys after they had removed my tires. They said I would hear from the D.A. if they needed me further. I expressed my thanks and they said to come with them - they threw my tires into their pickup and off we went to the scene of the crime. Then I remembered we had tires, rims but no lug nuts!! The next scene was the two cops and me in my camels hair topcoat down in the gutter sifting among the leaves where the thieves had thoughtfully left the lug nuts. The cops jacked up the car, put on the tires and I had the foresight to bring a box of cigars which were appreciated. The D.A. notified me that the "perps" were three time losers and he would not require my appearance. So after three weeks I was now a victimized, put-upon, hardened New Yorker.
tjs
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