Manhattan Chutzpah
BY ARLENE KAYATT
Hey, there’s a lady waiting! Late Sunday evening. Two ladies standing and chatting at elevator bank in residential apartment building in the 90s/on Third. Whole Foods and Fairway shopping bags lining the floor between them. One elevator standing empty. Along comes a third lady. Doesn’t notice the empty elevator and pushes “Up” button. When she sees that the elevator is empty, she walks in and pushes her floor button. As the door starts to close, one of the talking ladies decides that it’s time to go home. She waves her arm to keep the door open and proceeds to load her packages onto the elevator. Yakking the whole time. Chutzpah 101.
Healthy benefits — Shoutout to City MD on East 86th Street for exemplary health care services. With the sweep of a stethoscope, the doctor detected the sound of potential problem coming from patient’s chest, which was confirmed by an X-ray. Doctor recommended a CT scan that patient scheduled with own physician. Great teamwork and quality of care. Can’t ask for more. Welcome to our town, City MDs — they are in other locations as well.
Transfer alert — 86th/Lex crosstown to West Side — passenger paid fare. Got receipt. Got on bus. Showed it to driver and asked for transfer. “Ya don’t need a transfer.” Passenger explained that a transfer is required and receipts are not accepted. “Just give ‘em the receipt.” Case closed. Passenger took a seat. Along came an MTA receipt enforcer. Passenger explained plight. Handed over the receipt and asked the MTA enforcer to please get a transfer. Voila, transfer received. MTA should invest in training drivers so that they know the rules of the road ... Avenue buses require transfers and won’t honor receipts. And what’s the problem with just handing over a transfer?
Urine Nation — Sitting on a metal bench at 50th/Lex waiting for downtown bus opposite a silver-colored sign warning “No Smoking.” We’ve come to know there’s danger to second-hand smoke. Along comes a man, looks at the sign, and walks to the next wall. No signs. Unzips his pants and proceeds to urinate on the column wall. Guess a sign should say no urinating — or simply no peeing — in public. Or is that not OK? Somebody should start a campaign about second-hand smells that harm the public. Or maybe a study. Or maybe common sense? It’s aesthetically awful, offensive, smelly, disgusting and bad for public health. Wonder where the City Council is on the matter?
An ordinary couple is all they’ll never be ... Rumor has it that Trump, triumphing in his quest to be Republican candidate for president, will promote former conservative Congressman Joe Scarborough as his running mate. Scarborough, MSNBC’s Morning Joe bloviator, has been angling for the second spot from the day Trump announced. Oh, there have been pushes and pulls, winks and nods from both Scarborough and Trump. But sounds like a ticket. Sounds like the ticket, folks.
Faux fifties- Uptown M102 late Monday evening in early April. Passenger gets on the bus. Eyes a folded paper which looked like a $50 bill and immediately stepped on it and surreptitiously slid it along until he could look at it unnoticed by other riders. Opens it. It’s an advertisement for an accountant in Brooklyn offering a $50 discount for tax preparation. Suddenly, the folded papers keep appearing between the bus driver and the steps to get on the bus. Turns out the bus driver was dropping them. Maybe for a giggle. Maybe he’s moonlighting on the job on behalf of the accountant. Maybe both. I don’t know that he should be doing either — and it wasn’t very nice or funny.
Passed over — A local Upper East Side temple had a special offer before Passover for a Men’s Scotch & Steak Seder, consisting of steak, matzoh, and Scotch, at a high-end steak house in the neighborhood. What about the women?