A few Manhattan’s peculiarities

• Pedestrian crossing traffic lights – once there were inscriptions: green “walk” and red “don’t walk”. In the eighties they changed it – what I recognize as one more prognostication that one day English will not be anymore the one official language here. Nowadays there is the sign of the red hand for “stop!” and … the white walking gay for “go!”. And there is anything special about it until you don’t tray to say that some one has “white” light for… and fall in to the political correctness trap.
• Beside the blind persons, it’s really rare to meet on the streets, in the parks or in the other public places the people with disabilities. Same with the people in very advanced age. You can of course notice a lot of seniors in good shape walking around, dealing smoothly with daily needs. But not the ones in the wheelchairs, or those who have troubles with finding their way, or with whatever else. Sure, Manhattan isn’t the easiest place to get old and it can be much more convenient and cheaper down in Florida. Just the commonness of this exodus seems a bit frightening.
• Double plastic bags – The most often at the checkout in a supermarket or a bigger grocery store there is a person who is supposed to put your shopping in to the bags while you are dealing with the cashier. I know that sometimes single bag isn’t enough. That some of them are weak and you need to double it. However when you are buying five items and you get them in two doubled bags isn’t it a bit too much? You can of course try to convince the packers to do it your way – in only one bag or in one you’ve brought with you – and they will do it. There is just this uneasy feeling of breaking their routine and asking for special attention that makes it so easy to give up and bring another four plastic bags home.

L.