At Night in New York City
I bet many of you imagine New York at night to look like a scene from American crime movies. Of course, there are parts of this town where police chases, shootings, and drugs are a reality (no, I have never been there myself). But if you ask me in general if New York is safe, my reply is yes. Especially if we are talking about Manhattan. I am not saying nothing bad ever happens here, for I have heard of many troubling cases, but even though I am often out late, nothing bad ever happened to me. What’s more, I feel very safely in Manhattan, often better than I do during the day. Siren wailing is reduced to minimum, no one is honking in the streets and you don’t have to push your way through a crowd. The only folks you will see are groups coming back from parties or from work (at every conceivable hour), but no one will bother you. Is it because New Yorkers are so polite? No. They won’t bother you for two main reasons: first, they won’t be interested in you (this city is full of eccentrics) and second, they will be afraid you will yell out for police. NYC is very much a police city. Not only are policemen to be found at practically every corner, but most people are ready to call for them for the slightest reason. Unfortunately, many times those police interventions are motivated by racial profiling, which should make everyone even more careful.
Same thing is true of the subway. I take the night train very often and I wasn’t feeling too sure at first, but nowadays I am not afraid at all. Why? For the simple reason: everything is under camera surveillance. Besides, every few stops a police patrol enters the train and checks on things. Subway employees travel at this time often, too, as do repair teams, since most of the repair work on the tracks is happening at night. So if you are even motivated by anxiety of the late return in making your plans for seeing a late show or attending a late meeting or party, I suggest you first reduce the anxiety and then get rid of it altogether. There is nothing to fear.
