I am what is known in New York as an alternate-side parker.
This means that twice a week, I spend 90 minutes sitting in our car during the time that is specified for street cleaning. I am waiting for the street-sweeper to come by. After it does, I move our car out of the way, then pull back into the spot once it passes. I then remain in the car until the 90-minute street-cleaning window passes so we don’t get a parking ticket.
Don’t laugh. Given parking prices at nearby garages, this is my highest-paying gig.
On Thursday, I witnessed something truly amazing while tending to my parking duties.
The street sweeper had just passed, and I was returning to my previous spot when I saw a driver one block to the east back up so he could exit his spot.
As he did so, the rear tire of his VW wagon came into contact with the front wheel of a bike, which was firmly locked to the pole of a street sign.
The driver then pulled forward; because the tires were touching, the bike was pushed backward. Because the bike was locked to the street pole, it orbited 360 degrees around the pole. The actual physics involved were really impressive.
Alternate-side parker (left) witnesses low-stakes accident.
The street sweeper passed. The VW then backed into the same spot it had just left. The driver got out, walked back to the bike, which was now flat against the ground, still locked to the pole. He knelt and touched the tire. He lifted the bike so it was upright on two wheels, leaning against the pole. The driver then returned to his car.
I wondered if he was writing a note or preparing to leave, but he stayed in the same spot.
A couple of minutes later, a man in a helmet exited one of the buildings on the block. He walked toward the bike and stopped a few feet away when he saw it on the ground.
The driver of the car exited. The two began talking.
There was some gesturing from the man in the helmet, who presumably owned the bike. He wasn’t pointing, and I couldn’t tell if he was yelling. He kept shaking his hands, palms up toward the sky, as if to ask, “What the hell?”
The conversation continued for 2 or 3 minutes. It occurred to me that, since I’d witnessed what happened, I could help resolve any disagreement.
I got out of my car, crossed West End Avenue, and went up the street.
The driver looked at me as I approached.
"Everything OK?” I asked.
"Yeah," the driver said. "I hit his bike a little bit, and he's frustrated. We’re fine.”
I went back to my car.
The discussion continued for about 5 more minutes. The man in the helmet kept gesturing.
Then the driver went back to his car, opened the driver-side door, and began rooting around in his vehicle. He then stood up, walked to the trunk of his hatchback, and opened it.
The two men then picked up the bike together and loaded it into the back of the vehicle.
The cyclist then walked to the front passenger door, opened it, and got in. The pair drove off, presumably to a bike shop to get it fixed.
I found this to be surprisingly touching and a little inspiring.
One man accidentally damaged another person's property and stuck around to take responsibility.
The other guy, whose property was damaged, was understandably frustrated.
In less than 10 minutes, they talked through the situation and reached a mutual solution: two strangers got into the same vehicle and drove off together to repair the damaged item.
Over the past 24 hours, I’ve thought a little bit about why I found this so moving. I’ve settled on two reasons:
New York is not a particularly nice city.
There are lots of sharp corners and rough edges. It can feel a little bit like “Lord of the Flies.” Seeing what had all the ingredients for an argument result in a cooperative resolution made me feel a little better about this dog-eat-dog city where I currently reside.
The Internet has diminished our ability to resolve conflict.
It is impossible to go through life without feeling harmed or hurt by someone else. When this happens, we tend to feel aggrieved and angry. This is an understandable, if not appropriate, response! It should not be mistaken for a solution, though. Yet social-media sites are teeming with examples of people recounting chapter and verse of the harm they feel they’ve suffered to marshal sympathy for themselves and/or pin blame on the person who did it. This is not necessarily wrong in an ethical sense, but it’s not the most direct path to remedying the issue at hand. In many instances, it actually makes things more emotionally charged.
A man’s bike was damaged on Thursday morning. This was unfortunate, and ultimately inconvenient, for both people involved. It was also an accident, and watching two human beings sort it out in real time without needing help from others gave me a little hope for this city I live in and the species I belong to.