Roberts fails to see reality of New York
Regarding Rosemary Roberts' lies bashing New York City (March 25):
Millions of people a year enter and leave Central Park alive with their wallets and their throats intact.
As a former New York City police officer, I worked in and around Central Park, in and out of uniform, on a horse, a patrol car and on foot. Funny, I did not trip over all the dead bodies in the park. Where were they?
The filth in New York City was the non-native New Yorkers of the "hippie generation." Was Roberts a member? The "great unwashed" was always protesting something.
Roberts lived in Washington, San Francisco, Shangri-La and London. The mayor of London said he would feel safer in New York City since the crime rate in London is more than double New York City's.
I'm proud to have been a New York City police officer.
Greg Brown
Pleasant Garden
Comments (3)
To report abuse of the comment feature on this site, please use the feedback form at the bottom of any page.
Mr. Brown, I have never lived in NY but have visited there on two occasions. It was my experience that the people of NY are the most helpful and friendly folks I have had the pleasure to encounter. I did not fear being on the streets of Manhattan even late at night, after attending a couple of shows. Although I have not visited since 9/11, I could hope the people have remained the same good folks as before.
Posted on April 6, 2005 4:28 AM
On my first visit to New York in 1974, I was struck by the rudeness of the many people I talked with. No one said "thank you" or "take it easy." I tipped a cab driver a dollar on a $5 ride, and he asked me what it was. Another driver tried to get $40 from me on a trip from JFK to the Port Authority bus terminal (which took far too long and wound past about every famous sight in Manhattan you could name). I left with no love at all for the Big Apple.
My next visit was 2 years ago, and it had changed enormously. No one begged from me in any park. People said "thanks" when I held doors open for them. It's the little things that make a place nice to visit. I hope it stays nice for a while, at least...
Posted on April 6, 2005 8:01 AM
New York has changed for the better. I think that was the basic tone of Rosemary Roberts letter. I didn't see it as an attack on New York.
I visited New York before 9/11 and I too was somewhat frustrated with the rudeness and outright hostility I sometimes faced. I wasn't really surprised because New York is really large, and people in big cities tend to be a little more withdrawn from one another anyway. I've even observed that in Greensboro. Maybe it has something to do with the anonymity of living in a large city. I don't know.
But it must take some time to wear off because many of the New Yawkers I know that live here are just as rude and arrogant as the ones I encountered in New York.
Having said that, I also have friends from New York, and even though they don't always cover their words with sugary sweetness (saccharine), they are good people.
Posted on April 8, 2005 3:51 PM