An overheard conversation riding the S46 bus this morning from the ferry...condensed for brevity

Young man: Im doin aright. Have you seen ******? I havent seen him in three months!
Older Man: Oh, he got fired. Hopes he finds one. If anyone ever needed a job, he does.
ym: Do you know where Im just coming in from?
om: Uh-uh. Where?
ym: Rikers
om: Whaaat?

(Rikers Island is the huge prison facility on an island in the East River, constantly mentioned on 'Law & Order'.
At this point everyone who wasnt paying attention is now listening in that keenly-aware, yet nonchalant New York manner... )

ym: *beaming* Yep. Left there at 5 am this morning. Been in for the last 3 months. Thats why I kept saying I havent seen ***** in 3 months.
om: Maan, thats bad news. Thats a place I hope I never see again.
ym: Yeah, its wild up in there. You gotta act like you can take care o' yer own, otherwise they'll take you out.
ym: I saw guys CRYIN' when they brought them in, talkin like "I dont wanna be here!!!"
ym: And if you walk in wearing gold chains, theyre gonna beat you down and take it. I saw all kinda fights daily...
ym: Man, the police are worse than the inmates. If there's a fight, they'll line you up against a wall and then all you'll hear is stanchions hittin heads and legs. They tell you not to look from the wall, and afterward, you'll see blood trails from where they drag 'em away.
ym: The only way to avoid all that is to act crazy and they'll seperate you from the rest of the prison population. But THOSE people are off the hook. They keep them doped up to keep them quiet.
om: They give you bus fare when you leave?
ym: Nah, but (pulling out a MetroCard), they'll give you a 3 dollar MetroCard (good for two rides and bus transfers) if you dont have any money.
om: What if you have money whne you get there?
ym: They'll put it in your account.

That conversation made me consider.. I really need to put a lawyer on retainer.. because in this city, if youre snatched up - you could be spending a long time in Rikers before they even hear your case.. EVEN if you havent done anything.

Thats reality in this city. A price paid for the calming down of New York.

During the conversation, I just wanted to tell a 14 year old boy on his way to school to close his mouth, as his mouth was just agape taking it all in....

And thats not an atypical kinda conversation to overhear in New York City, where the stories get so wild that someone can tell you any outrageous story, and you have to take it at face value.

As anything can happen here.
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