Weird morning
Got back from a dr's appt this am in midtown. Went into CompUSA to grab an iPod case. As I went in, police were closing off 9th. When I asked why, they said debris was falling off the construction site for the future AOL-TW World Domination HQ. I went in and got my case. As I was headed to the register, there was some commotion between a couple of the sales clerks, something about the police closing off the street. I asked one of them what was going on and the falling debris had been transformed into "There's a guy at the top of the construction site shooting at people with a rifle." I wasn't sure whether she actually believed this -- she had a weird sort of half-smile on her face while she was saying it - but I thought that this was clearly someone who should not be dealing with the public. I only wish I had gotten her name - especially given what this day represented, the level of tension in the city, this was an inhuman and cruel thing to be saying, even as a putative "joke." Sick. For a moment, even though I knew what was going on, I felt a rush of fear and apprehension.