Suddenly, Right Behind Me: Bam!

I was hurriedly crossing a street in SOHO while keeping my eyes on the cross-walk countdown when suddenly right behind me: BAM! I turned around and saw a woman in a blue sun dress roll on top of a black SUV as her bike went flying out in front on the street! She then rolled onto the street herself, and I thought she must have been killed.

My attention was diverted to a man in a brown uniform who started yelling at the driver "That's what you get when you don't let people through!" Seconds later, the women herself was on her feet and in the face of the driver who had come to a stop in the middle of the intersection. She was beat up, but still feisty.

A small crowd started to gather, and I asked a nearby school traffic guide if she was calling an ambulance. I stepped back and waited to see if she was okay. Others were attending to her, and she remained on her feet until a fire truck, then an ambulance came. I'm sure she went into shock once they got her on the gurney.

She had been on one of the new city bikes that were placed on the streets just three days ago. A really bad idea, if you ask me--both putting the bikes out there for the public and actually riding them.

More on the Rope Sculptures in Madison Square Park

I went back to Madison Square Park to photograph the part of Red, White and Blue that I missed this weekend. The park is 6.2 acres, and the rope sculptures are integrated into the landscape, so it's easy to miss them even though they are huge.

Here a young woman lounges in her sundress while others catch the sun's rays which have pretty much alluded New York City this spring until today.

The yellow wall was close enough to the ground that people used it to lounge upon.

The blue sculpture created an enclosed space for a more quiet experience. Here's the outside of it--so many people checking their phones!

A sunbather chose the quiet blue wall for more privacy. 

The sculpture also creates a sitting spot for park-goers.

 

Expect Long Lines at MOMA's Rain Room

On Memorial Day weekend we hightailed it--do New Yorkers say "hightailed"?--from the Theatre District to the MOMA Museum to see the much talked about Rain Room. Unfortunately, even though the museum was closing in an hour, the line to see it was three hours long! So that didn't happen.

However, I went back yesterday by myself to get there at when it opened. The line had already become a two hour wait! I showed my membership pass and was able to skip about a half hour up in line, so that helped. Here is the front of the exhibit which is located outside of the museum.

Basically, the Rain Room is a squared off area inside a large dark room where water pours like a spring shower from the ceiling, but you can move through it and not get wet. Sensors shut off the flow of droplets as you move through it. The museum staff was letting about 10-12 people roam the area at a time. You could stay as long as you liked.

After waiting one and half hours outside in 90 degree heat, I finally was ushered inside where I could see the exhibit, but there was still another 30 minute wait. After watching so many people go through it, I spent only three minutes in the rain myself. This would be a more enthusiastic post if the wait time and the play time was turned around: wait three minutes, play two hours! (-:

I took this video of a cute mom and daughter couple playing in the rain together.