I recently pulled over a State Trooper in Florida using the same technique. He had forgotten his ticket book on the roof of his vehicle. I asked the officer if he knew why I had stopped him:)
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And the driver stopped to protect the hat with his car instead of driving around it... Priceless. Thank you, Mr. Hanford.
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Your Diary entry is a lovely reminder Tim of how kind and considerate so many people are, and made me smile and feel ever so much better after having read today’s other news. With so many stories about clashes between cyclists and automobile drivers in the city, it is so refreshing to have your story about a driver who wanted nothing more than to do you a good turn. Thank you for a very welcome example of why I so cherish the Metropolitan Diary.
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Dear Mr. Hanford:
I like your use of the words "staccato, almost friendly beeps." We can really tell when someone is trying to tell us something with short beeps. This is so different from the blast from the driver who lays on his (or her!) horn!
I'm glad you got your green felt hat back. A number of years ago, I was crossing Fifth Avenue at maybe 46th or 47th when a gust of wind took my blue pork pie hat away. I watched it go high in the air, never to be seen again. But maybe it was a good thing. I had just driven across the country and had camped in a lot of the national parks. My hat still carried the dust, grunge, and sweat acquired in many of those parks.
Even though I felt a tinge of sadness as I saw my blue hat go flying away in the air, I thought: "Well, at least I don't have to throw it away now."
And yes--I did buy a new hat the next day!
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The Jan 1966 subway strike caused me to lose a hat I loved. My job was on the far west side of 57th Street, and I lived in Queens and had no car. My company hired a car service to pick up employees like me and take us home, and on the 3rd or 4th day on the way home, I left my beloved winter hat in the car. The strike ended that night so no more car service and I was sad about the hat for years, until eventually I found another one that worked equally well (but wasn't as pretty).
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"Friendly beeps" - just terrific! (OK, it said "almost friendly beeps," but close enough.)
So great to find a cheery, happy-ending Diary item tonight, which I needed right now. Bad business stuff going on the past few hours, but thanks to the Diary and Mr. Hanford, I suddenly feel good again, and humanity doesn't look so bad after all. The bad business stuff will still be there tomorrow, after all.
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Still surrounded by devastation on all 4 sides from the record breaking fire and resulting mudslides/debris avalanche I too took cheer from the Diary entry but was particularly cheered by finding your comment Freddie and your outlook- set aside the problems and for this moment take solace and cheer.
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I hope tomorrow will bring you less of the “bad business stuff” Freddie and more things that make you feel good. You certainly deserve all the good cheer that comes your way, given how much joy and pleasure you regularly deliver to your countless fans, of which I am one.
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American Girl, I'm so sorry about what you're living through. As troubling and truly pulse-pounding as the business problems are, they are, by comparison to where you are, what some would derisively call "first world problems." (though not as trivial as the classic "my wallet is so full, it hurts me when I have to sit on it in my new luxury car.") Allen, since the Diary story really got me to put the problem stuff off, I had tot promise myself to dive back in fresh at 9 tomorrow. (It's not my money, but as the CPA, it is my job to make it my problem!)
It really is a nationwide (international?) community here, even in the New York region comment boxes!
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