Greatest. NYC Story. Ever.

So I'm walking down 27th St. at about 5th Ave. when I see this old shop with all this old equipment. Nearly a snapshot from 1940, it is really out of place amongst the other retail businesses so I stopped and look in the window.

I see all this great machinery sitting there on wooden floors and decided to snap a couple quick pics.

I walk in the door and don't see anyone at first, so I snap a picture. As I go to take the second one, I see an old woman in the back peeking around the corner. I wave.

As I'm snapping picture #3, she walks up and says, completely friendly mind you, "Ya takin some pitchas?" (She was an old, very Jewish, NYC native)

I said as politely as possible, "Yes ma'am, I sure am. This machinery makes a very cool scene".

From her friendly as pie introduction, she starts a downward spiral of upset. Next stop on the spiral? "Not tha waaaall, don't take pitchas of tha wall." I hadn't even noticed the wall, which was covered in old, old framed pictures of Orthodox Jewish men. "If he was here, he'd tell ya no pitchas at all".

Step 3 on the Spiral... I say "Sure, no problem. Out of curiosity, why no pictures of the wall?" She replies, very tight: "I dunno, ya'd have to ask him". (No clue who "he" is, FYI)

Step 4: "Ya know you're not sapposed ta take pitchas without pamission!"

So I apologize and head for the door.

Step 5: Just as I was crossing the threshold on my way out the door, she yells "Get lawst!" I seriously expected to feel a broom on my ass but none came.

And that folks was the bottom of the spiral of upset. She started off at the top and like one of those pennies you drop into the funnel, by the time she got to the bottom (mere seconds later) she was spinning like crazy.

I love NYC.