Strange Encounters.

This is a picture of me disguised as a stranger.

It has happened to me here a handful of times, that I have encountered the same strangers on multiple occasions. In 2007, I rode with the same cab driver three times in four months. Granted he lived in my neighborhood and started his days around the same time I started my temp jobs, so it's not TOO CRAZY, he picked me up in the same place, at the same time, three times. But it was pleasant that we both remembered each other.

Two summers ago, I crossed paths with the same troubled teenager three times in one season. (I'm nearly positive I've written about this kid, but here I go again.) The first time I met him, I was extremely hungover and just walking out of Wendy's, everyone knows fries are the only true cure for a hangover. Anyway, as I exited, a grungy teen held the door for me. I smiled at him and he asked very nicely if he could borrow some money; he was hungry and had run away from home that week. Being the sympathetic woman I am, I offered him two whole dollars, which is a lot, when I'm probably just as poor as a run away teen. I smiled and started to walk away but he stopped me.

"I'm sorry," he pleaded, "But I'm vegan, and falafel costs like $4..."

I was stunned, so stunned (and impressed) that I gave him two more dollars. I mean, you have to respect a kid with principles I suppose. Cut to about a week later, I'm drunk and out in the Lower East Side and who should come strolling along, but the Vegan Beggar! He asked me for subway fare and I was so surprised that I jumped up and yelled, "HEY! You're the vegan kid I gave $4 to outside of Wendy's!" He promptly left. I guess I embarrassed him. The third time I saw him, he was drinking a soda from Nathan's hot dog shop and I didn't bother to say hello.

Most recently, I have had repeat encounters with a stranger I'm going to call, 'The Blueprint Man'. I've seen the Blueprint Man twice on the train and once, just today, walking around the Upper West Side. He's always on his cell phone and he's always SCREAMING ABOUT HIS BLUEPRINTS AND HOW HE NEEDS THEM STAT!!!! Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure architects absolutely do have urgent needs for their blueprints, but something tells me Blueprint Man is not an architect. My clues: 1. Tear away track pants, not very architect-y 2. Adidas slip on sandals with socks and 3. (My favorite)I mentioned that the man is always on his cell phone, well that includes time spent underground on the subway, deep underground, where no cell phones work. The first time I noticed him was on the 1 train between 145th and 157th streets. There he was yelling away into his phone about his damn blueprints. He was so convincing, that I pulled out my cell phone to see if the MTA had somehow miraculously installed underground cell service. They hadn't...

Running into strangers multiple times is really fun, I think. But it does make you wonder... is there a stranger who sees you all the time??? Maybe somebody has dubbed me, "The Weird Girl Who Takes Pictures of Random Crap and is Always Sweating Her Nuts Off and Cursing Under Her Breath About It." Ya never know.

Oh, and here's a cat disguised as a stranger.