With over 8 million people living in New York City, it goes without saying that there are a lot of people on the streets.
The question is though, are there any repeating archetypes? And if so, who are they?
There is a revolving trove of characters who appear endlessly on the streets of NYC, and of course we couldn't possibly document all of them here, but we've written about some.
Read on and learn about some of the characters you're bound to see, for better or for worse, on the streets of NYC.
1. Owner of happy puppy
Maybe you just got in a fight with one of your friends, and you're extremely vexed. You're clenching your teeth in anger, battling off an army of stress, wondering if the world is even worth it.
Here's what doesn't help: the trash matted into the gutters, the trucks expelling smog in the air, and the masses of people pushing other people all rushing to their destinations. Then, a happy, prancing puppy bounces by you smiling and sniffing the air and just generally being the happiest thing in NYC.
You can't help grinning at the puppy, and saying to the girl walking this puppy, "Pretty sure your puppy is the happiest thing in NYC."
And the girl says, "Yes, he's pretty happy about everything all the time." You share a laugh, and you feel better. You feel strangely grateful for this girl bringing this puppy into your life.
2. Angry drivers
When you witness two NYC drivers screaming at each other, you sort of wonder how they don't both faint from boredom at how cliché they're both being.
Did one of them really just say, "Hey, I'm driving here!" Don't they know that they're absolutely reflective of every angry NYC driver from every TV show ever? And yes, yes, clichés and stereotypes exist for a reason, but still.
They should try being more original, or at least calming down a little bit. Seeing this scenario enacted in real life is always both a little bit funny and a little bit sad.
3. Mean homeless person
Someone should tell this guy that you get more bees with honey than vinegar.
Does he think indignantly yelling at everyone who walks by him to just spare a dollar or two will make you want to give it to him?
There's absolutely no reason for you to give your money to some random guy on the side of the road who's yelling at you. You'd stop and explain this to him, but you really don't feel like getting stabbed.
4. Nice homeless person
This guy has a cardboard sign that says something like "Seeking Human Kindness."
The moment you see this, you know he's got you.
You're a sucker for human kindness, even if capitalism has commodified kindness in the form of dollar bills.
Regardless, you're touched by his request, and you drop a couple dollars in his cup. When he says, "God bless you," your heart swells with gratitude, and whether it's true or not, you feel the satisfaction of true human connection.
5. Stuck up CEO
Hey dude, just because you have a lot of money doesn't mean you own these streets.
You're not entitled to more space on the sidewalk just because you're wearing a $3,000 Armani suit. Your exasperated sighs aren't boding well with me getting out of your way, either.
,6. Potential celebrity
Hmm, is there a reason that girl is wearing sunglasses, a baseball cap, and acting super incognito? Looks like it might be Emma Watson to you. Do you approach her?
Definitely not, but that doesn't stop you from fantasizing that you did approach her, befriend her, and started hanging out with her all the time.
You can dream right? Does Emma Watson even still live in NYC?
7. Person who looks like someone you know
Here's what always happens. You're fifteen feet away from this person and rapidly approaching. You're positive it's Kenny from your college chemistry class. Or Jennifer, that girl who used to play on your travel soccer team.
You're amped up and ready to jump up and down excitedly, but as you get closer, and you realize that's not what Jenny's nose looks like, or that the guy you thought looked like Kenny actually has no teeth (and Kenny, as far as you know, definitely still has all his teeth).
In fact, the closer you get to this person, the more you realize this person doesn't look like any person you've ever met. You don't slow your pace to meet them. You walk on, confused why your brain convinced you that you knew this person.
8. Homeless child
You're on your way to the subway when you see a girl who can't be older than seventeen sitting outside a deli with a sign asking for money, food, or anything you can spare. You can't help it. You kneel down next to her and ask her what's going on.
She explains to you that she's been homeless since she was twelve, and that her parents were on drugs.
You're perplexed about how our government could let her be out here on her own like this since she was twelve, but you go with her into the deli and buy her dinner.
You wish there was more you could do, but there really just isn't. You're sort of conflicted as you walk away.
9. Person you actually know
Set the scene: You're on your way home, headed to the crosstown bus, when you hear someone yell your name in surprise. You turn around and you're confused. You don't recognize this girl. Then, you do.
It's someone you used to go to camp with. You're confused, and once you re-contextualize, you're disoriented.
You haven't talked since you were 17 and you didn't even know she lived here. Sometimes the past emerges in mysterious ways, and this time NYC got you again.
Check out 8 Moral Dilemmas Every New Yorker Faces When Living in This City.
[via The Odyssey Online]