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I just had a "Law and Order" moment.

 

So I'm kind of sleeping when I hear a loud, authoritative knock on my door. Normally I don't answer my door unless I'm expecting someone, but this time the person knocked twice in the same demanding manner and said, "DETECTIVE! PLEASE OPEN UP!"

 

Ok, so I have no idea what to do in this situation. There are too many incidents of people posing as cops in order to gain access to an apartment, but I also didn't want to have drama with the NYPD. (Many thanks to Rebecca who told me how to handle this situation afterwards.) Besides, I'm a little person living alone in this city; it's scary answering your door to strangers at 12:30 at night.

So I open the door.  I can hear another detective knocking at another apartment door down the hall.  The man at my door is wearing a suit, has a badge clipped to his lapel, and is very well-groomed and handsome.  Like, so good-looking that I had to wonder if he as married (but, no, I did not go looking for a ring).  It turns out that two people had been shot and killed in the building next door and the detective wanted to know if I'd heard anything, if I'd been home all night, etc.  That is sooo L&O.

By some miracle I actually got out of work after 8.5 hours.  I left the office with the news that Meg Ryan is supposed to come into the office tomorrow but the doctor might not wait around for her if her flight comes in late.  She's filming in New York for 3 days so she can reschedule for Monday if she has to.  So, yes, I told the detective I'd been home since 6 o'clock.

I've been meaning to put pictures of Amparo's wedding up on Friendster but it turns out I didn't take very many pictures at Amparo's wedding! There goes that idea.  No matter.  I wouldn't have the time anyway.  I'm readjusting to the time difference and having to cook for myself.   I'm tired so I've been taking lots of naps since I got back from California.

Which is what I did after work and dinner tonight.  "I woke up during the 6th inning of the Padres game," I told the detective.  "You mean the Mets game."  Oh, right.  The Mets game.  It turns out he was a Yankees fan so it didn't matter too much to him anyway.  A very, very, very short baseball conversation ensued, one that should have lasted much longer had it been conducted under different circumstances.  Too bad two people had been shot dead tonight...

It wasn't until the 11 o'clock news came on that I decided to take a peek out my window.  The weather report stated 0 miles visibility in the tri-state area due to fog, but I didn't see any fog over Harlem.  I saw a few cop cars on the street below my window, the same street Thurgood Marshall and W.E.B DuBois once lived on (among other famous African Americans).  It's not unusual to see cops on that street due to regular traffic stops, but tonight they were parked on the sidewalk.  Unusual?  Yes.  Exciting?  No.

I hadn't heard anything out of the ordinary at all tonight, so I gave the detective my non-information, shut the door and heard him banging on the neighbor's door with the same professional policeman's knock.  I always get a little bothered when people who have never been to Harlem make assumptions about it.  I've met many other transplants to Sugar Hill who really like the neighborhood.  Last night The Delfonics gave a free concert in the park behind my apartment.  Harlem is a big area, and many parts of it are getting better, including my own. 

I bet it was a domestic disturbance gone horribly wrong.  Or possibly something pre-meditated.  I don't think this is incident is representative of my neighborhood at all.  And although the detective was super handsome, I hope I never have another Law & Order moment of any sort, ever again.  and now that I've gotten it the whole story off my chest I can go back to sleep!

Comments

[Sheryll]

the padres game was good last night.

so what are you supposed to do in that situation? when someone knocks on your door in the middle of the night? i really liked your neighborhood, i felt safe and it had a cool vibe to it. i would definitely live there.

[Christina]

Apparently you are supposed to get the person's badge number and then call in to see if it's legit.