Cross at your own risk

I saw something weird and funny yesterday. It was strange enough that a few jaded New Yorkers stopped to openly stare. 

There was a big dude out on the fire escape of an old building, on the fifth floor of what had to be a fifth floor walk-up. 

From the fire escape, a cable went down...down...down for five stories, over the street, and attached to a truck parked across from the building. Another dude manned the other end of the wire (or string?). 

At first, I couldn't tell what I saw. It looked like a ghost swooping through the air. 

Then I got closer, and saw what it was. The guy on up on the fire escape was bundling up large packets of dry cleaning. He put the hanger onto the cable, and pushed when the guy outside called ready. 

What? 

Yes, large packets of dry-cleaning bags over clothing (or something? drapes?) swooping down over the street and colliding with a heavy thud into the truck. 

I watched, saw what was going on, and laughed out loud. Another man joined me. 

You would have liked to see this, Dad, it really was a creative way to not carry all that crap down five flights of stairs. 

Safe? No freaking way. But very dramatic and funny. You would have laughed too. Then you would have ushered me back down the block rather than walk under the hazardous loading situation.

xx

M