#41 My Trip to Far Rockaway

It had just been another subway journey. Today I was going to Far Rockaway. I had wanted to go to Coney Island, but my mother was afraid I would get ,mugged. So I went out of my father’s office and with a few underground changes I was on the A train on my way to Far Rockaway. I brougth my camera with me like always and stood in the first car. The train went across the Broad Channel and came to Far Rockaway. But the train went to the left. I had wanted to go to the right because that’s where Playland is. (I had wanted to go on the atom smasher.)

I made a couple of train changes but I still couldn’t get there. I then remembered that I saw a picture in one of my railroad books that the LIRR used to occupy these tracks and that the connection between the subway tracks and the commuter tracks was still there, at the last station. So since I was here, I figured i might as well see it.

Well, I should have known. When we got to the last stop, they had built a Shoprite and a wall where the tracks would have gone. You could not even see the LIRR Far Rockaway Station. So I got back on the train. But remember, this was the last stop, so the train waits about 15 minutes before it leaves. I was waiting at the door, looking at the tower/office/whatever where the engineer was talking. Then these two negro kids in their teens came up to me. One of them said, “Hey boy, how much diya pay for that?” pointing to my camera. I thought something was up here so I said, “I don’t know. It was a gift.” The boy asked again, but again I said “I don’t know, probably not that much.” I walked away from them onto the platform so the people in the tower could see me. After about 5 minutes of pacing around, I walked back into the car (by the way, I was the only one in it then and now). The two kids came back, but this time, one had his hand in his pocket to make it look like he had a gun or knife. (I think he said he “had” a knife.) He then said, “Give me your camera.” I looked at him, at his pocket with his hand in it, and not remembering seeing a knife or gun in it before, I said, “No, it’s mine!” In any other situation, that could have been fatal.

I walked very fast out of that car, and walked back about 3 cars until I found one with people in it. This one had about 3 women with their children in it. I think one of the women was pregnant. The two kids were now walking around outside the car. Just before the doors closed, one jumped in. I now had my camera in my shopping bag along with another roll of film. He came over and sat next to me (about 2 feet away on the same bench.)

Now, just in case you didn’t know, one of my nervous habits is to press the button on my watch to find out what time it is. Even if I already know to the second what time it is, I’ll still press it. Well, as you can now expect, I pressed my watch button, and guess who saw me. The negro (I think that’s what they like being called as opposed to black) kid. He slid down next to me and asked to see my watch. I wasn’t panicking now at all. In fact I was kind of joking around. I rolled my sleeve up and down saying “here”.

In case that isn’t clear, he asked to see it, wanting me to take off my watch and let him handle it so he could run off with it at the next station. What I did was to show him the watch for a second from about 2 feet away. He asked again (he wasn’t laughing from before). I figured what the hey, but I didn’t take the watch off. He put his hand on the watch. My heart began to beat faster as I felt a strong pull on my watch. (not really)

I, of course, pulled back and the trained pulled into the station (the last before Broad Channel). He let go of the watch and left the car saying, “You’re lucky I didn’t take that, I coulda stole that there.”

I let out a sigh of relief. It was over. But I was just getting to the bad part. It was already 4:00 and I had to be back at the office by 5:15. That may seem like a long time but it took over an hour to get out here.

Gee (no GTE) I’m glad I didn’t go to Coney Island.