Member-only story
How I stopped a man from mugging me
Or did I? What really happened?
I was 15 and a junior at Stuyvesant High School in New York City. I took the subway home from school.
One Friday, instead of going straight home, some friends and I went for ice cream. Then I went to a book store near the Empire State Building. By the time I was done browsing the aisles, it was after 8 PM and dark. I went to the nearest subway station to catch a train home.
The platform was deserted except for me and a tall man wearing a sweatshirt and a baseball cap. He approached me. Probably in his 30s, he was at least a foot taller than my 5'2".
“Can you give me directions to the Empire State Building?” he asked.
“Sure,” I said. I could help him. “You don’t need to take the subway, you’re just a couple of blocks away.”
I took my time to make sure he wouldn’t get lost. I told him exactly which exit to take and which way to turn at the top of the stairs.
“Just look up, in that direction,” I said, vaguely pointing. “You won’t miss it.”
“Thank you,” he said with a bright smile. I smiled back. He walked away.
A few minutes later, my train arrived and I went home. I forgot about that interaction as I immersed myself in my latest…
