acutename
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I'm not sure I'd be able to identify him. I could, if he were isolated. I could, if he were in a police lineup. I could, if he moved onto my floor in my high rise.
However, if he walked by me on a crowded Manhattan sidewalk, I doubt tremendously that I’d spot him. It’s not true that New Yorkers are unfriendly, but it is true that on a street with a hundred people jostling you, we don’t make much eye contact. We need to navigate the crowd, look out for traffic, avoid the street vendors who take up sidewalk space and just get to where we are going.
Brian could be in front of me or behind me and I’d never see his face. If I DID see his face, he’d have to linger just a second or two so that I could properly assess his features, and I’d have to linger as well.
It’s going to get cold here soon. Beyond a covid mask, if he is in NYC he will have a wool cap on, most likely, and the baldness wouldn’t be visible. A beanie cap would cover some of his distinctive eyebrows as well. If he has a scarf he could tuck his chin into that. His tattoos would not be visible in winter clothing.
All of that would also be predicated on him not having changed his appearance. He could have gone blond, or shaved his facial hair. He may have an idiosyncratic gait, but no one on the streets of Manhattan is going to pause long enough to appraise that. Besides which, there will be 50 similar guys on every block.
Here (unfortunately) is where I’d go if I were Brian. He could go to free soup kitchens. A homeless shelter would require an intake procedure so he’d need ID, so I don’t know where he’d stay.
All this is of course JMO MOO IMO.
And also, MBIT (My Brain Is Tired).
ETA: if my homie fellow New Yorker @squareandrabbet is around, I'm wondering if you agree or disagree.
curious- what happens if a homeless person loses an ID? seems as if that could happen pretty easily... does anybody know?