When Constabulary Duty's To Be Done

There were a gaggle of police carousing around 53rd street this afternoon. They were stationed on every corner, directing traffic and harassing pushcart vendors. There were clusters in a plaza practicing some sort of drill. Down in the subway entrances a squad stood around imposingly beside an aggressive sign warning that bags were liable to be searched. As suspicious as I must have looked, I somehow made it past without my rucksack being violated.

I've no idea what was going on that required so much security. The Ford Motor Company were having some sort of shindig at a nearby hotel. MoMA had more barriers out front than usual. But this looked like a pretty large scale event — as if the Archduke Ferdinand was passing though town and trouble was expected.

The other day there was a parade of what might have been Shiners bearing a mannequin pope on a litter along Houston Street. They were trailed by a full-out marching band in matching t-shirts. Bringing up the rear, much like a caboose, was one of those squat white police buggies.

Maybe the two incidents are related.