TRAVEL
When 100 Strangers Bought Me a Coffee
Proof that both adventure and kindness can be found on the street
As soon as I set foot in New York City, I sensed how different it is from any other metropolis. On the surface, it’s just like all other major cities— skyscrapers crowd the horizon; taxis whiz by; trains rumble below; horns honk; locals rush, tourists dawdle; pedestrians chat, shout, laugh…
The energy there is more intense than anywhere else in the U.S., though.
New York is frenetic. Faster paced. Volume “turned up to 11.” Life is lived at such a chaotic speed that apparently most people don’t even have time to make eye contact or include a greeting in their interactions, let alone find a trash can.
So when someone drops a coin there, it seems no one bothers to pick it up — because bending down in the middle of the pedestrian highway is bound to get you run over, and possibly cursed at. (Plus, how much are 5 cents really worth in one of the most expensive cities in the country?)
Because of this, the filthy streets of Manhattan are noticeably lined with pocket change.
A few days into my residency there, I wondered how much money I could amass if I were to pick up every single coin I saw laying on the ground.
