Why I Don’t Like New York - A Traumatic Day of Nightmarish Experiences!

Sometimes, I have bad dreams. Medically, it is said that we tend to dream when we’re tired, but that’s often not the case for me. I believe that dreams are warnings or some form of advice about the future. Over the years, I have kept a dream journal because I think dreams have meanings.

This morning, I had three very interesting dreams. The first one was about drinking too much, waking up with my left eye swollen. This is undoubtedly a warning to not drink excessively. The second dream was about being late for some meeting. Amidst the confusion, I couldn’t get my turn to enter the waiting room, went outside to regroup, and ended up being late. This dream probably warns me that I have too much work piling up. The last dream was about nuclear war. Japan was inevitably dragged into the war, and it was predicted that a nuclear bomb would be dropped and this led to an evacuation from Tokyo. This story was so realistic that it could possibly happen, so it was frightening.

These dreams were close to nightmares and talking about these dreams to others probably wouldn’t help. But, such nightmarish events can actually happen consecutively in real life. I want to share a single day of an incredible experience in New York that turned into a traumatic reality, making me hate the city.

It happened about 15 or 16 years ago. Three of my children were studying in the States, and during their school break, I took some time off work to take care of them in New York. I rented a car and drove from Connecticut to Manhattan. The road leading to the tunnel from New Jersey to Manhattan was heavily congested. That’s where the first incident occurred. While stuck in traffic, my car was suddenly rear-ended. That was the worst scenario in the middle of heavy traffic. There was a police officer on the sidewalk right next to it and he saw the accident, but he did nothing. I had to handle the situation on my own, talking with the other driver while getting insurance information, which made me feel uneasy and upset. Telling myself that it happened, I continued driving towards the center of Manhattan.

Then came lunchtime. Unsure of where to eat, I temporarily parked on a street near a hotel to check inside with the kids. A few minutes later, I returned to see my car being towed. Unbelievable! It was only a few minutes! Waving at the tow truck and running after it, the driver didn’t pay any attention and continued driving. Not knowing where my car was being towed to, I realized my plans for the day were all ruined. Determined, I chased after the tow truck, believing I could catch up due to the slow traffic and my marathon training at the time. I was used to running a long distance, so I kept following the tow truck and I eventually reached the yard where my towed car was taken. I was drenched in sweat, but anyway I reached where I was supposed to be and was relieved.

I waved to the driver to let him know that I had arrived, which turned out to be another step in my New York nightmare. I meant it was only a friendly greeting, but as I entered the building, the driver approached me, yelling furiously that I was an idiot, I was kidding him, and he was going to throw me in jail. He might have been a cop. Rants, delusions, falsehoods, the list went on, but it was a strange place in New York City and there was nothing I could do. I was blankly listening to what he was yelling. He left me stunned and speechless. Perhaps he thought my wave was mocking him, leading to his paranoid outburst. The memory of being yelled at and threatened by the police officer outside the towing office still makes me sick.

Already having experienced a traffic accident near the tunnel and seeing my car towed near the hotel, I now had to run through Manhattan chasing a tow truck, only to be verbally assaulted by a cop. I experienced all these events in half a day and it’s New York City. It’s impossible for me to love New York.

Lastly, at the towing office entrance, there were photos of FBI’s wanted murderers. The photos were so large that I could clearly see the murderer’s faces. Then, an unbelievable thing happened. There were two large black men standing 2 meters away in front of me and they were laughing and joking, looking at the photo. I was convinced one of the two men was the FBI’s wanted murderer and he was right in front of me, laughing and looking at the photo. That’s a hell of a lot of balls.

The towing office was under police jurisdiction, and I could have easily informed someone that one of the guys looked like a wanted man, but my spirits were already crushed. I was pretty sure that he was a criminal, but I could do nothing. After the earlier car accident, I became distrustful of the New York cop who did nothing and another cop even yelled at me upon car towing. I was already fed up, so if I would claim that the guy in front of me was a criminal, I didn’t know what happened. The other guy might have chased me and even killed me. I had heard the terrifying reality in New York, so this prevented me from speaking out the truth.

For me, New York became a city filled with fear and inhuman acts. Unless absolutely necessary, I avoid going there. If I do, I never drive and leave as soon as possible. The traumatic experiences left lasting scars, making me always appreciate Japan more. Japan is the best! Our police are kind, everyone is friendly and helpful. That’s the pride of Japan! As a proud Japanese citizen, I’m grateful to have been born and raised in Japan. Long live the Emperor!