Greek-American Tragedy:
Crime at the Consulate
Of all the forms of protest, perhaps the most ancient is the good old-fashioned rock through the front window. That’s how one gentleman decided to express his displeasure with the Consulate of Greece (perhaps fittingly, among the most ancient of existing civilizations) on Feb. 28.
The projectile came flying through the window of the consulate, located at 69 East 79th Street, at around 7:45 a.m. Helpfully, the stone bore both the name of the thrower and also the date. The incident was witnessed by two consulate employees who spotted a white male in his late 60’s committing the crime.
“He’s an American citizen of Greek descent who has been here for years,” said a consulate official, adding that they’ve had previous run-ins with him. “He’s unemployed and homeless, and was hoping to get some kind of pension from Greece. But he can’t get it; he left when he was very young. So he threw a stone through the window. It’s a sad story.”
The suspect was last seen departing westbound on 79th Street.
‘Freedom’ Fracas
Changing the name of French fries to “freedom fries” was just the beginning. On March 7, a Staten Island man was arrested during a demonstration in front of the French consulate, at 934 Fifth Avenue, when his perceived patriotic duty provoked him to tape flags, apparently American, and pictures to the front of the Beaux-Arts building.
Orders from cops on the scene to desist did little good-indeed, he turned them down flat. Thus, any further French-bashing he wants to do will probably have to happen in jail, as he was placed under arrest for criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.
Family Feud
The good thing about getting into a fight at a hospital is that medical care is always close at hand. The pugilists involved in a Feb. 28 incident-a 33-year-old mother and her 18-year-old daughter, both of whom live in the Bronx-most likely didn’t have this practicality in mind when they mixed it up in the lobby of New York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center, 525 East 68th Street. While the nature of their dispute is unknown, it prompted the daughter to pick up one of those “Caution: Wet” signs signifying a recently mopped floor and smack her mom with it.
Despite the fact that she had no visible injuries, the parent received prompt medical attention at the scene (call it a check-up, perhaps). Though she declined to press charges against her teenager, she did request to have a report on file-apparently in preparation for the next time her kid whacks her with a sign.
Ralph Gardner Jr. can be reached at rgard135@aol.com.
