Tourist: Excuse me, can I ask you a question? Where’s the apple?
Cop: What?
Tourist: You know, the big one? [Cop stares at her, then shrugs and points arbitrarily down Broadway.] Thanks!
–Times Square
Overheard by: I Just Work Here
Tourist: Excuse me, can I ask you a question? Where’s the apple?
Cop: What?
Tourist: You know, the big one? [Cop stares at her, then shrugs and points arbitrarily down Broadway.] Thanks!
–Times Square
Overheard by: I Just Work Here
Cop #1 to kid holding paper towels to his bleeding head: Lemme see your head, man. [Kid shows him the gash.] Holy shit!
Kid: What the fuck, man?! Aren’t you supposed to be comforting me or some shit?!
Cop #1: Sorry! Well, at least you’re coherent.
Cop #2: At this point, with that gash, you could light up a joint and I wouldn’t tell.
–9th St, between Ave A & B
Overheard by: rpk
Cop to old lady with walker: Excuse me, miss, do you have a license and insurance for that thing?
–57th St
Overheard by: jesse
Black teen to fellow commuter: So, I get off the train and I find this cop. He says to me, ‘Do I know you?’ ‘No, man.’ Then he asks, ‘Haven’t I arrested you before?’ And I say, ‘Nigga, please! No!’
–E train near W 4th St
Mounted police officer holding a pay phone and sobbing: Please, Mom, I’ll do anything!
–8th & 5th
Overheard by: jewish girl
Professor, about police sirens blaring outside: They’re playing our song.
–Columbia University
Large black lady hissing about a police dog sniffing and following black guy: That dog be racial profilin’! He’s a racist! That cop dog’s a racist!
–Subway station, Times Square
Chick to cop writing ticket, standing next to the naked cowboy: Can you give him a ticket for having a bubble butt?
–Times Square
Overheard by: knipc
Cop #1: What, you can’t say, ‘Good morning’ anymore?
Cop #2: Haha.
Cop #1: I get more fuckin’ respect from the sperm in my balls than from you!
–Penn Station
Overheard by: Emily
St. Patty’s drunk: So, wait… I was told that we aren’t allowed to drink in Penn Station today, but all the vendors are selling beer. What’s the deal?
Cop: Well, they shouldn’t be selling it. If you are caught, you will be ticketed and–
Interrupting cop: –Dude, just put it in a paper cup! Go right there, buy that beer, and ask for that red paper Coke cup. That’s all.
–Penn Station
Overheard by: Super Mike
Cop #1: Whoopie, whoopie, whoopie…
Cop #2: What are you talking about?
Cop #1: You know — [twirls finger].
Cop #2: No, what the hell are you talking about?
Cop #1: I hear she’s a real wild fuck!
Cop #2: Yeah, I just never saw myself working for a woman.
–24-hour diner, 52nd & 8th
Guy with long dreadlocks: Why you keep bothering me, man? Why can’t you just go away?
Guy with short dreadlocks: Why don’t you tell your mama to go away?
Guy with long dreadlocks: Awww, man, why you gotta bring my mama into this?! [To woman in ticket booth] Hey, lady! Woman! Call the law, man!
Woman in ticket booth: Excuse me?
Guy with long dreadlocks: The law, man! Call the law!
–In front of ticket machines, Union Station
Overheard by: didn’t want to get involved
Tourist man: Honey, why don’t we just go back to the room?
Tourist woman: Okay. We’re all going to calm down. We’ve done everything we can do. The police report has been filed. We’re all going to forget. We’re going to take a deep breath, and we’re going to move on. A new trip, a new beginning. Our new objective is to simply maneuver from point A to point B without getting mugged.
–Outside Urban Outfitters, 72nd & Broadway
Overheard by: Katie
Hobo: Caw! Caw! Tweet! Gobble! Gobble!
Black cop to another: See, man, that’s what’s happening to our people.
–8th Ave, between 35th & 36th
Overheard by: NRG
Thug #1: Damn, how come every time a nigga tries to ride the subway the damn cops got to search ‘im?
Thug #2: Um, I dunno, maybe ’cause every time you see a cop, you yell, ‘Oh, shit, the po-lice!’ Fuckin’ dumbass. That wasted 10 fuckin’ minutes! I’m not ridin’ the train wit’ you no more.
Thug #1: Hey, it ain’t my fault! I’m from the projects. That’s, like, what we do!
–4 train
Overheard by: Mike N
