Foreigners

Middle-aged woman: Whatever happened to that guy you were in love with?
Young woman: We weren’t in love, just seriously in like.
Middle-aged woman: So, what happened to him?
Young woman: I had him deported.

–64th & Broadway

Old lady: Your dog is beautiful!
Young lady: Than–
Old lady: It’s terrible what they do to those dogs in China. I won’t even say but it’s awful…Chinese people don’t even deserve to live.

–Sunnyside post office

Russian woman: She’s doing very well. Her book is doing well. She’s already sold a lot of books.
American woman: That’s great! That must be so exciting!
Russian woman: Yes, she has already sold ten or twenty, I think.

–Union Square

Overheard by: Diana

Tourist guy: So what’s the difference between Korean and Chinese?
New York guy: You mean the food, or the people?
Tourist guy: Either one. But I only care about the food.

–Bayard & Mulberry

Overheard by: iiams

Girl: Sorry, I’m trying to be as French as possible.
French guy: Oh, I’m from Bawsten.

–N train

Overheard by: c. dubs

The train pulls out of the underground. Three Hispanic teens look outside.

Hispanic teen #1: You can’t see the Eiffel Tower from here?

They continue looking for a good twenty seconds.

Hispanic teen #2: That shit’s in Paris, yo!

–F train

Overheard by: Daniel Radosh

American businesschick: How is your food?
Russian businesschick: It’s OK, but my salad is cold.

–Cosi, 45th & 3rd

Tour guide: Now what does it look like to you? Does it look very European, very Greek?
Woman: It looks like a poo.

–Aztec exhibit, Guggenheim Museum

British chick: I just solved my lunch problem, because I hate raw cheese.

–27th Street office

Guy: Bitch, you better give me back my donuts or I’ll pull out your weave.

–Washington Heights

Overheard by: Vinson Guthreau

Guy: Nothing like going to Chuck E. Cheese to make you start drinking again.

–82nd & Amsterdam

Overheard by: JY

Lady: This is a yuppie McDonald’s. It’s all middle class people here.

–McDonald’s, 47th Street

Overheard by: Christa Bramberger

As a Brooklyn Brewery delivery truck passed a toddler on the sidewalk yelled: I love beer!

–Williamsburg

Overheard by: tee sul

Bartender: If the Burp Castle ever closes it means the death of classical music in New York.

–Burp Castle bar, E. 7th Street

Guy on cell: Is this like that time where Laura told me that cat food was Lucky Charms?

–Penn Station

Overheard by: Cynthia

Guy: I think Ground Zero is kind of interesting. There’s nothing there, but it’s kind of cool. Also, if you walk along 5th Avenue there’s a lot of cool stores.

–V train

Fat lady: Well, this was worth the cab ride, I guess.

–Ground Zero

Overheard by: Eileen Donnelly

Foreign tourist: Excuse me, where is the World Trade Center?
Woman: Um, they’re gone.

–Church & Warren

Overheard by: Clay Caviness

A Russian lady mutters to herself: I want to be at the front of the line so I can pick my seat, I’m not sitting by some fat, smelly person.

She tries to cut to the front of the line, unsuccessfully.

Russian lady: I was here the whole time! I was standing right next to this lady!
This lady: No, she wasn’t.
Conductor: You better get to the back of the line, ma’am.
Russian lady: But I was here the whole time! Where’s your manager? I want to talk to the manager!
Conductor: Please step to the back of the line, you’ve gotta wait in line like everyone else.
Russian lady: I know what your problem is! I bet you don’t like white people!

Everyone else in line burst out laughing, and she was escorted away by security.

–Port Authority

Woman: Well, at least the Mexicans are friendly and they’re always working. Unlike those goddamn Russians! You know what I mean!

–Bensonhurst

Overheard by: Deborah Olin