A Bizarre Thing – His arm fell off while running to work this morning

[dr.strangelove]

I had the strangest thing happen to me today. I was walking to work from the train station. (I take Metro North into Grand Central Station in mid-town NYC.) I get off and walk past Rockefeller Center on my way to work everyday. Today, as I was walking past the crowd gathered for the Today Show, a guy in a raincoat ran past me. While he was running, his prosthetic arm must have come lose or not been hooked up right (I know nothing about prosthetics). The arm (looks like it connected below the elbow) slid out of the sleeve of his jacket and hit the floor. He stopped, but since he was running, he took a few steps before he stopped and had traveled about 10 or 15 feet. The arm was about 2 feet from me, so I bent down and picked it up, walked over to the guy and handed it to him. He tucked it under his arm, said thanks and ran off.

This was so unusual I looked around for a TV crew to see if I was on some weird game show or hidden camera show, but nothing seemed to be there. After a minute or so of looking around, a woman (who I think was a tourist going to the Today Show) who witnessed it said something like "Only in New York." I agreed and went on to work.

[Feathered Fish]

1. Strange

and funny. Very Gogolesque

[shesemsmom]

2. I guess if you dress in a hurry that could happen

I think I would try to get things attached a bit better if I were him

[dr.strangelove]

3. I'm not really sure how those things work

It happened rather quickly, probably 7 or 8 seconds and the whole thing was over. I did not get a good look at the connection part of the prosthetic. I assume they have some way to lock on, to prevent this type of thing.

Anyway, it was probably the most "far out" thing I have seen on the streets on NY, and that is saying something.

[shesemsmom]

4. I guess now you can say youve seen everything. Maybe the attachment

is worn out. I don't know how they stay on either

[dr.strangelove]

11. Not everything, but that will be hard to top.

[shesemsmom]

14. LOL

Yes it will, okay, damn near everything then

[AntiCoup2K4]

5. Could have been much worse...

A runner losing a prosthetic leg would have made a much better scene, in a Twilight Zone/Candid Camera sense.

[dr.strangelove]

8. That would be worse, yes.

I can see a "The Far Side" comic with something like that taking place.

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

6. HAHA

I work around the cornor from you....too funny

[dr.strangelove]

9. Glad there are othr DUers around

I work near 49th and BRoadway, but I walk past Rock Center every day.

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

16. we're everywhere, shhh....

I'm on 6th btw. 49th and 50th. nice to meet ya neighbor :hi:

[dr.strangelove]

18. Right back at you

[Historic NY]

7. Unfortunately were going to see lots more of this stuff as our young..

injured soldiers try to readjust to life. I remember the old hooks and such, now we have all kinds of new gizmo's..

[dr.strangelove]

10. This guy was a little old to be a soldier

but there will probably be a significant increase in amputees due to the war. I remember during and after Nam seeing a number of amputee vets. I hope the numbers are smaller than I think.

[XNASA]

12. Nice of you to give him a hand.

:eyes:

[dr.strangelove]

13. Bad XNASA, bad pun.

Funny as hell, but bad bad bad!

[XNASA]

15. I can't help myself.

It was just sittin' there like a hanging slider.

[dr.strangelove]

17. I'm only kidding, that was great.