Over the weekend, New York Times reporter Jenna Wortham had a question for New Yorkers on Twitter: What is the most “that’s so new york” moment?

My personal favorite was this pigeon, who clearly mugged a guy:

this; pic.twitter.com/XnHPBrubo3

— pharaoh (@afrozip) December 1, 2018

But the story that really got New Yorkers talking was this extremely sad one-act play in which someone was trying to add a little Christmas spirit to their bleak New York story, overpaid for a Christmas tree, presumably tried to get it home on the subway, but then hit the turnstile, and just said, the hell with it.

This continues to be the most New York thing I’ve ever seen. There was nobody in the station. Someone just threw up their hands and decided to go home rather than deal with the inconvenience for one more second. pic.twitter.com/2lMrjK7cy3

— Alison Cherry (@alison_cherry) December 1, 2018

The image seemed to both annoy New Yorkers (the access door for wheelchairs, bikes, and strollers is right there!) and spark their imagination of the unfortunate series of events that led someone to simply abandon their Christmas dreams in a grungy subway station.

Ok, my hypothesis: person didn’t fit in turnstile with tree. Then went through first, hoping to bring tree behind. But only swiped card once, trapping tree outside.

— matt blaze (@mattblaze) December 2, 2018

Others suggested that it was an ambulatory tree–like the Ents in Lord of the Rings–or just another example of typical New Yorker behavior:

Familiar New Yorker behavior tbh pic.twitter.com/QpsQrrGLrw

— Andrew Eggenberger (@eggandburger) December 2, 2018

Of course, the silver lining of this festive holiday tale is that whoever came to the subway station next got a free tree! It’s a Christmas miracle, New York style, until a pigeon mugs you on the way home.

 

Courtesy of FastCompany