By Dan Rosenberg
My son, Gabe, is a “pharma rep” in New York City. He works for a global pharmaceutical company concentrating on a single drug that the company has assigned to him. Following an extensive certification program, Gabe’s primary responsibility is calling on physicians, whose patients could benefit from the medication.
Gabe’s territory is the Bronx and Westchester. Some of the areas in Gabe’s territory are, in a word, “sketchy.” He was in such a place in the 44th precinct of the South Bronx last fall. Traveling at low speed on a one-way street off the Grand Concourse, a car pulls out of a garage on his right and hits Gabe’s SUV on the rear right passenger door.
Both cars were not drivable, and no one was hurt. What happened next borders on a comedy routine. Here is how the comedy unfolds: Gabe asks for information from the guy who smashed into him. He refuses to give it. Gabe calls the police, reaching the 44th precinct.
The officer says they would be there ASAP. He then calls Enterprise, the provider of his SUV on behalf of his company. Enterprise says it would send a tow truck shortly.
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An hour and a half later, no tow truck, no police. Gabe tries to flag down a passing patrol car, which ignores him. The car stops at a traffic signal up the block. Gabe runs up to the car and knocks on the window to request help. The officer tells him they don’t handle traffic accidents and they are from another precinct.
About 45 minutes later, it starts to get dark. The 44th precinct then calls, informing Gabe that someone will be there eventually. Still no tow truck from Enterprise, so he calls and says he “fears for his safety as it is getting dark and the neighborhood is questionable.” Enterprise’s response, “If you fear for your safety, we can’t pick you up.” He hangs up, calls back Enterprise, gets someone else on the phone, who says a tow would be there within 45 minutes.
The tow finally shows up, puts a donut tire on Gabe’s car so it is drivable, and tells him to bring the car to Enterprise the next day. Still no police presence almost 4 hours since the collision. So, Gabe gives his contact info to the guy who hit him and takes off. The next day the guy calls Gabe, requesting money, claiming Gabe “hit and ran.” Gabe immediately calls the 44th precinct about this lunatic. The officer replies, “We have records of your calls, so don’t worry about it.”
About a month later, on the morning of Gabe’s wedding day, he loses his wallet somewhere near 96th Street and 2nd avenue in Manhattan, in the 23rd precinct. A few hours later, he gets a call from the 44th precinct in the Bronx. Gabe is now thinking, “What else can happen to me on my wedding day? Am I going to be arrested for the accident?” Turns out someone found his wallet and turned it into the 44th precinct (Note – there are about 75 precincts in NYC).