"The Night One Person Brought BGC Traffic to a Standstill."

 "The Night One Person Brought BGC Traffic to a Standstill."

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. MD

It seemed like a typical night in McKinley West, BGC. As I approached the pedestrian crossing near my workplace, however, I was greeted by an unfamiliar sight.

A long line of cars had accumulated on the road, something I rarely see in this wide-open part of the city.

My first thought was that there had been an accident. It wouldn't have been the first time I'd seen one in the area. Then again, perhaps it was a car crash, which, while uncommon, seemed inevitable given the speed at which some drivers navigate these roads.

As it turned out, both guesses were wrong.

When I crossed the street, I finally saw what was causing the commotion. A lone individual stood in the middle of the road, barefoot, wearing loose jeans and a loose white top. From a distance, I couldn't even tell whether the person was a man or a woman. What was clear, however, was that this person was blocking traffic.

Cars honked. Some drivers managed to maneuver around the individual, but most of the traffic remained stuck. In response to the blaring horns and approaching vehicles, the person flailed their arms wildly at the oncoming cars.

It was a bizarre scene, and I couldn't help wondering what had led to it.

I don't know what was going through this person's mind or what circumstances had brought them to that particular spot on that particular night. One might speculate about a mental health crisis or substance use, but those would be nothing more than guesses. From what I witnessed, there was simply no way to know for certain.

And perhaps that uncertainty was the most unsettling part of the whole encounter. We often see something unusual happening in public and immediately try to come up with an explanation, even when we have very little information to work with.

All I knew was that one person had managed to bring traffic in McKinley West to a standstill.

As for me, I had somewhere to be, and standing around to figure out what was happening wasn't going to get me there any faster.

So I continued on my way, leaving the mystery behind me.

Whatever was happening in the middle of that road, I could only hope it would end safely for everyone involved.