🗽Your Shout #2: The Missing Wallet of The Lower East Side

A Reader Submission from Vic Pinto

Your Shout is a collection of New York stories from you, the reader that I illustrate with a cartoon. Think of it like the Metropolitan Diary in the NY Times. But on Substack. And longer.
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This week’s reader submission comes from: Vic Pinto

One night, We were in line outside of a bar in the Lower East Side. I like to be prepared, so I preemptively reached into my bag and pulled out my wallet and ID. The line moved quickly thanks to my funny friends and our lack of sobriety.

But by the time we got to the front, my wallet was nowhere to be found. It was magic of the worst kind. Unintentional. The security guard barely made an effort to care and seemed pleased to ask us to step aside.

I panicked, but first, had to do the customary convincing, “Yes, I'm sure! No, I didn't leave it at home! We just took turns making fun of my ID picture 10 minutes ago!”

We looked everywhere. We decided to give up when some people got frustrated for being asked multiple times. The night was over.

The walk home was full of pessimism and hate. Who would willingly steal from someone right next to them? Where was our humanity?! Was love and trust for each other dead? New York City was a shining example of selfishness and greed.

As I climbed the five floors up to my apartment, I distracted myself with the next day’s to-list:
- Cancel and replace my debit card.
- Request a replacement ID. Buy a wallet.
- Avoid buying a new metro card as long as possible and start jumping the turnstiles.

I walked up to my apartment and…