Andrew's Upstanding US Citizen Homepage

I knew something was going to happen, and that's why I showed up. The cover of Time Out New York said, "Water Gun Fight in Union Square." The organizer's site said, "Canceled." I made it a point to be there on time because whatever was going to happen was going to happen fast. Leaving my apartment with 25 minutes to go, my wife and I arrived in 18. It took a minute to spot the people with the squirt guns and water balloons, and it was clear that there was no fun going on. In the center of a small crowd, below the statue of George Washington, before the tents of the farmer's market, were three policemen. Scanning the faces of the disappointed New Yorkers, I saw what I came there for. A sloppy stream of water flew forth from a lady's water bottle. And 30 seconds later, she was in handcuffs.

She giggled at the absurdity for a while, but quieted down as it became apparent that they wouldn't remove the cuffs. The commotion only caught the attention of a few people, as most were scanning the rest of the square for more participants. As the policemen ushered the lady to the steps, between two market tents, the photographers in the crowd moved to get a view. They sat her down while her boyfriend hovered. The junior reporters and bloggers of the crowd traded notes. I struck up some conversations with people who were more than a little confused. Obviously, nobody knew this was canceled. The crowd of water fighters grew, everyone sulking at the lack of action.

The lady's name was Cassandra Wu, I heard the journalists say as they were comparing notes. In being overheard during conversation, I was asked by the Daily News journalist if he could quote me. I had said something about understanding the cancellation, being that there was a street market going on, as there is every Saturday. Sundays are the ideal for these gatherings, as proven by last weekend's silent rave. The trio of lawmen escorted the lady away. The journalist wouldn't take just my last initial. There's a story to every arrest, I suppose. The police needed an example to make their point. Point received.

Those who showed up with water agreed to move the operation to Stuyvesant Square, just a couple avenues east. After I was done with the journalist, we headed over. Though the circumstances of the event had thinned the crowd considerably, there was still fun to be had. Though we did not have guns, I picked up unpopped water balloons and joined the fray.