READER WRITE IN - DID I DO THAT?

Today's your lucky day folks, it's Thursday. Despite the fact that a monster snurricane is currently destroying New York City (and my travel plans), we still have a job to do. We're like the Postal Service at this blog, neither snow, nor rain, nor the Winter Olympics on the TV directly to my left can stop us from reader write-in Thursday. For the record, did you know that the whole 'snow nor rain nor gloom of night' thing isn't the Postal Service's official creed? They don't even have one! I feel like I've been lied to since grade school.

Anyway, it's Thursday, and that means we'll use one of your written-in questions for today's post. Believe us, there were LOTS to pick from, but lucky Michael got the draw today. Why did he get chosen over your E-mail? Not sure why really, but he did. And although I have a feeling the voting will sway heavily during this poll, we're going to need you New York (and beyond) to make an official ruling on this one.

Michael write us:

"So this morning I was walking to get into the Subway at Union Square. When I go pick up the AM New York, my preferred free daily newspaper, I accidently knocked my laptop case into the stand for the Metro.

(Cue the soundbite)

I noticed this when I was five feet away from the stand. Do I, turn around and attempt to mobilize a troop to lift up the stand and put up the paper or walk away and let the guy who's job it is to hand out the metro fix it? As I walked away I did here somebody yell "hey, you knocked down the stand. ASSHOLE!"


Oh Michael, Michael, Michael. That wasn't just somebody calling you an asshole as you rushed yourself down the platform, pretty sure that was the collective voice of the universe. You see, it's as age-old as the Carnegie Deli or gravity. When you knock someone's stuff over, you pick it up! I remember learning that lesson in pre-school. Believe me, there wasn't a cute three-year-old blond who went more than five seconds without her legos being toppled over and picked up by gentleman Dan. It's just how I do it. You might have been absent for that lesson for all I know.

Anyway, I apologize. It's not up to me! It's up to the voters to decide what exactly should be done in this type of situation. So New York, we ask you:

Am I supposed to pick up someones stuff I knocked over, even if I've already made my way down the platform/street/sidewalk?