Manhattan gridlock

Despite my general aversion toward crowds, I usually love going to Manhattan. This week's trip, however, was not particularly pleasant because the level of congestion was simply unbelievable. Here is why:

NEW YORK -- While world leaders were gridlocked on charting a new course for the United Nations, New Yorkers faced a different kind of jam Wednesday: a traffic nightmare from what was billed as the largest gathering of its kind.

Inside the glass edifice of U.N. headquarters on the East River, more than 150 leaders _ including President Bush _ butted heads. Outside, vehicles all over Manhattan inched forward bumper to bumper as limousines and luxury cars bearing dignitaries whizzed by in lanes kept clear by police cones. . .

The NYPD dubbed it "gridlock squared."

And with the leaders come the protesters, which made the gridlock even worse. In fact, I was stuck in a taxi in the same spot for 30 minutes yesterday while we waited for a protest against the Chinese government to pass.

Still, it wasn't all unpleasant, as my argument before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals went well and I had a brush with fame when I saw this person pass by on the sidewalk.

Now that I am back, more regular blogging should resume.

UPDATE: By the way, when I said in a pre-trip post that "I will be staying within blocks of the WTC site," I was wrong. It would have been a good 30 minute walk from the hotel to the WTC site and, because my plane was late getting in and it took forever to get from the airport to the hotel, I just didn't have the time to make a visit.