The Great Escape

So, I've been sort of fascinated by this news article I read earlier this week. A 3-yr-old boy in Queens ended up on the #7 train by himself, when someone finally took notice and he was reunited with his mother a short time later. Now, here's what I find interesting...

According to police, the boy got separated from his mother at a McDonald's, walked out the doors and down the street to the subway entrance, took a very long escalator down into the station, bypassed the turnstile, awaited the #7 to arrive, boarded the train, and sat down - perhaps trying to blend as best he could. Yes, I'm sure this was a horrifying experience for the child's mother, but with that said I couldn't help but picture Stewie from "Family Guy". I'm guessing the boy (Let's call him... Louie) had just about enough of those vile McDonald's Kiddie Meals and thought, "You know what mom... fuck this, I'm leaving." Maybe it was that last McNugget that just pushed little Louie over the edge. I believe the actual account of the events went something like this:

Louie stares down that final greasy McNugget and he's had it. He leaves the restaurant and takes to the street.

Louie strolls down the street unnoticed, passing strangers at the fish markets, perhaps the occasional whiff of street urine, and boards the long narrow escalator into the subway station, flanked by businessmen not noticing the diminutive little toddler in between them. Louie approaches the subway turnstiles realizing he's... well, 3. He can't conceivably purchase a Metrocard, but "AHA!" He's the perfect height to bypass the turnstile without getting a giant steel bar painfully slammed into his crotch.

He waits to make his great escape and the 7 train rolls up. Louie runs under the turnstile, sprints through the train doors, takes a seat and hopes for the best. Poor kid. He was so close. Perhaps he could have found someone nice enough to at least make him a decent meal before returning him home to his family with the consistently poor food choices.

Ahh well, Louie.. if you're reading this, (which is entirely plausible of course, considering you were smart enough to bypass security and board mass transit headed for the big city), you got a few years left with the woman. Stick it out. Hell, there may even be some Taco Bell in it for ya!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/nyregion/18child.html?_r=1