Clarence Wilson was last seen on 100th street and Columbus Avenue. We received the following information from Notify NYC, the emergency alert system:
“Silver Alert issued 8/1/15 at 10:20 AM. The NYPD has issued a Silver Alert for the disappearance of Clarence Wilson, a Black male, 81 years of age, from the Upper West Side (MN). Mr. Wilson has dementia and Alzheimer’s, and is described as 5’11” tall and 160 lbs. He was last seen on 7/30 at 9:00 PM in the area of West 100th Street & Columbus Avenue (MN), wearing a beige Kangol cap, black leather jacket, white t-shirt, blue jeans, and white Nike sneakers.. If seen, call 9-1-1.”
Over 20 comments about bagels but not even one about this? Have seniors and the homeless (not to mention homeless seniors) become such a massive part of the UWS landscape that they’re invisible? Not one person noticed an 81 year old man wandering around alone? If it was a puppy the entire UWS side would be out looking for him!
I don’t like bagels, and I don’t have a dog; also, I hesitate to write this because I don’t like to dominate a story. However, I’m baffled: I don’t know just why you conflated comments on bagels with a write-up on a missing man. I don’t know just why, on a beautiful summer weekend afternoon, 2-3 hours after the information appeared, you censured hardworking readers for not responding to a story upon which they could contribute no helpful information.
Are you sure that the fireman who served on 9/11 were not discussing topics like, maybe, their favorite pizza (or perhaps even porn site) just minutes before 9/11? Do you think that comic strips and food sections of papers should be blocked when there’s an article on a missing man – not to speak of natural disasters, assassinations and wars?
On 9/11, around 10:30 a.m., on my walk home from work, I came upon a very long line. It extended all the way from the lower level of the Citicorp building, then outside to the sunken terrace, then up the stairs and into the street for nearly a block around. It was composed mainly of fit young men – “yuppies,” as they were called – waiting to give their blood at the bank’s blood bank.
We are apparently all heartless, bagel-loving, dog-worshipping haters of old people.
“Over 20 comments about bagels and not even one about this?”
Well, what is there to say? It’s sad, and thank G-d there is now a “Silver Alert” system. We are grateful that Avi made us aware of this, and we’ll all be on the lookout.
What do you want us to do, debate Alzheimer’s? As much as we kibbitz and debate on this site, it seems unnecessary in this situation.
I hope they find (or have already found) this gentlemen, but this points out a big problem with the silver alert system – there is no email sent out when someone is actually located. They do this for amber alerts, I can’t imagine any technical reason for them not to be able to do this for silver alerts.
Uhh why shouldn’t an 81 year old man be wandering around alone? You realize that not every older person has Alzheimers and there’s not necessarily anything about this man that would concern the people walking by him on the street.
This alert was just issued and I’m sure people who see this will alert the NYPD if they run into him.
He was last seen on 7/30 at 9:00 PM and has dementia and Alzheimer’s, so at some point in time I would expect that he either sat down, laid down, was incapable of asking for help, or did ask for help and was ignored because people thought he was homeless. I have experienced 2 random incidents of finding homeless people (one male, one female) laying dead on a bench and on the bridle path, and watched people walk by them without blinking an eye while I waited for the police to show up. That is my concern with Mr. Wilson.
In answer to Comment 1 above, the practical reason for the small response is that there is little traffic on this site over summer weekends. UWSers are re-creating, after hard workweeks, in dedicated time with their families and other loved-ones.
A quieter reason is that a lost man is graver than a lost dog, and (to paraphrase Edgar Poe) silence is often better than saying something that is “not everything that should be said.” *
As for all the bagel talk, it’s affectionate. Food and feasting bind us.
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*Note, for instance, the paucity of comments a year ago over the suicide of a 34-year-old dancer.
What are We UWSiders’s “re-creating”?
I was breaking down the word “recreate”, Christine. Leisure often puts us back together — re-creates what can be destroyed during a workweek.
Christina, I apologize for mistyping your name.