Ticker tape parade

I would be remiss if I didn't mention this NYC phenomenon.

I didn't attend today's parade for the Giants.  But I've been to others -- the 86 Mets, the Vietnam Vets, John Glenn, and a few in the 90's for the Yankees.

The Canyon of Heroes . . . Broadway looks like a canyon as it winds through the skyscrapers.

Embedded in the sidewalk along lower Broadway are plaques memorializing every Pope, president and dignitary honored with a ticker tape parade.

Ticker tape is really a misnomer. The market hasn't used tickers in decades.  These days people throw shredded newspaper, copy paper, even toilet paper.

If you work in the area . . .barricades go up hours before parade time, so you will face detours as you head to your job.

Stake out your parade spot early, one million people take up a lot of space, and you won't get close enough to see much if you arrive late.  Bring earplugs, one million people screaming . . .the noise echoes through the manmade canyon . . .

Parades usually happen around midday.  By 5 PM the sanitation department will have cleaned up every scrap of confetti.  I guess they're heroes, too.