Harry and Meghan 15

[Spock]

1 hour ago, treehugger said:

A 2 hour car chase in NYC? With NYC traffic ? Uhhuh. According to their spokesperson anyways. People couldn’t get any information about this chaotic event that nearly killed people from anyone other than the spokesperson?  I’ll be awaiting the NYPD report with bated breath. 
 

 

At the end of the people article it does have the NYPD statement: "On Wednesday afternoon, the NYPD released a statement to PEOPLE reading, "On Tuesday evening, May 16, the NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard."

[SoSoNosy]

And why even participate in alleged car chase???  Aren't there police stations in NYC that you could drive up to?  That is so dumb.

[KnittingOwl]

2 hours ago, treehugger said:

A 2 hour car chase in NYC? With NYC traffic ? Uhhuh. According to their spokesperson anyways. People couldn’t get any information about this chaotic event that nearly killed people from anyone other than the spokesperson?  I’ll be awaiting the NYPD report with bated breath. 
 

 

That was my reaction too. There’s no way!! Not in downtown NYC. Way too much traffic for a high speed two hour car chase. It’s not LA!!
 

The mayor came out and condemned it because “we all remember what happened to his [Prince Harry’s] mother.” Of course, but let’s also get facts.

There’s a million traffic cameras and people with phones there and no one is posting video of this to social media?

Edited May 17, 2023 by KnittingOwl

[viii]

Why wouldn't you just get into a vehicle with blacked out windows? It's incredibly easy for celebrities to get around these larger cities without detection. 

[noseybutt]

This is a chase in the OJ Simpson sense of the word.

Shrug.

I would be annoyed if I was in the car being "chased" and I would be annoyed if I were law enforcement assisting the security team.

[Coconut Flan]

Key - no arrests.  No one did anything really outrageous.

[prayawaythefundie]

I‘m confused as to what really happened but eagerly awaiting to see Harry explaining to us how this is either William‘s or Camilla‘s fault in his next interview.

[treehugger]

Well, according to the taxi driver: 

Quote

"I don't think I would call it a chase," Singh was quoted as saying, adding that two vehicles had followed them and driven next to them, taking pictures and filming. "I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn't like a car chase in a movie. They [the couple] were quiet and seemed scared, but it's New York — it's safe."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/harry-meghan-paparazzi-car-chase-new-york-1.6846181

 

It seems "recollections may vary".  Also, like a pretty big overreaction on the part of their spokesperson.  

I feel for Harry though, none of this drama (manufactured or otherwise) can be helping his past trauma.  

[viii]

2 minutes ago, prayawaythefundie said:

I‘m confused as to what really happened but eagerly awaiting to see Harry explaining to us how this is either William‘s or Camilla‘s fault in his next interview.

Oh, for sure Camilla. This has drunken Cams written all over it! 

[just_ordinary]

I think this will come up as a bit of a no story. They really have blown their reputation to shreds because their word isn’t worth much but immediately viewed as either overly exaggerated or complete lie. 
I do believe paparazzi got close to their car (close enough to show them without seatbelts) and followed them for some time. But it leaves me with so many questions. Calling it a chase was obviously to be understood as high speed and incredibly high risk manoeuvres. It’s basically a click bait. (Which a lot of their statements turn out to be if you think about it. Do they need that to get the attention?)

Why were they driving around, “chased”, for so long- to get rid of them? Just get to your destination and call the police ahead from the way? Why not go to a police station earlier? 
I can only imagine how stressful such a situation is and for this I do have sympathies for them. Somehow they always manage to act pretty questionable though. They are acting like characters in a bad script. Either it’s truly a dangerous situation, which to me would indicate wearing seatbelts to protect yourself and get in contact with the police asap, or you try it own your own and feel safe enough not to wear a seatbelt. But then you have not been scared for your safety in my opinion. 
 

Anyway- I do hope the NYPD can identify the paparazzi and they get in trouble. 

Edited May 17, 2023 by just_ordinary

[viii]

I believe they said they drove around because they didn't want to lead the paps to where they were staying. 

[TeaGrannie]

The TMZ article reports speeds of up to 80 mph. 

https://www.tmz.com/2023/05/17/prince-harry-meghan-markle-followed-paparazzi-car-chase/

[Coconut Flan]

35 minutes ago, treehugger said:

 

I feel for Harry though, none of this drama (manufactured or otherwise) can be helping his past trauma.  

As with most things Meghan and Harry, there is a super simple solution to the problem.  

It isn't this though:

 

[tabitha2]

The Sussex Squad on Twit er  is already calling Royal! plot!  

Edited May 17, 2023 by tabitha2

[Antimony]

26 minutes ago, TeaGrannie said:

The TMZ article reports speeds of up to 80 mph. 

Okay, I'm not really "torn" here but here's my take as somebody who has driven through NYC no fewer than 8 times in the last few months and moved somebody out of a Manhattan apartment (terrible experience)...

1. I don't believe it's possible to get up to speeds that high in most areas of the city, especially near the Ziegfeld Ballroom (just south of Central Park). If you got that fast, you'd hit something - pedestrian, building, other car - on the way to building that speed. There just isn't enough open space in Manhattan. On a good day heading out towards Jersey...maybe? You'd have to be lucky though. I need a map of this chase. Where exactly did we hit this speed? 
2. Having made these drives, I can see them being scared while the taxi driver was not. It's just...like, I'm scared, driving through the city, especially when you have to go through and not over. Hate it. I can be at my last nerve and I'm the one driving the car. So, I can also see a seasoned taxi driver just being like, "Eh, normal day, it's the city." Pedestrians and bikers and other drivers in NYC do do things that feel like near collisions and are sometimes risky, but that's just kind of how the driving feels. The city isn't optimal for cars, for good reason. 
3. Paparazzi levels in NYC...are low, because like...so many celebrities. So it is weird to hear of that many who are that persistent. I guess it all depends on the going price of photos?? Still weird, and other people in the city online seem to agree.
4. This story was playing in the local NPR station while Mr. Antimony and I were driving to a spot to take a lil' hike and I said, "At this point, I'd just let myself be photographed." So like, if true, if that deadly, if such high speeds, like, I dunno. I'd give up. Let them have 'em at that point, I'd say. I'm not them but for that level of mortal danger the paps could have photos of my buttcrack if it got them to leave. 

Edited May 17, 2023 by Antimony

[viii]

6 minutes ago, Antimony said:

4. This story was playing in the local NPR station while Mr. Antimony and I were driving to a spot to take a lil' hike and I said, "At this point, I'd just let myself be photographed." So like, if true, if that deadly, if such high speeds, like, I dunno. I'd give up. Let them have 'em at that point, I'd say. I'm not them but for that level of mortal danger the paps could have photos of my buttcrack if it got them to leave. 

I'm sorry, but this is such an uncomfortable way of thinking. Nobody should have to compromise their safety, privacy and overall well-being so something ends. This is putting a lot of pressure on the victim, rather than the perpetrators. 

[Love2Cruise]

Why were they traveling by taxi and not by private car?  This doesn’t make sense for them to do when they are constantly worried about security or lack of?

[treehugger]

@Antimony I find it weird also.  I live in Montreal, not NY, so a much smaller city, but also a dense one one on an island, and I legitimately can't think of too many places where you could reach those speeds at all, until you get on the highway.  It just isn't possible downtown unless we are talking a Sunday morning before 9 😅, and then you would have to run so many lights.  There's just no way a taxi could hit those speeds between lights.  You would hit something or kill someone.  I image NY is worse.  

Also re the paparazzi.  Again, so incredibly weird.  As much as Meghan and Harry like to think they are a big deal, in a place like NYC they just aren't.  Even in Montreal, celebrities tend to be treated like most other people, so again, I image NYC would have a similar attitude.  

Another thing that is bugging me is how they act like it wasn't optional to engage in a high speed car chase (which is sounds like this isn't), but come on.  There is always a choice in how to respond.  Driving like an idiot doesn't have to be the only one. And no one wearing seatbelts.  Really?  That one makes me see red.  How unbelievably stupid and irresponsible.  

Edited May 17, 2023 by treehugger

[tabitha2]

Are they the “Victims” though? 
 

The Jury is still out for me. So far This Whole story is fishier and smellier than Dollar store  clambake from start to finish  And Goodness we know they have a very Picasso way with facts and truth.  

[treehugger]

Well, one can actively seek out awards and publicity,  or one can live a quiet, private life.  It is a choice.  The fact that their spokesperson broke this story makes me think they aren't all that interested in a quiet, private life. 

Edited May 17, 2023 by treehugger

[Antimony]

2 minutes ago, viii said:

I'm sorry, but this is such an uncomfortable way of thinking. Nobody should have to compromise their safety, privacy and overall well-being so something ends. This is putting a lot of pressure on the victim, rather than the perpetrators. 

I can see why one could feel that, but I also think it just isn't worth it. It isn't worth dying over and it isn't worth risking a crash over. Like, when the choice comes down to it for me, there, I'm not hitting the gas any harder. A chase's top speed is determined by how fast somebody being chased is willing to go and most car chases involve higher stakes - prison time, perceived certain or truly certain death, or some sort of physical violence at the hands of law enforcement usually - than photographing. This isn't about who is right or wrong in this point, and I don't think they should be chased (though I remain surprised there's that much demand for photos of them), but it's about the risk-benefit of choosing to go faster. It never comes out as "worth it" to my calculation.

Nothing like that is worth risking your life over. It's just not.

And frankly, this is how a lot of stuff does work. We're seeing a lot of cases fail the "self-defense" litmus because people don't understand that we have a legal duty to respond only with equal or lesser force. If somebody is chasing you for something relatively small, and you aren't in fear of your life from the pursuer, is it actually reasonable to accelerate further and, by their own account, risk the lives of other drivers, pedestrians, and the various citizens of NYC? To me, it's really not. It's also very different than an open chase. There's a risk calculation to be made here and I can't see how anybody benefits by speeding up. The paps should have dropped chase, but once you realize they won't, you also have the choice to not speed up. And it does sound like they stopped, got help from NYPD, and made a car switch to the taxi driver, which is a much more reasonable response. But I also don't believe they made such speeds.

If true, the details and level of risk described are not worth not having one's photo's taken because of how dangerous that length and speed of chase would be in NYC (truly, different calculus for parts of Cali, and way different calculus for the wide expanses of parts of Wisconsin).
If there is in fact more danger than having one's photo taken, then the details are still dubious but make a different calculation for me. 

[noseybutt]

1 hour ago, Coconut Flan said:

Key - no arrests.  No one did anything really outrageous.

While I agree this seems more an annoyance than a serious situation, I would not base this on the arrest or no arrest record of NYPD. They are notoriously unpredictable. Like, horrifically so.

[Antimony]

10 minutes ago, treehugger said:

Also re the paparazzi.  Again, so incredibly weird.  As much as Meghan and Harry like to think they are a big deal, in a place like NYC they just aren't.  Even in Montreal, celebrities tend to be treated like most other people, so again, I image NYC would have a similar attitude.  

That is generally my experience. I know that there are exceptions - Daniel Radcliffe got swamped outside the Broadway theatre during the 08-09 show of Equus and I think he used alternative entrances because of this. But there is also a good chance of just seeing celebrities in the city at any given time and nobody reacting. I have run into two mini-celebs in NYC that I recognized. Only spoke to one. 

The only thing that would make it worth it to me would be if the papers are paying much, much, much, higher rates for Harry and Meghan than they are for anybody else. Maybe British papers are? American ones could be, but the level of interest in the U.S. - while still high - is just so different. It does really seem unusual.

In unrelated news, one of my favorite podcasts, The Worst Bestsellers (title says it all), recently covered Spare. Podcasters include some folks with real royal watcher bonafides and one host who couldn't name the members of BRF if her life depended on it, so a real spread of opinions. They do dramatic readings and mini games ("Would you rather?" but themed to the book of the episode) at the end. I, personally, wasn't going to read Spare but I always listen to the podcast, so I feel fairly well caught up. 

3 minutes ago, noseybutt said:

While I agree this seems more an annoyance than a serious situation, I would not base this on the arrest or no arrest record of NYPD. They are notoriously unpredictable. Like, horrifically so.

Awful, and especially bold about it recently considering the death of Jordan Neely. I have very little trust in NYPD statements, just generally. 

[Coconut Flan]

To me it's a nearly complete BS story promulgated by Meghan's Fantasy Factory.  In LA it's known she's setting up photo ops.  Why not in NY?  Why go for this overly dramatic improbable story?  The pap shots in LA aren't generating enough publicity for her?  

If she's setting up pap shots in LA, why is she so scared of a NY photo op?  ::smh::  She's set up pap shots in NY before, too.

Edited May 18, 2023 by Coconut Flan
Missed a letter.

[Antimony]

I've never actually checked or noticed any speed limit signs in Manhattan, and that is because it never occurred to me it was possible to speed in Manhattan because you really get a choice between crawl and slightly faster crawl, so I did look it up.

The City has a default speed limit of 25 mph with some exceptions but all speeds in the city are below 50 mph. 

Of course, there are places where going the speed of traffic is safer than interrupting the flow of traffic to obey a speed limit, but the flow of traffic in the city is...almost always under the limit.