Being Handcuffed Over Night Is...

Being handcuffed all night is, well… not the most comfortable way to sleep. Although, I must say I wasn't sleeping when I was asked to get off the F-train this last Wednesday morning. I am honored that Curbed.com took the time to write up my story, but I would like to clarify so that everything is very real. It was very real to me.

Somewhere between 3 and 4 a.m. I was riding the train home after hosting the Erzsi and Jonny Show. I was wide awake, and carefully watching the homeless men on the train with me. I wanted to make sure I was safe, and that everyone else was peacefully asleep. They were.

I had my legs, gently draped on the corner of the seat caddy-corner to me. My sneakers were not on the seat. I like to indicate to people that I will put my feet down on a moment's notice, should someone else need some space to rest.

An officer boarded the train and flashed me her badge. She said, "Put your feet down and get off the train." I said, "Why?"
"Get off the train."
"But I'm not doing anything wrong. Please let me stay on the subway car. I need to get home to go to work."
"Get off the train now."

So I got off the train, and there on the subway platform, after the train had left the station she asked me for identification. I only had an ATM card and three business cards: one for personal training, which said Elizabeth Pongo; and two for stand-up comedy, which say Erzsi Pongo. The problem was that for personal training I use Elizabeth, and for stand-up comedy I use my Hungarian childhood nickname: Erzsi. So the names on the business cards that have photos, do not say Elizabeth. They do all say Pongo.

To make a long story short (too late!) I was handcuffed, told that my purse could have been stolen. I was put in a van along with several handcuffed men, and taken to Union Square. We were taken underground into the subway system, to a holding cell for the Police Department of the city of New York. I was finger printed, my photo was taken, and then handcuffed to an iron fence for the rest of the night. They had to make sure everything was o.k. and wait for my fingerprints to get back from Albany.

Now, everything o.k.? Well, I was awake, sober, I was forming complete sentences, making very good eye-contact, and doing everything in my power to prove to them that I was not going anywhere, that I didn't have to be cuffed all night, and that I was compliant. Sure, there were tears streaming down my face, once in a while. And yes, I did ask for a tissue several times to blow my nose. It’s hard to blow your own nose when you you’re chained to an iron fence. Nonetheless, the handcuffs remained on: all night. More of the story will follow.