It's the most terrible time of the year.
The time when broken umbrellas, lost gloves, and flattened scarves litter the street like actual human waste. It's straight-up fecal out there.
The time when New Yorkers question their life choices, their will to live, and, most importantly, their choice of footwear whenever they dare to leave the house.
It's Slush Season and it doesn't get worse than this.
Generally, Slush Season takes place from December to April and is characterized by massive crosswalk slush puddles.
These murky bodies of water are known for their size, their depth, and the fact that they're completely unpredictable.
You never know how deep they are.
Crossing the street becomes a terrifying test. A block-by-block challenge. A game that no one wants to play.
It's like the movie Saw but worse, because no one wants to play a game with a fucking puddle.
The problem is you pretty much lose every time.
There's always that moment when you have to commit to your path.
The moment you just go for it.
The moment you eye that metal sidewalk strip and hope you don't slip, fall, and crack your head open and die.
You hope that you made the right choice, you crossed on the right side of the street, you went down the right block.
And you pray for your socks.
Basically, be careful out there. Help your fellow person. Be patient at puddle crossings. We're in this together.
Jump wisely.
BTW, these pictures aren't from this year, but trust me, this is what the streets currently look like.