Woman Loses Her Engagement Ring Down Sidewalk Grate And Comes Up With An Ingenious Plan To Get It Out
Kate Ray, a New Yorker who works for the American Civil Liberties Union—fight the good fight, Kate!—thankfully didn't fall down a sidewalk grate (yes, that's something that occasionally happens to people).
But she did lose her engagement ring.
But Kate wasn't ready to bid that ring of hers farewell. She says she lost it after she went to grab a cup of coffee with one of her colleagues.
I went to get coffee with a colleague & was gesticulating a little too violently when my engagement ring flew off &… https://t.co/PZ1NBgpFCs— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556143969.0
She could see it at the bottom, though, so that's something.
i could see it at the bottom (that bit of shine near the top to the left of that pink trash) https://t.co/Q6vExlYU91— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556144037.0
But simply getting that ring out of the grate would be more complicated than Kate thought.
Colleague called 311 while I went into the building to find a building manager. He said the grate belonged to the M… https://t.co/4pLXy347cG— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556144100.0
Thankfully, the MTA was on hand to lend their support...
We’re in FiDi so an MTA office happens to be across the street. I went there & found some wonderful ppl who told me… https://t.co/KAqHv1VcBD— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556144196.0
The engineers came & looked but bc the grate was across the street, they said belongs to the MTA .org not MTA build… https://t.co/vVnYyvhVo0— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556144289.0
...but they couldn't help her.
I did. Ticket booth guy said they were only available 8-4. As I was leaving the station, I ran into th building man… https://t.co/kEoFVS7iT6— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556144382.0
Con Ed customer service is pretty evil, so we understand Kate's frustration here.
Fuck if Con Ed is going to help me. I’ve lived in NY for 13 years doing battle with their customer service, there’s just no way.— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556144561.0
But then Kate had an idea: A rather ingenious idea.
So I go to Duane Reade. There are no wire clothes hangers but there is a heavy duty measuring tape & duct tape.— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556144694.0
Colleagues bring me a magnetic paper clip thing that i bash on the sidewalk to get the magnets out. I tape them to… https://t.co/25jYzOeB34— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556144788.0
Kate was a woman on a mission.
So then it’s just me & the measuring tape with duct tape on the bottom & irregular subway train breezes down in the… https://t.co/FBXPokFsvB— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556144883.0
I bring up a lot of dirt from the bottom of the grate. I push the ring around, sometimes out of sight but I’ve locked onto it.— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556144937.0
I’ve been practicing this unique maneuver for about 30, 40 mins when finally I get the tape directly on the ring & begin to pull it up.— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556145007.0
Oh, did we mention Kate attracted a group of supporters?
There is a crowd around me now, cheering me on & yelling that I should go slower, faster, left, right. I get it all… https://t.co/ZOg9wc2nvV— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556145103.0
And then...
It happened.
In one movement, I pull up on the measuring tape & grab the ring with my other hand.— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556145240.0
SHE DID IT!
https://t.co/CRHurADpOO— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556145317.0
You've gotta love NYC.
There were so many ppl I met this afternoon, building managers & a shoe repairman & Duane Reade employees & quite a… https://t.co/e67DNxHh06— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556145535.0
Lessons learned: get your rings sized correctly, & your hacked-together taped-up tools are more effective than navigating bureaucracy.— Kate Ray (@Kate Ray) 1556146317.0
Kate's story of determination and perseverance attracted quite a few fans on social media.
@kraykray This whole thread is literally a marriage metaphor. Mostly marriage is held together with just string and… https://t.co/JFWvvFEJDF— Janine 🇨🇦 (@Janine 🇨🇦) 1556153818.0
@kraykray Amazing! As a NYC kid, we’d just pull up the grate and head straight down. We used to drop our keys and… https://t.co/XGQjo9nLh1— ɐuɹǝS ǝɔuᴉɹԀ 👑 (@ɐuɹǝS ǝɔuᴉɹԀ 👑) 1556191177.0
@kraykray An Event occurred. A Quest enfolded. Companions gathered. Many adventures ensued. The Feat was enacte… https://t.co/cIJg7xJoUa— Melon Husk (@Melon Husk) 1556157700.0
this a GRATE NYC story. @kraykray ✊🏽👏🏽 to your skillz!!! https://t.co/FSOnQx0ZrP— noel hidalgo 🌹 (@noel hidalgo 🌹) 1556193834.0
@kraykray Picturing a row of judges standing next to the grate holding up cards with numbers: 9.2 9.6 9.5 ...… https://t.co/LKvnYQo0XW— Mike Hurtubise (@Mike Hurtubise) 1556206581.0
Well done, Kate.
We knew you could do it!