Need help! =/ (New York, Boston, York: college, live, legal)

[GetaRhythm]

Hello, I am new to this forum, and discovered it while Google searching whether Port Authority in NYC was safe at night. Here is my situation:

I am a 19-year-old college student from Boston, and I am planning on taking a trip with my friend to New York City's Madison Square Garden for WWE Royal Rumble 2008 on Sunday, January 27th, 2008. I have decided not to tell my mom that I am doing this, because she would without question say no, and because it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and i know that when I am older, I will look back on this as a legendary thing I did in my life. Here is the general idea of how our trip would go down:

1.) My friend & I would meet at South Station in Boston on Sunday morning, taking the Greyhound bus to Port Authority in New York City

2.) When we arrive at Port Authority in NYC, we would either walk (I am unsure of how long/safe of a walk it is during the day and at night, as well) or take a cab ride to Madison Square Garden.

3.) The show starts at 6 PM, and is over by 10:45/11 PM.

4.) At 11 PM, we would leave Madison Square Garden and either walk (most likely not) or take a cab ride (the safer route) back to Port Authority for the Greyhound Bus. The Greyhound Bus back to Boston's South Station leaves at 12:30, and since the event is over at 10:45/11-ish, we figure that an hour and a half would be a reasonable amount of time to get back to Port Authority, figuring in all of the traffic and commotion if we took a cab.

5.) The Greyhound bus leaves at 12:30 AM. We'd be back in Boston at South Station, safely, by 5 AM.


Is this trip safe?? My friend says there is nothing to worry about it and that he will take care of the two of us getting there and back plain and simple. The thing about my friend though, is that we've talked online for about a year/year and a half, and we met at a WWE event in Boston this August. I am 19, and he is 20. I go to a college in MA, and he goes to a college in NH where he studies law. I've met him once more in the last week or so at a WWE event, again.

Please help me decide what I should do. I really want to go, and I think we could pull it off, but lying to my mom is something I don't like to do, and that's the only way I would be able to go.

[BXGEAR]

Umm MSG, Penn Station, & Port Authority are safe. After 1-2 AM the homeless come out to sleep

[Green Irish Eyes]

The trip would be perfectly safe but, as a parent myself, I'm strongly suggesting that you tell your mother your plans. You're of legal age, so she can't stop you going, and it's cowardly and disrespectful to just sneak off.

[bx718]

you cold also just ride teh ACE trains one stop down to 34th. but what's the fun in that when you can walk there and feel the city air.

as far as telling his mother, since he's not a minor, then he DOESNT have to tell her anything.

[margarets1]

as a parent, i'd say, talk with your mother. you'll probably depend on her for a few years yet. it's the mature thing to do.

[mead]

Yeah a lot of things concern me here. You're not telling your parents what you're doing. Apparently you don't know this guy you'll be going with as you've only met him in person once. You'll be riding greyhound back to Boston in the middle of the night (riding on greyhound is generally never pleasant, however it is usually harmless).

Why not just take the train to NYC? That eliminates the walking between the Port Authority and Madison Square Garden. The train station for Amtrak trains is located directly below Madison Square Garden, so that would cut out all of the walking involved.

Otherwise that isn't too bad of a walk. Its about a mile altogether and the route is generally safe. Just don't hang out in front of the Port Authority building as lots of wanderers/vagabonds seem to hang out there.

[DonnaReed]

You need to tell SOMEBODY where you're going and who you're going with (his first and last name, number, where this person lives).

Why hasn't this person you met online met your folks your sisters, brothers?

Introduce him to somebody in your family, and tell somebody where you're going, when, with whom, when you'll be back...and give them both your number AND HIS.

In NY, it's difficult to say what area is and is not safe.

People need to BE safe:


don't hold conversations or answer questions from strangers

don't be out late at night after drinking (you can't exercise your best thinking)

ignore and keep it moving if you encounter chaos, hostile people, etc.

remove yourself from any situaton where you get a bad vibe; do not second guess your intincts

don't dilly dally on dark street or in dark deserted places

*Don't be a smarty pants and don't let people talk you into sneaking around without anybody knowing where you are

Being somwhere you're not supposed to be is one way of asking for trouble

[margarets1]

i agree with donna. if you do not feel comfortable talking with your mom, TELL someone and provide all contact info (including email address). introducing your friend to a mature family member would be wise. if you got into trouble and needed help, who would you call first? that's the person to give advanced notice and info too.

there are just too many on-line predators. i'd be more concerned about this guy than the trip to nyc.

...something must not feel right if you are asking for advice. listen when your intution is talking to you.

[GetaRhythm]

Thanks for the help everyone! I think you're all equally right and I've decided not to go. =)