Reader Mail: Mixed Bag of Existential Stuff in Brooklyn Heights

Over the last 24 hours we’ve received a couple of reader submissions on opposite sides of the spectrum. We thought we’d share them with you.

Have an interesting experience in the area recently? Share them in the comments below.

First, HicksonHicks writes:

Hi Neighbors – This week a good Samaritan returned my wife’s lost wallet to Montague St merchant Grand Optician. The wallet was lost with a credit card, a debit card, a receipt for Grand Opticians and $110. We received a call from Grand Optician and found the wallet intact.

A very big thank you to the anonymous do-gooder for returning the wallet and reinforcing our faith that we live among honest folks.

And another from Nancy who claims this incident happened to her husband at a local eatery:

I want to report an incident that my friends and I experienced in Brooklyn Heights on Saturday evening, Oct. 13.

After viewing the sunset on the Promenade, my 4 friends — visiting from London — and my husband and I looked for a place for coffee and tea. The chairs outside of Tutt Cafe on Hicks Street looked inviting, and so we ordered coffee and tea and went outside to sit down.

The chairs were set on a carpet, which concealed the fact that the outer chairs were set on an uneven slope. The front legs were on a level surface, but the back legs were on a slope (concealed by the rug).

When my 67 year old husband sat down and leaned back in his chair, the chair promptly fell back (it was not on a level surface), my husband hit his head on the lamppost and suffered a two inch gash to his head.

This 67 year old man was bleeding profusely. We immediately went inside to inform the personnel. There were 3 people working, 2 preparing food and 1 person waiting on tables and collecting the cash. WE WERE IGNORED!

A 67 year old man is bleeding from the head — and NOBODY could be bothered! In fact, the waiter said,
“You should look before you sit down.” I explained ‘The rug conceals the slope in the sidewalk.”

WE WERE IGNORED! My friends from London were SHOCKED! In fact, “It’s SHOCKING!” is exactly how my British friends expressed it.

Nobody would even come outside to see what happened! Not even a glass of water was offered!

I think the utter CALLOUSNESS of the personnel is what angered us the most.

We filed a report to the Better Business Bureau — and now I’m writing to this blog.

The next person who falls back in that chair — could be your grandmother!

Share this Story:
  • cary

    There are lawyers down the street that can probably get you a few thousand dollar settlement pretty quickly for something like this. Shame on Tutt cafe and their personnel.

  • Knight

    @cary: don’t believe everything you read.

  • David on Middagh

    Well, I’m sympathetic, because I, too, have relatives with head injuries, and I lean back in chairs myself, since I was old enough to balance on two out of four legs.

    Is it too late to rewrite that BBB letter? I don’t see a lamppost outside of Tutt, just a tree, which is across the sidewalk and by the road. Maybe it was a fencepost that did the damage.

    I do hope everyone tried the lentil soup and a little pita–there is nothing like comfort food after a tipover.

  • lori

    I, too, have noticed that the chairs outside of TUTT are on a slant and positioned in a dangerous manner. I am very aware of chairs like that because my husband had an incident similar, falling over backward on a chair, altho it was not at TUTT. Perhaps the chairs should be set up in another manner.

  • WillowSt.Neighbor

    A two inch gash in the head would seem to require medical attention. Is that so?

  • Boerum Bill

    They should have at least comped you some stuffed grape leaves!

  • Jim

    Did anyone call 911 for an ambulance? I have 911 and my lawyer’s office set on speed dial.

  • PierrepontSkin

    This will be the 3rd time I’m posting this (first time, my comment was awaiting moderation all day) and I have gotten NO response.
    Does anyone know what was going on with the ambulances and police at Heights Cafe on Sunday night, around 8pm?

  • HenryLoL

    It is true — the owners/workers at Tutt are VERY rude. But the food is good… I believe they were in some trouble with the hood a few months back over an alleged illegal sign. The whole place needs a re-do. I dont think the owners care or recognize that they operate in a historic district. Oh well.

  • weegee

    PierrepontSkin – I believe it was someone who passed out at Heights Cafe.

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    Came home from work around 7:30 last night to police activity on Columbia Heights and Pierrepont (building may have been 196 Columbia Heights?). Any chance anyone knows what happened and if everyone is okay? Thanks.

  • GHB

    ColumbiaHeightser, you sure it wasn’t a few days ago when they were filming Law & Order SVU? When I first saw all the police cars from down the block, I thought “WTF?”

  • ColumbiaHeightster

    Ha, yes, I’m sure, but a good thought.

  • Hortense

    Weird – people at Tutt are always nice to us. Seems out of character. Hope this person is ok.

  • hicksanthrope

    I don’t believe this.. the staff at Tutt ALWAYS go out of their way to be nice to us. It’s a good place.

  • Andrew Porter

    I would imagine that the wheels of justice are slowly grinding their way through the Landmarks and DOB case against Tutt for making major changes, rewiring, illegal awning, etc., without bothering to file for permits.

    So an aggrieved customer is [currently] the least of their worries.

  • Knight

    Yes, Andrew; and after all of the times you reported them, I’m sure you’ll be there to wag your finger at Sam and all of the other people you’re trying to force into unemployment.