OMEN
12-30-2007, 06:12 PM
NEW YORK (AFP) - New Yorkers who suffered a tough 2007 took their anger out on photographs of ex-husbands, old letters and annoying cell phones on Friday, consigning their bad memories to a giant shredder.
"I got rid of my ex-fiancee after five and a half years," said Pierre Lucien, 47, "I shredded her picture, because I have very bad memories. I caught her with another guy while I was on vacation for the summer."
The event took place in the Times Square intersection that on Monday night will be packed with hundreds of thousands of New Year revellers. Most of those at the "Good Riddance Day" came with bad memories they were keen to forget.
"I shredded the obsession to drink, the obsession to use drugs, the obsession to women," said one man in his 40s. "I am recovering. I have 32 days clean today and I wanna continue, this is a good start."
Others threw in files of paperwork. One threw in documents relating to a home loan that he -- like so many other Americans -- was unable to pay off.
Geraldine, a 36-year-old Ecuadoran woman, came with her two daughters to symbolically say goodbye to her ex-husband. "He behaved badly and then left us," she explained. "I also got rid of work colleagues who behaved badly."
One woman was destroying a pile of papers: "10 years of a bad relationship," she said, smiling.
Joe Costanella brought along the bane of his life: a garbage can bought by his wife. To the surprise of onlookers, he took a sledgehammer to the can, prompting others to throw in cellphones for similar treatment.
At the end of the event, a garbage truck took away the shredded papers for recycling. A 250 dollar prize for the most creative act of riddance went to New Yorker Eileen Lawrence, who symbolically shredded her former boss.
AFP
"I got rid of my ex-fiancee after five and a half years," said Pierre Lucien, 47, "I shredded her picture, because I have very bad memories. I caught her with another guy while I was on vacation for the summer."
The event took place in the Times Square intersection that on Monday night will be packed with hundreds of thousands of New Year revellers. Most of those at the "Good Riddance Day" came with bad memories they were keen to forget.
"I shredded the obsession to drink, the obsession to use drugs, the obsession to women," said one man in his 40s. "I am recovering. I have 32 days clean today and I wanna continue, this is a good start."
Others threw in files of paperwork. One threw in documents relating to a home loan that he -- like so many other Americans -- was unable to pay off.
Geraldine, a 36-year-old Ecuadoran woman, came with her two daughters to symbolically say goodbye to her ex-husband. "He behaved badly and then left us," she explained. "I also got rid of work colleagues who behaved badly."
One woman was destroying a pile of papers: "10 years of a bad relationship," she said, smiling.
Joe Costanella brought along the bane of his life: a garbage can bought by his wife. To the surprise of onlookers, he took a sledgehammer to the can, prompting others to throw in cellphones for similar treatment.
At the end of the event, a garbage truck took away the shredded papers for recycling. A 250 dollar prize for the most creative act of riddance went to New Yorker Eileen Lawrence, who symbolically shredded her former boss.
AFP