by Mary W Maxwell, LLB
The secret plan was that I would arrive at the Marathon today around 2.49pm, which is when the bombs went off six years ago. I wanted to see how much of a crowd there was at that time.
I have always doubted that 264 people got injured in the half-block near 700 Boylston. The winner that year, an Ethiopian, crossed the Finish Line around noon.
Today, for the Elite male runners, the race started at 10am in Hopkinton. It had started for Elite Women at 9.30. Minutes after high noon some of the men were “knocking at the door of the BPL,” so to speak.
Thirty thousand runners participated. It wasn’t raining in Beantown but must have rained in western suburbs, as some of the non-elite runners had donned al-foil raincoats. (Of course the Elite wouldn’t stoop to that.)
However Yours Truly botched the deal by getting into Boston too early. I arrived around 1pm and was too tired to stick it out till 2.49. (I am still on Sydney time!)
A Gumshoe Regroups
So I regrouped my gumshoe-esque operations. I decided to time the trip from Boylston to Whole foods, Cambridge.
We plebs were not allowed near Copley Square. The place was swarming with cops in phosphorescent yellow vests, and happy families. I got as close as I could (Stewart St) and then hopped a taxi to Wholefoods, being curious as to how long that trip would take.
I was sure it would be more that the 21 minutes Jahar needed to get there after bombing (NOT) the Finish Line at 2.49pm — right after his brother did the first bomb (NOT). The video of him buying the milk in Wholefoods is date-stamped 3.12pm.
I got into the taxi at 1.19pm and arrived at 1.30pm, so an 11-minute trip. But we stopped for well over a minute at a red light, so let’s say 10 minutes driving time.
See how honest I am, I am telling you the trip was not impossible for a Jahar. However I have always believed the milk video was made on a different occasion.
I can give a trivial piece of evidence against that milk vid being genuine. Namely, the Wholefoods parking lot was packed today, while in the video we see only two cars.
Granted, that’s mixing apples and oranges. I was there at 1.30pm compared to “Jahar’s” 3.12pm. But it was on a similar day, Patriot’s Day (blecch), and was similarly a good weather day (about 67 degrees).
I priced the milk — $1.49 for a quart, not bad. The Wholefoods checkout queue was very long; I would not have been able to exchange the milk without a considerable delay.
Another difference to be factored in: my trip started near Copley but I had the luxury of snapping my fingers for a cab. The Brothers (NOT) would have needed to go fetch their vehicle, and I’ll be chiggered if I can see how any private cars were allowed to park within cooee of the Finish Line.
Even us pedestrians were not allowed to enter Boylston or Dartmouth St, never mind cars.
The “Race”
Folks, today’s Marathon started white and finished black.
I mean if you don’t have the genes for it, why bother? (Although last year a Japanese man won, first ever for Japan.)
Later this evening, at South Station, I met a South American runner who was just bursting with pride at having come in at respectable speed. I wanted to interview him but all he could say in English was “I like Boston,” and all I can say in Spanish is “No hablo.”
Did Australia Score?
Now here are some of the scores:
The winning man, Lawrence Cherono came in at 2.07.57.
His rival was only two seconds behind (Bet he is not a happy camper!) His name is Lelisa Desisa. Pronounce that.
Jimmie Johnson, a NASCAR winner, gave it a go and finished at 3.09.07
The winning Elite female was a Kenyan named Worknesh. Last year’s laurel-wreath-wearer, Desiree, who had been the first Seppo to win in 33 years, came fifth today.
Daniel Romanchuk won the Men’s Wheelchair marathon, at 1 hour 21 minutes, and an Australian came third in the Women’s Wheelchair. I think her name is Madison Rozario, at one hour 41 minutes.
Rosie Ruiz, now age 65, was nowhere in sight.
As I can see, comparing lemons with oranges, lemons ended up in front.
As you can see I am not always serious, either.
This musical video of Jahar is my adaptation of the alleged “surveillance” video in the Wholefoods store on April 15, 2013.
Oopsies. Mary’s lies come to the surface! In my DISTORTED MEMORY there were only 2 cars in the Wholefoods carpark on April 15, 2013.
I now concede — on the rack — that I was wrong. (Still it wasn’t chockers like today.)
Oh dear, Notre Dame burning.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-16/notre-dame-in-flames-photo-gallery/11018282
This is disgusting. In order to keep the Marathon fairy tale going, the media finds a new person to blame. Last year it was Daniel Morley (“who may have been involved in the robbery at a 7/11 store near MIT that night”). Now it’s Katherine Russell, the widow of Tamerrlan Tsarnaev. Poor thing.
.
https://www.conservativereview.com/news/boston-marathon-bombing-6-years-later-jihadi-wife-katherine-russell-escape-justice/
ERRATUM CORREGIO
Dear Reader, I made a major booboo. This is humiliating but let’s get it overwith. I WENT TO THE WRONG SHOP.
As reported I took a cab from the Copley area. Before climbing in, I “leaned through the window” (a line from Nat Harman if you’ve been paying attention) and asked “Do you know how to get to Whole Foods in Cambridge?” “Yes of course.”
(By the way, that was a Boston Cab Co taxi. I also noted a Punjab Cab and Mubarak Cab Co.).
So off we went. I was busy in the back seat trying to take pix out the window (e.g., the ambulance photo) and the next thing you know he dropped me at Whole Foods. A most beautiful store, I might add.
So I went in and pretended to sleuth for Jahar’s sake. Before leaving I saw that they have a Hot Bar so I tarried for lunch. After lunch I cabbed it back to the bus for NH. (I am trying to explain why I was geographically challenged: I was tired.)
Today I looked at the sales slip from the lunch. Six bucks. Address of the Hot Bar: Whole Foods, 100 Cambridge St, Boston. Eeeks! I never went to Cambridge. So my little story about the crowded parking lot is irrelevant.
Wow. I won’t be able to test the correct Whole Foods till next year. But I’ve just checked the directions, at Google, for “Copley Square to Whole Foods, 134 River St Cambridge” and found that it takes 11 minutes.
Therefore, if this were a Court of Law, and boy oh boy it sure isn’t, my story of an 11-minute ride would probably not rank too high in the Falsification Stakes.
Oh, and just to put me in my place, a few minutes ago I boasted to a neighbor here in New Hampshire “I went to the Marathon yesterday.” He said “Oh that’s nice, where was it?”
Hmm.
A gentle reflection re Christendom
https://mereorthodoxy.com/notre-dame-fire/