Hours for one second

Whoo...today was my first, and very possibly last, time to count down to New Year's in Times Square. I arrived at 42nd st to meet my friend, but so many streets were barred by the police and I could only enter from 52nd st. I barreled my way to 51st st. and Broadway, and was stuck in the crowd. Little by little the crowd--impatient and getting mad about not being able to get through--managed to push their way through to 50th, 49th, and finally midway between 48th and 49th. And that's where we stood for several hours, until around 11:30pm when the police finally opened the gates and let us through to the next "bin". Yip, that's what the police called it. We are animals being controlled and herded from one pen to another, and you can't even return to the same bin if you want to go out and get coffee or go to the bathroom. I was at the front edge of our bin, and that's where all the goodies stopped. By goodies I mean those funny-looking blue Nevea hats, pom-poms, and even scarves. And I could only stand in the freezing cold, watching the people in the bin in front of ours grab for these free items. Then came the blue Nivea balloons with silver streamers. Thankfully, some people were nice enough to pass on some of those to us, and that's how I got mine.
It was exciting to feel the human pulse amidst the crowd, as it was like a rippling effect, both physically and spiritually. Spiritually because you can feel the mounting anger (when we were too far to see the ball), impatience, but also the people's excitement building up to a climax that effects you; physically because you're sandwiched between people and don't have total control over your body except try to maintain your balance. In both aspects it is easy to be affected by the crowd, and I finally have first-hand experience on how dangerous a mob, when turned angry, can be.
It was also sort of annoying how you really don't have total freedom and domination over your own body when you choose to stay and wait for that climactic moment. For the climax of the event you must choose to yield your desire for food, beverage, warmth, and the luxury of the restroom. The police keep you shut in an area like a pig penm, and you can't choose to move forward. Also because there are so many people behind you, you can't really move backward either. But if you choose to give up the strike of midnight, you can immediately leave the pen and have all of this freedom back.
Despite all of the above, it was fun and I would say it was worth it for the first time, but man I am never going to do this ever again. Once was enough.
Funny how I just went to the zoo during the day and was herded into the pens in the evening...