Regarding “fishing ball out of sewer”:
About ten years ago, corner of West Broadway and Ericsson Street downtown Manhattan. Woman emerges from coffee shop with breakfast, is putting change back into purse, driver’s license falls out, falls into sewer. Several men who harbored cherished memories of lying on their stomachs and retrieving spaldeens spring into action: “Get a coat hanger!”, “Don’t worry, Lady — I’m an old hand at this.”, “Oh my God! I haven’t even thought about this in forty years!”, etc.. A hanger is produced, the tool is properly fashioned, the license (which had lodged on a dry ledge within the sewer), was adroitly brought to the surface, and returned to its owner. Woman proceeds to work with grateful “thank you” to all. In her wake, a very unlikely group of various New Yorkers were all grins while a common memory cast its spell.