On a leisurely walk along East Tenth Street this weekend, I saw this:

It was one of two of its kind. One was situated on either side of a short walkway leading to an apartment building.

Peaceful enough, yes? Wide-eyed innocence, oui?

No(n).

Apparently it was a staring contest showdown:

I tried to enlist the assistance of this referee — or should I say rufferee! — a few buildings away, but he could not have cared less and pretended he had better things to do:

Despite what you might think, I am not a fan of violence, so I walked by like it was just another sleepy, brunchy Sunday in New York. I turned a blind eye to the animosity behind these stony eyes. Sometimes it is best not to get involved.