From the New York Times on October 17, 1979:
To walk a block or two without encountering a request for a handout from a passerby is unusual; and since John Tauranac is no different from the rest of us, he was not surprised as he strolled up Broadway past Lincoln Center to encounter a casually dressed man who seemed a trifle confused.
“Excuse me,” the man said, “but am I heading the right way for Grand Central?”
Mr. Tauranac promptly informed him that if he continued straight down Broadway and turned left, he couldn't miss it; or, in the alternative, he could take the M104 bus or the Broadway local to Times Square and the shuttle to Grand Central.
All of this kindly instruction was not rewarded with a thank you. Instead, Mr. Tauranac's interrogator launched into a tale of woe. He was, he asserted, on his way home to Poughkeepsie and lacked 37 cents of the necessary fare.
It was now Mr. Tauranac's turn to ask the 37‐cent question: spell Poughkeepsie.
The man looked away, shrugged and continued south on Broadway.