They Say They Dropped Their Wallets

John Zoitas stands outside West Side Market, where he is an assistant manager. Sometimes people sneak into the basement, he says.
PHOTO: James W. Pindell
For New York pedestrians, open basement doors jutting from a sidewalk may be a sign of people at work or a warning not to fall in. For a few, though, the doors are little more han a tempting invitation.

Two to three people each year are caught sneaking into the basement of the West Side Market, which is open 24 hours a day and receives 50 to 60 deliveries a week, says John Zoitas, an assistant manager at the grocery store. The last unauthorized person found downstairs was caught about six months ago.

Although it seems likely the people are there to "pick up something," or steal, says Zoitas, they usually make up a transparent story to explain their trespassing. "The guy finds a different kind of excuse," says Zoitas, who is near 60. Some say they dropped their wallet. Others say they are looking for a friend, but mysteriously forget their friend’s name when asked.

Zoitas doesn’t bother calling the police, he says. "I just say, ‘Go away. Don’t come anymore.’"