New York's Seediest Street
by Melinda T. Owens
Answer: UPMARKET VALUE
How to Solve
In this puzzle, New York’s seediest street is, of course, Sesame Street. The incident numbers refer to episodes of Sesame Street that are sponsored by a particular letter and number. The numbers provide the ordering, while the letters spell out ALBUM ALPHABET.
The text of each incident refer to one of the songs from the 1971 album The Muppets Alphabet Album (also known as Sing the Alphabet), where all the songs on this album refer to one of the letters from the alphabet. Taken in the same sponsor number order, the puzzle’s sentences spell out the phrase UPMARKET VALUE.
| Inc/ Ep# | Sponsor | Album Letter | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ltr. | # | |||
| 3928 | A | 1 | U | An officer performed a welfare check on an old man seen dozing off in public. The officer determined that the man was not an immediate danger to himself or to the public. |
| 0197 | L | 2 | P | An officer was dispatched to deal with an unlicensed street vendor who was alleged to be hawking a long list of exotic animals. Fortunately, the officer found that no animals had been harmed. |
| 3808 | B | 3 | M | Two unkempt persons were seen eating a letter. The dispatched officer determined that the letter had not been addressed to another party. |
| 4191 | U | 4 | A | A report was received that a person was speaking to a bug on the ground. The dispatched officer determined that the person was not an immediate danger to himself or others. |
| 0155 | M | 5 | R | Complaints were received regarding an odd machine in the street making noise and smoking. The officer determined that the machine was not dangerous to the public. |
| 3819 | A | 6 | K | Reports were received that a large group of people were gathered around a speaker on the street to mock him. An officer was dispatched to disperse the crowd. |
| 4108 | L | 7 | E | An officer was dispatched after reports that an adult man was pestering a young girl with repeated questions. The officer left after ascertaining that the girl did not feel threatened. |
| 4928 | P | 8 | T | A person calling herself "the Queen" reported an illegal street vendor. A dispatched officer found no illegal activity. |
| 4246 | H | 9 | V | A call came in about a person on the street repeatedly stating the same word twelve or more times in a row. The dispatched officer determined that the person was not a harm to himself or the public. |
| 0182 | A | 10 | A | While being questioned on the street, a person dressed in yellow refused to give the officer their name, offering three alternatives instead. However, the officer did not find evidence of suspicious activity, so the subject was let go. |
| 4820 | B | 11 | L | An officer was sent to handle two men arguing over lumps and lights in the sky. The officer gave the men a warning. |
| 4412 | E | 12 | U | A report was received that an elderly man was lecturing passersby on the street. The officer determined that the man had stopped before the officer's arrival. |
| 3490 | T | 13 | E | A call came in of a girl shrieking loudly in terror. The dispatched officer found no evidence of physical harm. |