Proofreaders and copy editors may be the unsung heroes of a newsroom, but today one ink-stained wretch is getting his fifteen minutes. His triumph, alas, wasn’t catching a homonym error, but saving a man who fell onto the subway tracks.
Actor, and part-time proofreader, Chad Lindsey is not only a hero, but also a jokester:
He looked back up at the people on the platform. “There were lots of people, and none of them looked like they’d be particularly good at jumping down there,” he said. “I yelled, ‘Contact the station agent and call the police!’ which I think is hilarious because I don’t think I ever said ‘station agent’ before in my life. What am I, on ‘24’?”
Myth of proofreader as sun-averse word nerd is shattered. Well, for the day, at least.
Katia Bachko is on staff at The New Yorker.