NYC Subways

I spent a lot of time in the subway of New York City yesterday. I had to get to several places that were far apart. Uptown, downtown, and cross-town, it’s doable, but it takes some time and planning if you don’t do this kind of thing every day and I don’t.

Observations from the New York Subway.

Most people sit silently, staring into the abyss of three feet across the subway car. They don’t look out the windows for their stops; they feel the stops by internal numbers.

Many listen to their portable electronics and are mesmerized by their music so the staring has no significance of deep thought and no distance of focus.

Some people are seemingly crazy or at least act that way. They talk to themselves and shout at nothing. Others read a book, sleep or dose, write in a journal or eat some fast food morsel to assuage a hunger. I’ve seen everything from apples to sushi to beef stew consumed on a short subway run along with beagles, candy bars, hamburgers and covered containers of booze.

Occasionally musicians pop in and out of a subway car, sing a few bars and hold a hat out for a few coins. Tourists always reach into their pockets or purse and put something in the hat. We need tourists. It helps the troubadour economy.

The immune New Yorkers ignore the entertainment. It’s a shame, for sometimes these musicians are pretty good and deserve a shekel of two.

Today, a little girl probably around four years old, stood next to me and held on to a carriage her Father was pushing. Her other hand hung onto the chrome post on the train car. This little one had a smile that dissolved dilemma and melted angst. She held on loosely and seemingly, at her young age, knew how to balance the motion of the train to her tiny body. She never lost her footing and faltered.

I was ready just in case she did. She was comfortable and so was I because of her presence.