Ugh. I've quickly decided that I am NOT a fan of the subway...especially during morning rush hour. I have to take the 4, 5, or 6 train from 86th Street downtown to Astor Place. The 4 and 5 are express trains, so I try to take one of them down to 14th Street...which means that I have to wait for a 6 train to go one more stop to Astor Place. OR - I just suck it up and jump on the 6 in the first place...and endure about 10 stops all the way down Lexington. Either way, it takes me about 35 minutes to get from my front door to the dance building on 2nd Ave. And either way, I'm forced to stand shoulder to shoulder with the other 200 strangers who are on their way to work, school, or who knows where! And either way, I wind up depressed and claustrophobic.
But as much as I dislike the subway experience itself, I've learned quite a bit from just observing my fellow riders' behavior. It surprised me from the very beginning how nobody talks while on the train. Unless you're with a friend, there really isn't anyone to talk to! This is especially evident between the hours of 7 & 9am...when everyone seems to be disappointed that they have to go make a living doing something that they may or may not enjoy. Seeing the somber looks on some peoples' faces reminds me of why I'm spending SO much money to attend NYU...I want to dance, and I refuse to work at a job that I don't enjoy just so that I can make a lot of money. It's clearly not worth it, and my opinion is confirmed every morning between 7 & 9am! But it's kinda sad that no one talks. Most people are listening to their ipods...and I've fallen into that habit, too - maybe just to fit in or maybe to drown out the silence! Some people quietly read the paper that was shoved into their hands by the man standing at the stairs to the subway station - the same man who is there day after day. And some people just sit and stare...creepy.
My thing is - if I did have the opportunity to talk to the other people on the subway, I'm sure I could have a great conversation with at least 75% of them. I know there are some great and interesting people in New York! It's frustrating that it's not "politically correct" to talk to strangers on the train. I've talked to a few people here and there, but for the most part, my 6 train experiences have been silent and depressing. Maybe one day that will change. Maybe I'll start a movement on the 6 train. Or maybe I'll just keep riding in silence, listening to Jason Morant and dreading tomorrow morning. *sigh*
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2 comments:
Ah, so sad...
I guess it's not much different than sitting in traffic and wondering what's going on behind the other windshields! Except you get to smell them!
dude, i'm totally pickin up what you're droppin. I started working downtown KC a year ago and have been riding the bus since day 1. there are ppl on there that hollywood would never dream up!
you should definetly start talking to someone. just talk to one new person a day. you know me, i can talk to the buttons on my shirt, but i have met so many ppl (and some ladies... ooo la la) just by talking to them on the bus.
one of the buses i take has the same ppl ride it everyday and whenever i ride it, i don't even have time to listen to my mp3 player. just by me not being 'pc' and invading ppl's comfort zone, it gets more than ppl talking to me, but they start talking to each other too.
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