Surprise Subway Adventures

The unpleasant smells of urination and sweat from the humidity, as tons of people crowd to get on the subway.

      In NYC, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Subway is the most reliable transportation, taking you from borough to another. You will find a variety of people riding the train, from corporate employees, single mothers, students, and even interns. There is no discrimination in catching the subway, but finding a seat can seem almost impossible. Leaving the option to stand squished in between people or grab the germ infested poll. I personally hate the "poll" because so many rail users sneeze with their hands (especially children) and put that exact, infected hand back on the poll. So, instead I prefer to lean against the doors or struggle to keep my balance by not touching anything. Finally when there is an available seat, I instantly dive over the crowd making my way towards that direction. You have to be alert at all times because you never know when someone’s stop is located and there’s an open seat.

     Not only as a passenger, you have to be cautious of your surroundings, but also very watchful of the different scams you will encounter.  Its unbelievable the amount of people who come on the train making ridiculous announcements, begging for money.  They all start of by saying, “Excuse me… Excuse me… Can I please ask for your attention…” and a bizarre anecdote on why they need donations.  This week while riding the train, I came across three types of beggars: a single mother with a baby, holding a cardboard sign, a blind woman with a cup, and a homeless man. In the beginning, when I first started riding the train, I felt the sincerity until I saw the same single mother begging, but with a different child. I quickly picked up the con games and began to ignore them while keeping to myself.

     Riding the subway prepares anyone for the unexpected, there’s always an out of the ordinary experience before arriving to his or her destination. Kind of like the Forrest Gump analogy with a minor change of words, “The subway is like a box of chocolates you never know what encounters your gonna get.”