While this is not actually a photo of the 6 train it is pretty close to what it's like during rush hour. It actually might be more helpful to have MTA employees to shove everyone in.
As long as I can get on the subway I don't generally mind the overcrowding as much as other people probably do because I'm still a good head taller than everybody else. I definitely feel for the small people that are just stuck in the middle of everyone. At least I'm up where the air is clear.
But this morning's train ride just seemed unusually awkward. It took forever for the train to actually come, and then it was one of those situations where every stop they had to make the announcement that there were trains backed up behind it. One of those days where you wonder what happened up in the Bronx that made this train get so behind. Some crazy person causing a scene no doubt.
So each stop we get to we have to sit there waiting for as many people as possible to cram themselves on to the train, then they make the announcement about the other trains, then we still sit there for an additional 5 minutes or so because there's probably some crazy person at the other end of the train making a scene. I guess because it's 27 degrees in NYC right now they aren't running any of the fans or anything on the subway cars either so we would literally be sitting at a station, bodies pressed together, in complete dead silence.
Aaaawwwkkkwwwaaarrrddd
It really was one of the most awkward subway rides I've had in the 8 years of living here. It's always amazing to me to ride the subway and think that I'm in what is supposed to be the greatest city in the world with the best of everything created by the best minds and the subway is the best we can do for transportation.
Don't let Dan hear me say that though. He once chewed out some teenagers for saying that the subway was dumb. I guess he has a point, it is incredible to think about in theory, but in execution it is terrible. Especially after riding subways in other cities like D.C. and realizing that it doesn't have to be this way.
I think it's fitting that everytime I come and go from the airport I have to pass through one of the absolute worst subway sections in Manhattan, the transfer from the 6 to the E at 51st St. You half to walk about 3 city blocks underground, going up and down stairs 3 different times, through these really gross and kind of scary tunnels. Depending on what time of day you're going through you can be in a section that is completely isolated from everyone else where you imagine the subway guy from Ghost is suddenly going to appear to tell you to get off his train. Because I have to get to the airport by 7am for the flight to Sarasota I am always going through when there is nobody else around and it's really creepy.
Except for the last time. I guess there wasn't any E service at the 51st st station but they didn't have any kinds of signs up or make any kind of announcements on the 6 train so I still got off at 51st and started to make my way over to the E. I was at my second set of stairs, the climb up for those of you who are familiar, when I heard somebody making an announcement over the loudspeaker. I had my earphones in so I stopped to take them out, which is when I looked up and realized that there was actually just a woman standing at the top of the stairs with a megaphone making the announcement.
When I first stopped she was still in announcement mode, saying very standard things in a monotonous voice, "there is no E service at this station, late nights and weekends, going through blah blah blah". But at some point she realized that I was the only person listening to her and that I was actually standing there right in front of her. At the same time I kind of felt like I needed to hear her out, like it would be rude for me to just turn around and walk away while she's in the middle of saying something that has become, for my ears only.
So now she's basically just talking to me, she's at the top of the stairs and I'm at the bottom, and she's talking in a normal level voice, but still through the megaphone. She's also talking to me more like a normal person now, "So what you're gonna wanna do is go down to 42nd St. ok honey, you'll get the 7 there and take it in to queens, it connects with the E out there alright?".
I think I said thank you before I turned and went back to the 6 train, but because it was so early I don't think either of us really appreciated how hilarious the interaction was. It wasn't until I was remembering it later that I started cracking up. I wish I had it on video, of us standing maybe 20 feet apart and having a normal conversation except she's talking through a bullhorn.
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