Subways | Imamother

yo'ma

Wed, May 08 2019, 9:44 am

Do you ride it often? Have you ever not been able to get on because it was so crowded? What was your worst subway ride? Since this is not anon abled, if you want, please say what city you use it.

I lived in NY, but didn't use the subway much because I had no need, but when I used public transportation if I had a choice between the bus or subway, I used the subway especially when I had a stroller. So much easier.

When I was in NY this past winter, my summer, with my kids we used the subway a bit. I tried not to use it during rush hour since we were on vacation anyway and was not pressed for time, so it was easy enough to avoid.

I've been living here, in Argentina, for over 12 years and have used the subway here and there, but mostly walked and took a taxi. I think I used a bus twice and that was with someone else. I have no idea how to use the buses here or their routes. There are so many buses. Now that my kids school is far away, we take the subway every day to school. It's usually not that crowded and if we go at a certain time, we might even get a seat.

The trains have very short routes. Ours in total from the first to the last stop is only takes about 25 minutes. They run very often, about every 5 minutes or less, but they are only 6 cars long.

I try to go back home by foot (it takes less than 2 hours), but sometimes I need to take the subway. I try to board on the last or first, depends on what you want to call it, stop, but I'm not always in that area. Even when I go to that stop, I don't always get a seat. If I don't, I try to stand on the side close to the door that I need to exit from otherwise it's difficult to get out when needed.

These past two weeks I used the subway back more than I usually do and wasn't from the last stop. Once I wasn't even able to get on. I was barely able to get on the next one, but pushed. I have been so squashed, I almost felt like going out and walking. I hate the subways. Today, hence this post, was the most uncomfortable. I was holding papers in my hand and had my sons jacket draped over my arm, so my arm was bent. This guy came in and stood right in front of me. I am short and he was very tall. He almost reached the ceiling. My arm/hand was right near his crotch!!! Mind you the car was crowded. I was trying to be very careful not to get to close which I succeeded, but boy was that uncomfortable. Bh since it was crowded, he couldn't tell, so that was good.

As I said, I don't use it so often, so the ones who do use it often probably has lots of interesting stories. Please share Smile

!

Sorry for the length of the post.

icedcoffee

Wed, May 08 2019, 10:26 am

I live in Manhattan! I actually live close enough to work now that I can take the bus, which I much prefer to the subways - I hate that stuffy, humid, underground feeling and I like being able to look out the window. But I think the most surprising thing about taking the NYC subways often is how there are no surprises anymore. There can be a car with three homeless people sleeping and people won't even avoid that car, they'll just move over a bit. Or a mentally ill person might be ranting and screaming and again, others just avoid eye contact and continue their commute. I always wonder if that's a NY-specific attitude - in other cities would people leave that car and find a different one? Sometimes I see tourists anxiously usher out their families while no one else is even blinking.

My old roommate used to LOVE looking for rats on the track. She and her boyfriend would send pictures to each other when they spotted one. I was also amused to learn that a lot of people (my students, for example, all admitted to this) think about their "strategy" if c'v they ever get pushed or fall onto the track. Gotta avoid that third rail, outrun the train, or push your body up against one of those indentations in the wall!

soap suds

Wed, May 08 2019, 10:44 am

icedcoffee wrote:

My old roommate used to LOVE looking for rats on the track. She and her boyfriend would send pictures to each other when they spotted one. I was also amused to learn that a lot of people (my students, for example, all admitted to this) think about their "strategy" if c'v they ever get pushed or fall onto the track. Gotta avoid that third rail, outrun the train, or push your body up against one of those indentations in the wall!

What third rail? I never thought about my strategy. But it definitely can't hurt to get some tips.

thunderstorm

Wed, May 08 2019, 11:25 am

My mother was just telling us that she was waiting for the train in a NY subway station and she saw a couple staring at her up and down awkwardly and my mother couldn't figure out why they had such staring problems . She started feeling uncomfortable and pointed her eyes to the floor to discover that a huge rat was sitting right between her two feet!!!! No wonder those people were staring ! She said she froze and started to scream so loud that she scared the rat and it scampered away.

My brother takes the subway to work every day and one day the guy sitting next to him asked him to move over because he needed to pee. My brother jumped up and ran to a different car he was so grossed out.

I have not taken the subway in over a decade but I have memories of weird things happening. The worst was a guy reading a newspaper , standing by the door with his face in the paper, his pants unzipped with his privates completely revealed and pleasuring himself in front of everyone during rush hour and nobody flinched or said anything. I came home crying (I was a teenager) it was a very traumatic moment for me.