Subway Sightings and Musings

The subway is the cheapest (2 bucks a ride regardless of distance), most reliable, and most convenient way to get around and a great place to people watch. However, some of the stations can be quite spooky especially in the middle of the night. Others are downright filthy, reeking of urine. And it's much safer than I thought.

I like the art/mural and other performing artists in the stations. Gives a tourist so many things to absorb. I'm sure the locals just whizz by without a glance.

Lesson learned about subway riding. Always look before you sit. At the end of our first day, we were taking a subway. While the train was full, I noted there was a seat open and no one was taking it, or people were uninterested in sitting. I had a full day, wearing a Bengali garb, in 3-inch heels and I just walked 5-6 blocks to get to the station, and I am just relieved to find that seat. I grabbed my husband and we both sat. The tattoed girl next to me punched me (okay maybe tapped with closed fist) on the arm and when I looked her way she was looking the other way. I thought that was rude, but maybe that's how NYorkers welcome tourists. I thought it was like the time my car getting broken into on my first day of work in Oakland. I chalked that up to Oakland's way of welcoming me to the city. And I was ready to chalk this up to welcome wagon by New York. About two minutes later, the guy standing next to the gal who punched me told my husband, the seat is filthy. It has a crappy smear all over the seat. We sprang up so quickly. And with face red from embarrassment, I snuck a glance at the people within the area and they were just shaking their heads, even the tattoed gal. I just showed my naivete. It was like shouting, "hey I am a tourist!".

It is such a busy city. It's a good place to visit for a week or so. But I don't know how people do it. They are stressed out just getting to work. It's a fascinating city. I can't wait to get back and hit all the spots we missed, and there's plenty of spots we missed.