PopcornJackTerry

The escalator giveth and the subway taketh away.

It’s been a long time since I lived in the city, and it is not the city I used to live in 17 and 25 years ago just like I am not the guy who lived in it back at those times. So I’m trying to find my way in it and my place in it, and I’m struggling with some of the dichotomies. Today was a perfect example.

The 6 train is my lifeline, as it is for anyone on the East Side of Manhattan. There is a station 3 blocks from my apartment and another one 3 blocks from my jobs. What’s more, when I leave the city to visit family and friends I typically do so from either Port Authority or Penn Station, both of which are accessible from the E train, which I transfer to at the same stop I get off at work for

As you can imagine, when I’m going places I’m in much more of a hurry. Coming home I’m usually just contending with how much sleep I can get, so I tend to take my time on the transfer from the E to the 6. That means riding the elevator. Now, the E train, after this station, dives under the East River, so it’s deep, meaning the elevator is easily three stories in length. Most people know (or I assume they know) that you walk the left and ride the right when it comes to escalators. Meaning if you’re not in a hurry, you stay to the right and let people with more pressing places to go walk by you on the left.

You might think selfish New Yorkers wouldn’t abide by that, but not only do they, tonight I watched people queue up 6 and 8 feet out to be on the riding side. At one point I looked up and down and the left side was entirely clear, but nobody thought to step out to that side for their own personal space. They recognized and understood what that side was for.

Which would make you think that when they got to the subway they’d have that same consideration. Nope. Time and again I saw people walk through the door of the subway and stop immediately. They didn’t care how many people were blocked up behind them, they found their own space and weren’t moving. And I don’t mean people getting off in one or two stops, and I don’t mean people who were last on the train and moved aside at each station. I mean people who just didn’t give a shit that they were inconveniencing a dozen or more others.

I understand the concern of being stuck in the middle of the car when your station comes. At 6’3”, 250+ and a deep resonant actory voice, I have no problem letting people know it’s my stop and getting myself to the doorway. Other people don’t have that luxury, I get it, but it’s still mind blowing to see people so concerned about imposing on strangers on minute and totally unconcerned the next.

I joked/not joked with my mom the other day that the city doesn’t make me hate humanity, it’s finding parking in a mall that does, but I’m not so sure how true that is. I’m here for a job, one I like, but don’t love like I should or expected. And, as the song says, “Live in New York, but leave before it makes you hard.’ I was here when I was young enough to be hardened and not let it affect me. Not sure if I can say the same anymore, and I don’t know if I want to.